Singapore PR Application Checklist: Documents and Steps

To apply for Singapore permanent residence, you must submit your application online through the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) e-Service, provide certified true copies of your original documents with official translations where needed, and pay a non-refundable application fee of S$100. Your eligibility route determines who must sponsor or log in to submit the application, and all applicants added to the form must review it before submission. The process is not complete until you finish formalities, which involve separate fees for the Entry Permit, Re-Entry Permit, and Identity Card.

Eligibility Routes and Who Submits

Your first step is to confirm which eligibility category you fall under, because it determines who must log in to the ICA e-Service to sponsor or submit the application.

Eligibility Category	Who Submits
Spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR	Your spouse logs in with Singpass to sponsor
Unmarried child below 21, born in a legal marriage or legally adopted	Your parent logs in with Singpass to sponsor
Aged parent of a Singapore citizen aged 21 or above	Your Singapore citizen child logs in with Singpass to sponsor
Holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass	You log in with your own Singpass
Student who passed at least one national exam (PSLE, GCE ‘N’/‘O’/‘A’ levels) or is in the Integrated Programme	If aged 15 and above, you use your Singpass; if below 15, you use the non-Singpass option
Foreign investor in Singapore	You apply through the Economic Development Board (EDB) under the Global Investor Programme

ICA states that it assesses factors including your family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of residency. The aim is to assess your ability to contribute to Singapore and integrate into society, as well as your commitment to sinking roots in Singapore.

Singpass Requirement for All Applicants

Every person added as an applicant must review the application form before it can be submitted. To do so, each applicant needs to log in to the ICA e-Service using their Singpass or unique login credentials that ICA provides for those who are not eligible for Singpass.

Approval for a Singpass account application may take 2 to 5 working days. ICA recommends that sponsors and applicants start an application only after all applicants have successfully registered for a Singpass account, where eligible.

Documents Required

You must upload certified true copies of your original documents. If any document is in a language other than English, you must also provide an official translation.

ICA accepts translations from the following sources:

• The embassy of the country or place that issued the document
• A notary public in Singapore or in the country or place that issued the document
• Privately translated documents that are attested by the embassy of the country or place that issued the document, or notarised by a notary public in Singapore or in the country or place that issued the document

ICA does not endorse any private translation companies or entities. Insufficient documentation may result in your application not being accepted, and ICA may require additional documents to support your application. You should refer to the checklist on the documents required for your application, which ICA publishes on its website.

Fees

There are two stages of payment. All fees are non-refundable.

Stage	Fee
At submission	S$100 for each application
At completion of formalities	S$20 for Entry Permit
	S$50 for a 5-year Re-Entry Permit
	S$50 for Singapore Identity Card

Note that the S$100 submission fee is per application, not per applicant. The formalities fees are separate and are paid only after your application is approved and you proceed to complete the formalities for your Entry Permit, Re-Entry Permit, and Identity Card.

National Service Obligation for Male Applicants

Under the Enlistment Act 1970, all male Singapore citizens and permanent residents are required to serve National Service (NS) unless exempted. After completing full-time NS, they become Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen). An NSman’s obligation ends at age 50 for officers or age 40 for other ranks.

All male applicants are required to access www.cmpb.gov.sg for information on NS before proceeding with the application. Male applicants who are granted PR status as a foreign student or under their parents’ sponsorship are liable for NS. They must register for NS upon reaching 16 and a half years old and will be scheduled for enlistment into full-time NS at the earliest opportunity upon reaching 18 years old.

MINDEF allows students to attain educational qualifications up to the ‘A’ Levels certificate, the polytechnic diploma, or an equivalent pre-tertiary qualification before they are required to serve NS. They are enlisted at the earliest opportunity when they have finished pre-tertiary education, or after turning 18 years old, whichever is later. MINDEF does not grant deferment for university studies, regardless of whether such studies have begun. Those granted PR in the midst of university studies will have to disrupt these studies to enlist if they cannot complete their studies before their enlistment date.

Any person who defaults on NS obligations by committing an offence under the Enlistment Act 1970 is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000, or imprisonment not exceeding three years, or both. Renouncing or losing PR status without serving or completing full-time NS will have a serious adverse impact on applications to work or study in Singapore, or for any long-term immigration facilities, whether now or in the future. It will also adversely affect your family members’ applications for long-term immigration facilities, their ability to sponsor such facilities, their renewal of Re-Entry Permits, or their applications for Singapore citizenship.

For further enquiries, contact the Central Manpower Base at 1800-3676767 (local) or 65-65676767 (overseas), or email contact@ns.gov.sg.

What to Do Next

Before you submit, confirm your eligibility route, ensure every applicant has a Singpass account or knows their ICA-issued credentials, and gather certified true copies of all original documents with official translations where needed. Check the ICA document checklist on its website to confirm you have everything required.

Then submit your application online through the ICA e-Service. After submission, if your application is approved, you will proceed to complete formalities, where you will pay the Entry Permit, Re-Entry Permit, and Identity Card fees.

Finally, verify the current requirements directly on the ICA “Becoming a Permanent Resident” page before you apply, as ICA may update its eligibility criteria, document requirements, or fees. The page is the authoritative source for the application process.