Permanent Residency in Singapore
The benefits of Singapore PR are well known, from greater job opportunities to government healthcare subsidies to lower property tax rates and the list goes on.
Singapore granted approximately 31,700 PR statuses each year from 2015-2019.
ICA considers factors such as your family tries to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of residency. Above all, it also assesses the applicant's ability to contribute to Singapore and integrate into the society, as well as your commitment to sink roots in Singapore.
With much at stake and limited information that ICA provides, many felt lost and clueless.
Partner with us to navigate this daunting process. We are confident that your time and effort spent will come to fruition.
Your journey towards making Singapore your permanent home starts here.
Benefits of being a
Singapore Permanent Resident
Eligibility for Singapore PR application
Global Investor Programme (GIP)
Sponsored Scheme (For foreign spouse and child(ren) of a Singapore Citizen or PR)
Foreign Artistic Talent Scheme (ForArts)
Foreign Students Scheme (FSS)
Professional, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers (PTS) Scheme
Benefits of being a Permanent Resident in Singapore
The CPF is a mandatory social security savings scheme funded by contributions from employers and employees that serves to meet the needs of one's 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 its 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.
CPF funds are invested in bonds – SSGS – which are fully guaranteed by the Government
A Re-Entry Permit (REP) will be issued when you received your permanent residency and you will be allowed to leave and enter the country freely, without having to apply for a separate Singapore visa to travel or work.
The REP will typically be valid for 5 years and will be required to renew thereafter. A valid REP allows you to retain your permanent residence status while away from Singapore.
Most PRs residing or being employed in Singapore will get their REP renewed. Fergus provides Singapore PR retention services for some that might not fit the renewal criteria.
With a world-class education system constantly ranked as one of the best in the world. Many PRs would prefer to have their children through the Singapore education system. School-aged children of PRs are given priority, just second to Singapore citizens, to enroll in public schools of their parent’s choosing. They will also receive a highly subsided at $205 a month for primary school-going children.
Bringing family members close together with them in Singapore strengthens family ties. Hence, the ability to sponsor family members is much appreciated. Singapore PRs are able to sponsor their spouse, unmarried child (aged under 21), and parents. You can also be a local sponsor if they require a visas extension of more than 30 days.
(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 subsidized, built and managed by the Government of Singapore and is provided by the Housing & Development Board (HDB), with more than 80% of Singapore’s resident population owning their own HDB flats. While Built-to-Order BTO from HDB is reserved for Singapore Citizens. Singapore PRs can purchase resale HDB from the open market.
(ii) Affordability of property
HDBs are generally more affordable as compared to private properties. Median HDB prices are around 30% of private property and the HDB is allowed for a higher Loan-to-Value. PRs will enjoy a much lower tax of 5% for the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) for their first property as compared to 60% for foreigners.
As a Singapore PR, 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 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.
One can claim up to $80,000 in personal income tax relief annually
Job opportunities are abundant for Singapore PRs, in fact, you will be considered a local employee if you earn the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) which will in turn boost the company's foreign employee quota.
Unlike Employment Pass (EP) and other work passes, the Singapore PR is not required to be sponsored by any company nor any minimum salary requirement. Hence as a Singapore PR, one is able to change jobs freely and also be an entrepreneur to start their own business as the local director. This gives the PR more career flexibility and reduces much anxiety of work-pass rejection or renewal requirements.
Singapore is consistently rated as one of the best cities in Asia, therefore Singapore Citizenship is highly desired. Being a Singapore PR is the only path toward obtaining a Singapore Citizenship (apart from being born to a Singapore Citizen parent). One must be a Singapore PR for at least two years to be eligible to apply for Singapore Citizenship.
There were 21,537 new Citizenships granted in 2021
Ranked 2nd Worldwide in the ease of doing business. Transparent business policies, political stability and tax clarity are some of the reason that attracted many businesses from far and wide. Being a Singapore PR, 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.
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 visa certainty, banks access PRs differently from foreigners as the overall risk to the banks are much lower.
PRs tend to have easier access to capital with lower income requirement and collaterals requirements for areas such as mortgage, business and personal loans.
Interest rates also tend to be lower and repayment tenure are longer as PRs has a lower default risk.
Healthcare
Singapore Governments gives out various grants to support Citizens and PRs through its various schemes and initiatives. Being a Singapore PR would qualify you for majority of the schemes such as the COVID-19 recovery grant, SGUnited Career Transition Programme (SCTP), SGUnited Skills (SGUS) and more.
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.
