How to Apply for Singapore PR & Renewal

I would like to stay permanently in Singapore and create a long-term presence and secured future in Singapore.

Singapore PR
Application

I would like to stay permanently in Singapore and create a long-term presence and secured future in Singapore.

What Do You Need to Know About Singapore PR?

What is Singapore PR?

Singapore Permanent Residency is a residency status which allows a person to reside in Singapore on a permanent basis. A Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) will be allowed to stay indefinitely in Singapore if he/she does not travel out of Singapore, but will require a Re-Entry Permit (REP) to travel out and return to Singapore as a Singapore PR. It is a requirement by Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to renew REPs for every 5 years, subject to PRs demonstrating their actual residence and economic or other relevant activity in Singapore. PRs aged 15 years and above will be issued with the Singapore blue Identity Card (IC).

As a Singapore Permanent Resident (PR), you enjoy many privileges such as the right to stay in Singapore even if job is lost, lower tax rates when purchasing a property and better healthcare benefits like lower consultation fees. You get to enjoy more rights in the country than before.

Wish to find out more on how to get a Singapore Permanent Residency?

Why do you need to apply for Singapore PR?

Benefits of being a Singapore Permanent Resident

With Singapore being a vibrant and prosperous country, it has become an attractive destination for many expats from around the world to settle down permanently while enjoying the high quality of life in a politically stable environment.
From abundant of job opportunities to world-class healthcare and stable economy that Singapore has to offer, it is almost impossible to refuse the chance to become a Singapore Permanent Resident. Let’s find out what are the perks of being a Singapore PR.

Career Flexibility

As a Singapore PR, you get the opportunities to switch job freely without having to worry about renewing for work passes. Generally, most of the companies in Singapore will prefer employing permanent residents so that they don’t have to deal with the hassle of applying or renewing work passes, while eliminating the stress about meeting the foreigners’ quota.

Healthcare Benefits

Singapore PR will get to enjoy the benefit of subsidized medical fee at public hospitals and polyclinics compared to work pass holders. On top of that, as a Singapore PR you will be able to use the CPF funds in the MediSave account to fund part of the medical bills. You can also gain access to a national insurance scheme, MediShield Life, which provides coverage for your basic medical needs.

CPF Contributions and Tax Reliefs

Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) is a mandatory social security savings scheme funded by contributions from employers and employees which serves to meet your retirement, housing, healthcare and other investment opportunities needs. It is also important to ensure that you have enough assets to support yourself after retirement. Singapore PR will be eligible for tax benefits such as tax reliefs and rebates, just like any other Singapore citizen, which is generally much lower than foreigners.

Public Housing and Lower Tax

Another perks of being a PR in Singapore is that you can have the opportunity to buy a resale Housing Development Board (HDB) instead of just restricted with private properties; with the requirement of holding Singapore PR holder status for a minimum of 3 years. Getting access to the resale flat market cuts down housing costs, as the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) is way less for PRs compared to what foreigners pay to buy a residential property, depending on factors such as your residency status and the number of properties you own. Furthermore, PRs may be eligible for government housing grants, making homeownership even more accessible and financially feasible. This will also mean that purchasing a house in any neighbourhood on a PR status will give your child / children the priority to enter the nearby public schools that you might be in your wish list.

Education Benefits

Singapore PRs will get better chances to enrol their children in Singapore’s government-funded schools, compared to non-PR residents. The monthly school fees for Singapore PRs are also lower and this is definitely a great advantage for family who has more than one child.

Path to Singapore Citizenship

This may be optional, however, after becoming a Singapore PR for a period of time, you may consider acquiring Singapore Citizenship if you would like to make Singapore your permanent home and retirement nest. Singapore Permanent Residency is a pre-requisite or stepping that brings you closer towards being a Singapore citizen. PRs who meet specific criteria, including residing in Singapore for a specified period, can apply for citizenship and enjoy the privileges of being a Singaporean. Citizenship offers more job opportunities, the right to vote, better housing options without having to pay for Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty for the first property and access to government assistance programs. This pathway to citizenship is a testament to Singapore’s commitment to welcoming and integrating PRs into the fabric of its society.

Who Can Apply for Singapore PR?

You have to basically fall under one of the categories mentioned below to be eligible to apply for Singapore PR.

  • You hold either an S Pass, Employment Pass, Personalized Employment Pass, Entrepreneur Pass or the dependent of the pass holder above
  • You are legally married to a Singapore Citizen or Singapore PR
  • You are an aged parents of a Singapore Citizen
  • You are not married, below 21 years old and your parents are either Singapore Citizen of Singapore PR
  • You are a foreign student studying in Singapore
  • You are a foreign investor in Singapore

Different Schemes. Which Schemes Do You Belong To?

Having fulfil the criteria above, there are various schemes when submitting your Singapore PR application, depending on your profile, coupled with the criteria described earlier on.

