Citizenship in Singapore
As a Singapore Citizen, you are granted the rights with the most powerful passport in the world with visa-free access to more than 192 countries.
Singapore grants approximately 22,100 Citizenship statuses each year from 2015 to 2019.
Being renowned as an international business and financial hub. It is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in the world, having one of the highest standards of living in Asia, world-class healthcare facilities, and top-notch education.
Singapore continues to attract many to settle down and sink their roots in Singapore.
Your quest for the coveted red passport starts here.
Benefits of being a Singapore Citizen
How will Fergus help you:
✓ Singapore Citizenship application support
✓ Profile analysis
✓ Rejection analysis
✓ Post-Citizenship approval support
✓ Completion of
My Citizenship Journey requirements
✓ Renouncing of previous Citizenship status
✓ Dependant’s sponsorships
✓ Business incorporation/ relocation support
Benefits of being a Singapore Citizen
Access to CPF
The CPF is a mandatory social security savings scheme funded by contributions from employers and employees, and serves to meet the needs of ones retirement, housing and healthcare needs. The robust CPF scheme has been consistently ranked among the top 10 pension funds in the world and the best in Asia. Only Singapore Citizens and PR can be CPF members and enjoy it’s arrays of benefits such as MediShield Life and CPF life pay-outs.
(i) Withdrawal of CPF
Your decision to leave is a significant one and will impact both you and your loved ones. Should a Permanent Resident decide to leave Singapore and West Malaysia permanently with no intention of returning for employment or residence, he/she can withdraw their CPF savings in full.
Do note that any outstanding tax liabilities will first be deducted from your CPF savings before any withdrawal.
💡Did you know?💡
CPF funds are invested in bonds – SSGS – which are fully guaranteed by the Government
Healthcare
Healthcare in Singapore is highly subsidised by the Government if you are a Singapore Citizen. These subsidies are up to 80% and are eligible for hospitalisation, outpatient care and long-term care. Singapore Citizens are able to utilise their CPF Medisave, MediShield Life and Private Integrated-Shield Plan to defray their healthcare cost. Above all, eligible Singaporeans will receive direct assistance through MediFund, an endowment fund set up by the Government to provides a safety net for patients who face financial difficulties with their medical bills.
Education
Singaporean students consistently top the international PISA study and are consistently ranked one of the highest in the world by the OECD. Singapore citizens have the opportunity to put their children through one of the best education systems in the world.
Children of Singapore Citizens are given the highest priority for admission during Primary 1 registration ahead of PRs and international students. Singapore Citizen students do not need to pay monthly school fees for Primary School and pay $5 and $6 per month for Secondary School and Pre-University respectively.
Sponsorship for family members
Being a Singapore Citizen, you are eligible to sponsor your spouse, unmarried child (aged under 21), or parents to stay in Singapore on a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP).
You can sponsor your spouse for Singapore Citizenship after being married and being a Singapore PR for at least two years. Similarly, you can also sponsor your unmarried child aged below 21 and your aged parent.
The ability to sponsor family members to stay in Singapore has been critical, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when immediate family members can apply to enter Singapore using the Family Ties Lane (FTL).
Business
Ranked 2nd Worldwide in the ease of doing business. Transparent business policies, political stability, and tax clarity are some of the reasons that attracted many businesses from far and wide. Being a Singapore Citizen, you can be the locally resident director of your company as required by Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority ACRA.
For foreigners, only EntrePass holders or Dependant’s Pass holder with a Letter of Consent (LOC) from MOM are allowed to register their business in Singapore.
Banking
The ability to have easy access to all banking facilities is important should you decide to reside for the long term in Singapore. With employment stability and residency certainty, banks access Singapore Citizens differently from foreigners as the overall risk to the banks is much lower.
Singaporeans tend to have much easier access to capital with lower income requirements and collateral requirements for areas such as a mortgage, business, and personal loans.
Interest rates also tend to be lower and the repayment tenure is longer as they have lower default risk.
