Becoming a Permanent Resident

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

ICA takes into account factors such as the individual's family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile and length of residency, to assess the applicant's ability to contribute to Singapore and integrate into our society, as well as his or her commitment to sinking roots in Singapore.

A PR refers to a foreigner who has been granted permanent residence status which allows him/her to reside in Singapore on a permanent basis. PRs aged 15 years and above will be issued with the Singapore blue Identity Card (IC). A PR is required to have a valid Re-Entry Permit if he/she wishes to travel out and return to Singapore as a PR.

ICA has no affiliation with any external migration agency/commercial entity which claims to be the Singapore immigration specialist/consultant or partner. ICA does not support or endorse services by self-proclaimed professional immigration consultancy service providers for Permanent Residence application.

The application process will require all persons added as an applicant to review the application form before the application can be submitted. To review the application form, applicants will need to log in to the ICA e-Service using their Singpass or unique log in credentials (this will be provided by ICA for those ineligible for Singpass) to provide their declarations.

Please note that the approval for a Singpass account application may take 2 to 5 working days. Sponsors/Applicants are recommended to start an application only after all applicants have successfully registered for a Singpass account, where eligible.

National Service Liability

Under the Enlistment Act 1970, all male Singapore citizens and permanent residents, unless exempted, are required to serve National Service (NS). Following the completion of full-time NS, they will become Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen). An NSman's obligation will end at the age of 50 years (for officers) or 40 years (for other ranks). All male applicants are required to access www.cmpb.gov.sg for information on NS before proceeding with this application.

All male applicants who are granted Singapore citizenship (SC) or Singapore permanent residence (PR) status as a foreign student or under their parents’ sponsorship are liable for NS. They are required to 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 who are granted SC or PR in the midst of their university studies will have to disrupt these studies to enlist if they are unable to complete their studies before their enlistment date.

Male Singapore citizens who wish to renounce SC may have their renunciation applications withheld by the Government if they have not discharged their NS liabilities.

Any person who defaults on his NS obligations by committing an offence under the Enlistment Act 1970 shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.

Renouncing or losing one’s 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 in Singapore, whether now or in the future. Renouncing or losing one’s PR status without serving or completing full-time NS 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, please contact the Central Manpower Base at 1800-3676767 (local) or 65-65676767 (overseas) or email: contact@ns.gov.sg

Please refer to the checklist on the documents required for your application. You will need to provide original documents and official translations (for documents in languages other than English).

Note: Applicants who are eligible to apply multiple products (for e.g. Long-Term Visit Pass and Permanent Residence) within a single application will pay an application fee of S$130. This option (if applicable) will be made known to the applicant at the start of the application.

All fees are non-refundable. Payment has to be made online using:

• Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card,
• American Express (AMEX) credit card,
• Internet Direct Debit (DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB and Standard Chartered Bank Internet Banking accounts in Singapore), or
• PayNow

Successful applicants will be notified of other applicable fees subsequently.

Applications will be processed within 6 months, provided all the required documents are submitted and are in order. For multiple products applied for within a single application, the processing time will be based on the product with the longer processing time. Some applications may take longer to process.

You will be informed of the outcome of the PR application via email or post (for applications submitted before 26 June 2024). You may also check the PR application status online at MyICA or the e-Service.

Successful applicants will receive an In-Principle Approval. They will be granted permanent residence status once they have fulfilled the necessary conditions.