Being a permanent resident of Singapore allows you to enjoy many benefits for your insurance. As your permanent country of resident is now considered to be in Singapore, your policy will factor in the lower residential loading which will result in lower premiums. Being permanently based in Singapore, insurance companies considers you as risk adverse due to the absent of major nature disaster, health crisis, violent crimes and other catastrophic events.
PRs are also allow to utilise their CPF Medisave to pay for their dependents and their own medical insurance (Integrated Shield Plan).
Healthcare in Singapore are highly subsidised by the Government if you are a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident. These subsidies are up to 80% and are eligible for hospitalisation, outpatient care and long-term care. Singapore PRs are able to utilise their CPF Medisave and MediShield Life to defray their healthcare cost.
Eligibility for Singapore Permanent Resident
Almost 100,000 foreigners want to become Singapore permanent residents, every year, and only an average of 30,000 get their application approved by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
This keeps Singapore’s PR population size stable at approximately 530,000 and provides a pool of candidates who may be suitable for citizenship in the future.
You might be wondering how you can increase your chances of getting a PR in Singapore or what might be the criteria for applying for a PR status in Singapore.
Great news! There are several paths you can take to obtain a Singapore PR status, let’s take a look at how you can decide on the scheme that best suits your current circumstance, profile, and how it contributes to your PR eligibility in Singapore:
Professional, Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers (PTS) Scheme
Any foreign individual, who is working in Singapore on a work pass (excluding Work Permits), may submit an application for permanent residence (PR) to the ICA for consideration. The applicant may include in the application, his/her spouse and any unmarried child(ren) below 21 years of age who were born to him/her within the context of a legal marriage, or has been legally adopted by him/her.
Eligibility
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Holds an S Pass / Employment Pass / Personalised Employment Pass / Entrepreneur Pass
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Provide at least six (6) months of latest payslips issued by the local Employer
Sponsored Scheme (For foreign spouse and child(ren) of a Singapore Citizen or PR)
A Singapore Citizen / PR is allowed to sponsor his/her spouse and any unmarried child(ren) below 21 years of age (born within the context of a legal marriage or legally adopted) by applying for permanent residence (PR) to the ICA for consideration.
Eligibility
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Provide an official marriage certificate
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Provide the birth certificate(s) of child(ren) showing both parents’ names and child’s name (including adoption papers) from the current marriage
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If divorced, provide the divorce certificate and custody papers for the child(ren) in respect of the previous marriage
Foreign Students Scheme (FSS)
Foreign students who are studying in Singapore may apply for permanent residence (PR) to the ICA for consideration.
Eligibility
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Must have resided in Singapore for more than 2 years
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Passed at least one national exam (i.e., PSLE or GCE ‘N’/’O’/’A’ levels) or are in the Integrated Programme (IP)
Foreign Artistic Talent (ForArts) Scheme
Outstanding international art professionals (well-recognised artists in your own country or with an international reputation) with a strong track record of local engagements may apply for permanent residence (PR) to the National Arts Council (NAC) and subsequently, the ICA for consideration upon approval by the NAC.
Eligibility
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Received relevant training /education and professional experience in the field of practice
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Had outstanding achievements, in the area of performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, design, and/or media
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Had made significant contributions to Singapore’s arts and cultural scheme
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Have concrete plans to advance in Singapore’s arts and cultural sector
Global Investor Programme (GIP)
Eligible global entrepreneurs, business owners and investors who are interested in starting up a business or investing in Singapore may apply for permanent residence (PR) to Contact Singapore, a division of the Economic Development Board (EDB) Singapore and subsequently, the ICA for consideration on approval by EDB.
How will Fergus help you:
Singapore PR application support
Singapore’s PR is both a dream and a nightmare for many. Its attached benefits attract many eligible to start applying. But 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-PR-Approval Support
The toughest challenge of getting your PR approval might be over, but our work does not stop here. From contributing to your CPF to updating the relevant authorities of your newly attained PR status. Our team will continue to support you throughout the journey.
Renewal of re-entry permit (REP)
A valid Re-Entry Permit (REP) is needed each time a permanent resident (PR) travels abroad to retain their PR status. Most REPs are valid for 5 years upon renewal, however it is with ICA discretion on the eventual approval status and length of validity. ICA takes into consideration the duration of stay, employment in Singapore, and contribution to the economy during the last REP validity period. Should you be based out of Singapore for employment or personal reasons, or should there be any other factors that might suggest the difficulty in your REP renewal, please speak to our Client Relationship Manager to discuss your situation.
Dependant's Sponsorship
As a Singapore PR, you can sponsor a foreigner to stay in Singapore on a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) 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
A Singapore PR 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 for Singapore Permanent Residents