  • Professionals/ Technical Personnel & Skilled Workers Scheme (PTS Scheme)
    This scheme is designed for working professionals who are holding S Pass, Employment Pass (EP) Personalized Employment Pass (PEP) or Entrepreneur Pass, with some relevant working experience and professional qualifications. This the easiest and most popular path to obtain Singapore PR. This scheme also extends the application to the dependants; the spouse and children of the applicant under 21 years of age.
  • Sponsorship Scheme
    Foreign Spouses and children (below 21 years old) of Singapore Citizens or PRs who wish to apply for Singapore PR will fall under this scheme. Similarly, aged parents (aged 60 and above) of Singapore Citizens or PRs may also apply under this scheme.
  • Foreign Students Scheme
    This scheme is exclusively for foreign students who are studying in a recognized institution in Singapore. In order to be qualified under this scheme, the applicant must have studied in a local educational institution and must have passed at least one national exam and residing in Singapore for at least two years at the point of the application.
  • Global Investor Programme (GIP)
    This scheme is specifically catered to offer high-net-worth investors who are willing to make significant financial investments to boost the business and economic growth in Singapore. This gives the opportunities to potential entrepreneurs, investors or business owners who contribute to Singapore’s economy to be part of nation.
  • Foreign Artistic Talent Scheme (ForArts)
    This scheme allows outstanding international art professionals with exceptional talents and achievements to apply for Singapore PR. ForArts aims to enable committed and talented individuals to play a critical role in advancing the arts and cultural landscape in Singapore through the deepened engagement with local communities, and contribution to the diversity of expertise. Besides possessing the ability to play a critical role in advancing local arts and culture, and the commitment to do so, eligible applicants must furthermore demonstrate good character and the ability to be a role model for their peers in order to be considered favourably for support under this scheme.

Frequently Ask Questions (FAQs)

Singapore PR refers to the residency status which allows the person to reside in Singapore permanently. Permanent Residents require a Re-Entry Permit (REP) should one wishes to travel out and return to Singapore as a Singapore PR. Being a permanent resident in Singapore means you can live, work, and buy property at a lower tax rate in the country. You will be part of the local community and be eligible for various benefits which are almost similar given to a local Singaporean.

As a Singapore PR, you will get to enjoy the following benefits.

  • Better employment opportunities
  • Healthcare benefits
  • Central Provident Fund (CPF)
  • Education opportunities
  • Housing benefits
  • CPF Housing Grant (must meet certain criteria)
  • Eligibility for Singapore citizenship

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) no longer accepts submission of Singapore PR applications over the counter. All applications must be submitted via ICA e-Service or e-PR, which is a web-based system that allows applicants to submit their Singapore PR applications and check the PR application status online. Prior to the e-PR submission, you would need to complete all the required application forms and pay the application fees online. If you have any doubt in filing up the forms and how to go about the submission through e-PR, feel free to reach out to us for our professional advice.

The preparation process will take around 3- 4 weeks depending on the completeness of your documents. Upon submission, ICA will need some time to process the Singapore PR application. Typically, the whole process from preparation, to submission and finally to the outcome can take about 6 months to a year. In some complicated cases, it may even be longer than a year. Therefore, each application will vary depending on the complexity of your case.

As long as you fall within the eligibility criteria, there will be a chance for you to apply for a Singapore PR. Every profile is different and unique. Every applicant comes from diversified background and profile. Therefore, it is important that you know where make up for your scantiness by having a custom-made application to help boost up the chances of approval so that you stay at the competitive edge against the rest of the applicants. We invite you to take the eligibility test.

It is not necessary to upgrade to Employment pass as you are already eligible to apply for Singapore PR as an S Pass holder.

You may have a choice to include or exclude any of your family members from the application. However, it is strongly recommended not to exclude any of your family members for the application as Singapore Government sees your children as possible future contributors to the nation’s society and economy. One of the essential criteria for Singapore PR approval is that you are ready to sink your roots here in Singapore, together with your family members. The chances of getting it Singapore PR may possibly be reduced in such a case.

There could be some possible reasons for the rejection. Some of the reasons could be error in filling up the forms, incomplete or insufficient information and documents provided, missing of a good cover letter or weak profile. ICA would not disclose any reason behind the rejection. Therefore, it is important for engage an agency to help build up your profile to minimize the chances of being rejected before you file your Singapore PR application again.

A cover letter is not mandatory, but rather a supplementary document that can boost your application for PR. There are things that you can’t express through the application forms that ICA requires you to fill in but you can possibly do so by writing a cover letter. It helps you establish your personality and traits that can be of great contribution to the thriving country.

There might be myth out there that promised 100% guaranteed approval or success for your application. Each application is unique and everybody will have a fair share of chance of getting it approved. However, most of us do not really know what and where our shortfall is. Our objective is to close up the shortfall as much as we can, to help individuals to increase the chances of getting the approval. The final decision and discretion to award PR still lies with the Immigration & Checkpoint Authority (ICA).

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