Housing
(i) Eligible for public housing
“My primary preoccupation was to give every citizen a stake in the country and its future, I wanted a home-owning society.” Lee Kwan Yew
Public housing in Singapore is subsidised, built and managed by the Government of Singapore and are provided by the Housing & Development Board (HDB), with more than 80% of Singapore’s resident population owns their own HDB flats. Singapore Citizens are eligible to purchase any public housing (Eg. Built to Order; BTO) from HDB directly or from the resale market. Among those are many more property options such as the Public Rental Scheme, Joint Singles Scheme and under the single scheme if you are above 35 years old.
(ii) Affordability of property
HDB are generally more affordable as compared to private properties. Median HDB prices are around 30% of private property and the HDB are allowed for a higher Loan-to-Value. Singapore Citizens enjoy the lowest property-related tax with 0% Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) applicable for their first property as compared to 5% for PRs.
Tax
As a Singapore Citizen, you will be eligible for a wider range of tax reliefs such as CPF relief for employee's contribution, CPF Cash Top-up relief, and NSman (Self) Relief. Your CPF contributions are essential tax-free as CPF life payouts are not taxable.
Singapore maintains an attractive personal and corporate tax structure at a maximum tax of 22% and 17% respectively. Both are among the lowest globally.
Global funds continue to flood into Singapore as it has neither capital gain tax nor estate tax duties among its other tax benefits.
💡Did you know?💡
One can claim up to $80,000 in personal income tax relief annually
Employment
Unemployment rates in Singapore are one of the lowest in the world averaging around 2-3% in the last 10 years. This is the result of abundant job opportunities and the government consciously improving the labour force through various initiatives such as SkillsFuture. The highly skilled local workforce is sort after by international companies and local graduates are given many opportunities through job placement and internships.
The government employs a range of tools to ensure Singapore Citizens are prioritized in job hiring such as the Foreign Employee Quota and the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF). This gives more protection to Singaporean employees
Application for Singapore Passport
Singapore has once again topped the world’s most powerful passports for 2022, according to the Henley Passport Index. Its Citizens can travel to 192 countries visa-free and are able to secure assistance from Singapore consular officials abroad.
From 1 Oct 2021, Singapore passports issued for citizens aged 16 and above are valid for 10 years.
(i) Oath-taking for Minors
Singapore does not allow dual citizenship, hence minors who obtained Singapore citizenship by descent or registration must take the Oath of Renunciation, Allegiance and Loyalty (ORAL) after turning 21 and before their 22nd birthday to retain their Singapore citizenship.
Government Grants
As a Singapore Citizen, you get to enjoy a wide range of government grants and support. These grants cover areas far and wide, from children & youth to family & parenting and pandemic-related support.
Every Singaporean child is entitled Baby Bonus Cash gift of $8,000 onwards and government co-matching of the Child Development Account (CDA) contribution. They will continue to receive top-ups to their Edusave and Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA). To support rising living expenses, the government consistently gives out cash payout and GST rebates.
💡Did you know?💡
In response to the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 on the economy, the government committed close to $100 Billion to stimulate the economy and support jobs.
Insurance
Being a Singapore Citizen allows you to enjoy many benefits from your insurance. As your permanent country of residence is now considered to be in Singapore, your policy will factor in the lower residential loading which will result in lower premiums.
Singapore Citizens are also allowed to utilize their CPF Medisave to pay for their dependents and their own medical insurance (Integrated Shield Plan).
Eligibility for Singapore Citizenship
To moderate the impact of ageing and low birth rates in our citizen population, and to prevent it from shrinking over the longer term, Singapore grants approximately 22,000 new citizenships annually, to individuals who are committed to making Singapore their home. These individuals either share family ties with Singaporeans or have studied, worked or lived here for some time as Permanent Residents.
If you are considering applying for Singapore citizen and are wondering how to apply for Singapore Citizenship, do look through the information below to have a clear picture of Singapore Citizenship requirements.
The following categories of individuals are eligible for a Singapore Citizenship application if they satisfy one of the following criteria:
✓ An unmarried child under the age of 21 years old, born within the context of legal marriage to, or have been legally adopted by a Singapore citizen.
