4 MAIN Things You Must Know Before Applying for Singapore Permanent Residency and Citizenship (2024 Version)

(A) 2 Things you must know before applying for Singapore Permanent Residency.

1. How to apply for Singapore Permanent Resident?

As a foreigner, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence if you are:

  • The spouse of a Singapore citizen or Singapore permanent resident (PR)
  • An unmarried child under 21 years old, born within a legal marriage to, or legally adopted by, a Singapore citizen or PR
  • An aged parent of a Singapore citizen
  • A holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass
  • A student studying in Singapore
  • A foreign investor in Singapore

 

Note: The ICA considers factors such as family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of residency to assess an applicant’s ability to contribute to Singapore, integrate into society, and demonstrate commitment to establishing roots in Singapore.

A PR is a foreigner who has been granted permanent residence status, allowing them to live in Singapore permanently. PRs aged 15 and above will be issued a Singapore blue Identity Card (IC). To travel out of and return to Singapore as a PR, a valid Re-Entry Permit is required.

For more info about required documents, you may refer to the ICA official website.

 

2. Additional Documents for SPR Application

If you wish to increase your chances of getting approved to be a SPR, here is the suggestion for you do extra 3 steps

(Disclaimer: these extra steps won’t guarantee you to get the approval, but increasing your chance.) 

1. Paid income tax on time.

2. Wrote and submitted a personal introduction letter. The content includes:

  •  Personal background introduction
  •  Reason for coming to work in Singapore
  •  Future plans (to develop in Singapore)
  •  What features of Singapore attract you to stay
  •  Whether you are adapting to life in Singapore
  •  How you integrate into the local culture (For example, a Christian may attend church services and be able o integrate into a large community smoothly.)
  •  How you contribute back to the community (e.g., volunteering or donating)
  •  Whether you invest the money you earn back into Singapore’s economy (Refrain from writing about sending your hard earned money back to your home country)
  •  Whether you have personal insurance coverage

 

3. The last two points mentioned in your personal introduction letter demonstrate your determination to continue developing in Singapore.

  1.  Buying personal insurance
    • According to individual needs, because the Singapore government wants its people to have the awareness of protection, which reduces the government’s risk. Therefore, you may consider hospitalisation/whole life/term insurance. 
  2.   Investing in Singapore 
    • According to individual financial goals and risk profiles, you may consult your financial advisor to help you the planning. The investment tools are divided into long-term and short-term. 
    • Long-term tools: Stocks and Equities, Unit Trusts/Mutual Funds, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Singapore Government Securities (SGS) Bonds, Long-term Endowment Plans, etc.
    • Short-term tools: Savings Accounts, Fixed Deposits (FDs), Singapore Savings Bonds (SSB), Money Market Funds, Short-term Endowment Plans, etc. 

(B) 2 Things you must know before applying for Singapore Citizenship

1. How to apply for Singapore Citizenship?

FOUR MAIN STEPS:

  1. Obtain a long-term residency visa in Singapore (including student visa, work visa, etc.).
  2. Transition from long-term residency to permanent residency. Work visa holders can apply after about 6 months, with processing time of about at least 6 months.
  3. After obtaining permanent residency and meeting residency conditions, apply to become a Singapore citizen, with processing time of about 6-12 months.
  4. Once you received In-Principle Approval of your application, you may continue to complete the Singapore Citizenship Roadmap (refer to the attached picture below). 

2. Who are eligible?

  • 21 years old or above and holding Singapore permanent residency for at least 2 years.
  • Married to a Singapore citizen for 2 years or more and holding Singapore permanent residency for at least 2 years.
  • Unmarried children under 21 years old born to or legally adopted by a Singapore citizen.
  • Foreign students holding Singapore permanent residency, residing in Singapore for 3 years (at least 1 year as a permanent resident), and passing a national-level examination in Singapore, or are in the Integrated Programme (IP)
  • A PR and an Aged Parent of a Singapore citizen.

For more info about required documents, you may visit the ICA official website.

In summary, these are the four main things you must know before applying for Singapore Permanent Residency or Citizenship, providing an overview for you. I wish all of you a smooth journey in immigrating to Singapore!

For those who are considering to immigrate to Singapore, you may want to read “Best 5 Pathways of Immigrating to Singapore (2024 version)” and “Top 5 Reasons to Immigrating to Singapore (2024 version)”.

For those who are Malaysians considering to immigrate to Singapore, you may want to read “Singapore vs. Malaysia: Comparing 10 Key Aspects of Life (2024 latest version)”. 

Enquire now if you are interested to know more about insurance, investment tools, or mortgage plans in Singapore.

Important: The information and opinions in this article are for general information purposes only. They should not be relied on as professional financial advice. Readers should seek unbiased financial advice that is customised to their specific financial objectives, situations & needs. This advertisement or publication has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Published By:

Lidwina Teo 维娜

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