IMMIGRATION / GLOBAL MOBILITY
Global Mobility Services in Singapore
When your business operates across borders, your people need to move across borders too. We provide end-to-end global mobility support — immigration, tax, compliance, and relocation — coordinated from Singapore for assignments across Asia and beyond.
One point of contact. Every jurisdiction. Every employee. Every move.
Retainer
From $3,000/month
Project-based
From $5,000
One point of contact. Every jurisdiction. Every employee. Every move.
Assignment planning and cost projections
Immigration processing across Asian jurisdictions
Tax Equalization and shadow payroll
Relocation support and settling-in
Ongoing compliance and reporting
Departure planning and repatriation
What’s included in our Global Mobility service
ASSIGNMENT PLANNING
IMMIGRATION
TAX & COMPLIANCE
RELOCATION & SETTLING-IN
ONGOING MANAGEMENT
DEPARTURE & REPATRIATION
Global mobility engagements are typically structured as retainers or project-based mandates, depending on the number of assignees and jurisdictions involved.
How it works
Pricing
SELECT SERVICES
Global Mobility Retainer (ongoing)
From $3,000/month
Single Assignment Management (end-to-end)
From $5,000
Assignment Cost Projection
From $1,500
Tax Equalization Setup
From $2,500
Relocation Package (settling-in)
From $2,000
Departure / Repatriation Package
From $1,500
Multi-Jurisdiction Immigration (per country)
From $2,000
Who is this for?
Multinational Companies With Regional Operations
Companies headquartered in Singapore (or using Singapore as their APAC hub) who regularly move people between countries. Whether it’s sending a Singapore-based executive to Indonesia for 6 months or bringing a team from India to Singapore for a project — we coordinate the entire process.
Companies Entering New Markets
If you’re expanding into a new country and need to send employees ahead of establishing a local entity, global mobility becomes critical. We handle the immigration, tax, and compliance implications of market entry assignments.
Companies With Cross-Border Commuters
Regional roles that require travel between countries — Singapore/Malaysia, Singapore/Indonesia, Singapore/Hong Kong — create complex immigration and tax obligations. We help structure these arrangements compliantly.
HR Teams Without Dedicated Mobility Resources
Many mid-sized companies don’t have a global mobility function. We act as your outsourced mobility team — handling everything from policy design to execution, so your HR team can focus on people, not paperwork.
What sets our global mobility service apart
Immigration + tax + relocation — why integration matters
Most mobility providers handle one piece — immigration OR tax OR relocation. The problems arise at the intersections.
A work pass application in Singapore triggers tax obligations. A short-term assignment to Indonesia creates permanent establishment risk. A commuter arrangement between Singapore and Malaysia has social security implications in both countries.
We handle immigration, tax, and relocation as an integrated service — so nothing falls between the gaps. Your assignee has one point of contact, and your HR team has one provider to manage.
This is especially important in Asia, where regulations vary dramatically between countries and change frequently. What works in Singapore doesn’t work in India, and what’s compliant in Hong Kong may not be in Vietnam.
A work pass application in Singapore triggers tax obligations. A short-term assignment to Indonesia creates permanent establishment risk. A commuter arrangement between Singapore and Malaysia has social security implications in both countries.
We handle immigration, tax, and relocation as an integrated service — so nothing falls between the gaps. Your assignee has one point of contact, and your HR team has one provider to manage.
This is especially important in Asia, where regulations vary dramatically between countries and change frequently. What works in Singapore doesn’t work in India, and what’s compliant in Hong Kong may not be in Vietnam.
Jurisdictions we cover
Our core coverage spans the jurisdictions where most Singapore-based companies operate:
Deep expertise:
— Singapore (our home base)
— Hong Kong
— India
— Indonesia
— Malaysia
Strong capability:
— Vietnam
— Thailand
— Australia
— Philippines
— China (Mainland)
Network coverage:
— Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States
For countries outside our direct coverage, we work with trusted local partners and coordinate the engagement — so you still have a single point of contact.
Our strength is Asia. If your mobility needs are primarily Asia-Pacific, we’re built for that.
Deep expertise:
— Singapore (our home base)
— Hong Kong
— India
— Indonesia
— Malaysia
Strong capability:
— Vietnam
— Thailand
— Australia
— Philippines
— China (Mainland)
Network coverage:
— Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States
For countries outside our direct coverage, we work with trusted local partners and coordinate the engagement — so you still have a single point of contact.
