Permanent Residence in Singapore

Written by Luis Minvielle Moderated by Oleksandra Dosii

Luis Minvielle

Luis is a writer with over 5 years of experience in B2B software. Even though he has always worked in tech, a sector he regularly publishes about, his initial incursions into writing were, curiously enough, music essays discussing scenes from different parts of the world—most likely to deal with his unfulfilled ambition of becoming a neo-soul crooner.

Oleksandra Dosii

Oleksandra is a dedicated marketer with a passion for growing HR-tech products. She believes content marketing is about delivering high-quality content that provides value—not just generating leads. Since 2016, Oleksandra has been involved in tech talent relocation.

Last update: September 15, 2024

Next update: Scheduled for February 1, 2025

You don’t need to live a minimum number of years to request permanent residence in Singapore. For you to be granted permanent residence in Singapore, if you are not the relative or spouse of another resident or citizen, your best chance is to get a working pass.

There are other options, however, like being a student in the country or being a foreign investor. This article acts as a quick guide to all the ways in which you can be granted status to be allowed to reside in Singapore on a permanent basis.

Are you eligible for a permanent residence in Singapore?

According to the official government site, you are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Singapore if you meet any of these criteria:

• You are the spouse of a Singapore citizen or another Singapore permanent resident.
• You are an unmarried child below the age of 21 born within the context of legal marriage to a Singapore citizen or permanent resident or have been legally adopted by one.
• You are an aged parent of a permanent resident.
• You have an Employment Pass or an S Pass.
• You are studying in Singapore and you have passed at least one national exam, or are in the Integrated Programme.
• You are a foreign investor in Singapore — you can check the requirements for that on the programme’s official site. Although, chances are, you are probably searching for options that do not require you to own a company with an annual turnover of S$200 million. Yes, that’s around 150 million dollars. So you can skip this method altogether.

As you can see, half of these requirements involve having familiar relationships with other Singapore residents. Regarding the other three items, your best chances to get permanent residence in the country may be via an Employment Pass or an S Pass. We will look further into this topic later, once we cover the basics of the general process of applying for permanent residence.

What does being an "aged parent" mean in Singapore?

So if you’re wondering if being an "aged parent" is a doable path to permanent residence, you probably want to know what counts as "aged." Singapore’s official info does not specify what they mean by it. Is it being 35 years old, or 60? Ongoing online discussions seem to point out it’s the latter. So, for many expats who are still young enough and want permanent residence, this is not a promising path.

Do you need to live a certain number of years in Singapore before applying?

No, you don’t need to complete a certain minimum number of years in Singapore before you can send your application. But does living there longer impact your chances? We can’t tell for certain. Nobody is automatically entitled to permanent residency status. The government makes its own decisions about who is granted permanent residency and who’s not.

This makes Singapore one of the few developed economies that does not require applicants to have already lived in their jurisdiction before requesting permanent residency. Some online outlets claim that two years are being asked for, but that’s likely a confusion with the citizenship process.

How to apply for permanent residence in Singapore?

You or your sponsor—your Singaporean relative—will have to log in to the ICA e-Service, using your own or your sponsor’s Singpass—a digital identity that allows access to online government and business services.

Only if you meet the student guidelines, and if you are under 15 years old, you may apply via the non-Singpass option at the ICA e-Service.

Which documents will you have to submit?

A long list of documents is required to apply for permanent residence in Singapore. You can check the full list on the government’s site. It includes personal information like passport-sized photos and birth certificates, family information, education certificates and employment records.

With all these documents, the ICA e-Service will analyse the individual as a whole and will take into consideration the applicant's ability to contribute to Singapore and integrate into its society. This means revising the person’s family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, profile, and overall commitment to sinking roots in the country. So the process has a softer side to it, and even applicants who submit all the documents correctly may still not be granted permanent residence.

How much will you have to pay for a Singapore permanent residence?

Each application costs S$100 (approximately US$77). Once it is accepted and the formalities are completed, an extra S$50 has to be paid for the Singapore Identity Card, plus S$20 for the Entry Permit, if the applicant wishes to exit and re-enter the country as a permanent resident.

What is the processing time of an application?

Submissions take about 6 months to be revised. If you do not have an open Singpass account, 2 to 5 extra working days should be considered, to complete that process. (While you wait for it, use your Singpass to karaoke in some parlour.)

A note on National Service

All male Singapore citizens and permanent residents, unless exempted, are required to serve in National Service. The mandatory military service in Singapore currently lasts for two years. It's a good idea to think about this when choosing where to move.

How to get an Employment Pass?

Having covered the basis of the general process of application for permanent residency, we can now focus on the Employment Pass, which probably is one of your best chances of becoming a resident of the country.

This pass is only for foreign professionals, managers, and executives with a job offer in Singapore, who earn at least S$5,000. The limit increases progressively from age 23 and can reach up to S$10,500 at age 45. For workers in the financial service sector, the minimum salaries required to apply start off at S$5,500 and can reach S$11,500.

How to apply?

An employer or appointed employment agent needs to apply on behalf of the candidate. For an overseas company without a Singapore-registered office, you need to apply through a local sponsor. They will have to submit an application that considers a variety of criteria, like salary, qualifications, diversity, and support for local employment.

How long can you stay in the country with an Employment Pass?

The duration of the pass is up to two years for first-time holders. Renewals can extend that time up to three extra years. Experienced tech professionals with skills in shortage may be eligible for longer, five-year passes.

A slightly easier option: the S Pass

The S pass is another permit that may grant you the Singapore permanent residence. Its application process and general characteristics are very similar to the Employment Pass, with two main differences: its minimum qualifying salary is S$3,150—S$3,650 for financial service employees—and it is valid for two years, although it can be renewed.

All in all, the Employment Pass is aimed at professionals, while the S Pass is aimed at skilled and semi-skilled workers.

Do these passes cover medical insurance?

For the S Pass, employers must provide medical insurance, but it is not mandatory in the case of Employment Passes.

Other working passes

There is a plethora of other options to get work permits for Singapore. But the only ones that can get your permanent residence are the two mentioned above. If you are interested in other, more specific work permits, you can check the full list on their work passes website.

Talk to an immigration expert

As you have seen, unless you are the spouse, child or parent of another Singapore citizen or permanent resident, you will probably need a working pass to be granted your own residence. So if you’re planning to live and work in Singapore, checking out the details for the permanent residence is not starting with the right foot. It’s not the kind of paperwork you need to fill.

Also, if you’re planning to relocate, Singapore sounds like a fairly easy target on the outside—they don’t require a minimum of five or ten years lived there! But, is that a blessing or a false hope? Considering the government caps and grants permanent residency permits under their own discretion, not knowing if they actually weigh how long you’ve lived is… tricky. It seems the best way to get to Singapore and get permanent residence is with the help of experts who know what the government’s ideal profile looks like.

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