✓ A student who has been a PR for at least 1 year
✓ Is studying in Singapore for at least 3 years
✓ Passed at least one national exam (i.e., PSLE, GCE ‘N’ / ‘O’ / ‘A’ levels) OR is in the Integrated Programme (IP).
✓ Have been a Singapore PR for at least 2 years and above the age of 21 years old.
✓ Currently employed in Singapore.
✓ A PR who is also an aged parent (i.e., 65 years old) of a Singapore Citizen.
✓ Married to a Singapore citizen for at least 2 years.
✓ Have been a Singapore PR for at least 2 years.
In addition to satisfying the above requirements, the Government also takes into account the following factors for a Citizenship candidate:
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Ties of kinship in Singapore
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Economic contributions
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Qualifications
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Age
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Family Profile
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Social Integration Efforts
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Physical Length of Residency
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Industry Expertise and Skillsets
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Financial assets and investment held in Singapore
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Overall conduct as a law-abiding citizen
How will Fergus help you:
Singapore Citizenship application support
The ultimate Singaporean dream! After living in Singapore for years, many PRs dream of making this your permanent home. For all its many advantages, international financial hub standing and government efficiency.
To attain the coveted Singapore Citizenship has been a nightmare for many. Many are soon faced with a daunting process of numerous amount of documents required and are clueless about the exact ICA requirements. At Fergus, we simplify the process and shorten the learning curve for you. Our systematic approach allows us to identify challenges such as getting your documents translated and notarised by your embassy early on. Implementing the data-driven analysis allows you to understand the past approved clients' profiles and demographics among the other analytical solutions.
Profile analysis
Among the many analytical tools that we utilise, much emphasis is on our predictive ability. Combined with collective data of our past approved clients, mass-market surveys, and research studies, we have formulated an internal assessment program to allow you not only to know your standing but to enroll in our profile modeling system to ensure your profile is well-positioned.
Rejection analysis
Most cases that we handled have either self-applied or gone through a failed attempt with another immigration agency. We provide complimentary profile analysis to understand the chances of your profile. Should our evaluation result in rejection as well, we will be upfront and forthcoming with you.
Post-Citizenship-Approval Support
The toughest challenge of getting your Citizenship approved might be over, but our work does not stop here. An avalanche of activities and paperwork are coming your way. From renouncing of your previous citizenship status to preparing all documents required for the Registration of Singapore Citizenship. Our team will continue to support you throughout the journey.
For foreign property ownership, tax and legal related matters, you will be assisted by our team of specialist partner.
Completion of Singapore Citizenship Journey (SCJ) requirements
The Singapore Citizenship Journey (SCJ) is a mandatory programme for new citizens who have been granted in-principle approval for Singapore citizenship. The SCJ helps enrich new citizens’ understanding of the key milestones in Singapore’s history and development and deepens their appreciation of Singaporean norms and values, as well as provides opportunities for meaningful interaction with their local community.
The SCJ is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the People’s Association (PA).
Renouncing of previous citizenship status
ICA requires you to completed the renunciation of your foreign citizenship and report to the ICA Building on the date and time stipulated in the notification letter to register for Singapore Citizenship. This typically takes place within 3-4 weeks from the date of letter hence caught many off guard.
Our team will assist you throughout your citizenship renunciation process.
Note: The renunciation process of citizenship requirements differs as it is determined by each country
Dependant's Sponsorship
As a Singapore Citizen, you can sponsor a foreigner to stay in Singapore on a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or Singapore Permanent Residency (SPR) if they are your spouse, unmarried child (aged under 21), or parents. Our team will guide you on your eligibility and procedures for the sponsorship process.
Business in-corporation/relocation support
As a Singapore Citizen, you can be appointed as the locally resident director for your company, hence giving entrepreneurs the option to establish their business here in Singapore. We work with industry professionals to advise you on the suitable entity type, business incorporation requirements, and eligible government grants.
Reach Out to Us!
Relevant Government Agencies