Our strength is Asia. If your mobility needs are primarily Asia-Pacific, we’re built for that.
Assignment types and how we structure them
Not every international move is the same. We structure assignments based on the business need:
Long-term assignment (1–3 years): Full relocation, tax equalization, family passes, housing, school search. The classic expat assignment.
Short-term assignment (3–12 months): Immigration processing, tax compliance, temporary accommodation. Often without full relocation.
Permanent transfer: The employee relocates permanently — local package, local tax, one-way move. Simpler ongoing, but the transition needs careful planning.
Commuter / cross-border: The employee splits time between countries. Creates complex immigration and tax obligations that need proactive management.
Project-based: A team moves to a country for a specific project. Immigration, tax, and accommodation for the project duration.
We advise on the right structure for each move and handle the execution accordingly.
Long-term assignment (1–3 years): Full relocation, tax equalization, family passes, housing, school search. The classic expat assignment.
Short-term assignment (3–12 months): Immigration processing, tax compliance, temporary accommodation. Often without full relocation.
Permanent transfer: The employee relocates permanently — local package, local tax, one-way move. Simpler ongoing, but the transition needs careful planning.
Commuter / cross-border: The employee splits time between countries. Creates complex immigration and tax obligations that need proactive management.
Project-based: A team moves to a country for a specific project. Immigration, tax, and accommodation for the project duration.
We advise on the right structure for each move and handle the execution accordingly.
Tax equalization — keeping assignees and companies protected
Tax equalisation is one of the most complex — and most important — aspects of global mobility.
The principle: the assignee should be no worse off (and no better off) tax-wise than if they had stayed in their home country. The company absorbs the difference.
In practice, this means:
— Calculating the assignee’s hypothetical home-country tax
— Comparing it to their actual host-country tax obligation
— The company pays any excess (or retains any savings)
— Shadow payroll runs alongside the host-country payroll
This requires coordination between Singapore tax, the host-country tax authority, and often the home-country tax authority. We handle the calculations, the filings, and the compliance — working with our tax team and local partners.
Getting this wrong can result in double taxation for the assignee, unexpected costs for the company, or compliance penalties in either country.
The principle: the assignee should be no worse off (and no better off) tax-wise than if they had stayed in their home country. The company absorbs the difference.
In practice, this means:
— Calculating the assignee’s hypothetical home-country tax
— Comparing it to their actual host-country tax obligation
— The company pays any excess (or retains any savings)
— Shadow payroll runs alongside the host-country payroll
This requires coordination between Singapore tax, the host-country tax authority, and often the home-country tax authority. We handle the calculations, the filings, and the compliance — working with our tax team and local partners.
Getting this wrong can result in double taxation for the assignee, unexpected costs for the company, or compliance penalties in either country.
Frequently asked questions
How many assignees do we need to justify a retainer?
There’s no minimum, but retainers typically make sense for companies with 5+ assignees across 2+ jurisdictions, or companies planning multiple moves per year. For smaller volumes, project-based pricing often works better.
Can you handle just the immigration, without tax and relocation?
Yes. While we recommend an integrated approach, we can handle immigration processing alone. Many clients start with immigration and add tax and relocation as their mobility programmed grows.
Do you handle inbound to Singapore only, or outbound too?
Both. We handle inbound assignments (foreign talent coming to Singapore), outbound assignments (Singapore-based employees going overseas), and third-country moves (e.g., India to Indonesia, coordinated from Singapore).
How do you handle countries outside your direct coverage?
We work with vetted local partners and coordinate the engagement. You still have a single point of contact at Bluebox. We manage the partner relationship, quality, and timelines on your behalf.
Can you help us build a mobility policy from scratch?
Yes. Many mid-sized companies don’t have a formal mobility policy. We help design one — covering assignment types, benefit levels, tax approach, exception handling, and governance — based on your budget and business needs.
What reporting do we get?
Quarterly reports covering immigration status, upcoming renewals, compliance flags, and cost tracking. We can customize reporting frequency and content based on your needs.
You might also need
Corporate Immigration
Dedicated immigration retainer. From $1,500/mo
Cross-Border Advisory
Structuring, tax treaties, substance.
Outsourced Payroll
Shadow payroll for assignees. From $25/employee
Expat Services
Settling-in for individuals and families.