The process for SG Citizenship applications are extremely lengthy and complicated
The Government’s Selective Immigration model demands any eligible and outstanding Singapore Permanent Residents be sure-footed in their applications.
On top of that, there are numerous contributing factors to a robust citizenship application that our team will be able to concisely present to clients.
Singapore Citizen applications are usually lengthy and complicated. Therefore, they require a considerable amount of time during the screening and decision-making phases over at ICA. At The Immigration People, we work together with all clients to see that no stone is left unturned when applying for citizenship in Singapore and we will ensure the entire application will not be a waste of resources.
All approved clients have up to two months to complete the three components of the SCJ before they can complete citizenship formalities and receive their pink National Registration Identity Cards (NRICs) and citizenship certificates. This comes in the form of the Singapore Citizenship Journey ("SCJ") mainly partitioned into the e-Journey, the Singapore Experiential Tour and the Community Sharing session. Fret not, we will be with you throughout the entire journey on how to apply Singapore Citizen and shall advise you accordingly when it comes to your Singapore Citizenship eligibility, from your application process and till you receive your In-Principle Approval ("IPA) letter.
Contact us today!
Do not wait any longer and contact us so we can fulfill your immigration dreams in Singapore. You can also check your eligibility.
Contact us today!
Do not wait any longer and contact us so we can fulfill your immigration dreams in Singapore. You can also check your eligibility.
Singapore ranks in the Top 3 of the best passports in the world and this makes its citizenship rights one of the most attractive to many foreigners - resulting in a large number of candidates wanting to apply for Singapore Citizenship every year. While many benefits and perks come along with holding a citizenship status in Singapore, there are also its own set of obligations. Citizens of Singapore are expected to comply with the country’s regulations and duties imposed. The benefits are,
Flexibility Of Visa
With the country’s strong bilateral ties, Singapore Passport holders face few travel restrictions across the world. One gets to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of Visa-free travel to different countries without needing to apply for any travelling pass with their respective embassies, which may take up to weeks to approve for some.
Health Care / Hospitalisation Subsidy
A Singapore citizen gets to enjoy a more considerable amount of subsidy for medical and hospitalization bills in Public Hospitals, Polyclinics and National Centres compared to a PR and a foreigner.
Furthermore, there are additional government subsidies to finance the medical expenses of needy Singaporeans only.
Multiple Career Opportunities
Similar to a PR, there are always more job openings that will be available to Singaporean citizens and PRs based on the current government’s policies to ensure the locals are first and to be given priority in the job opportunity.
Sponsorship Of Long-Term Passes And Permanent Residency For Family Members
A Singapore citizen is entitled to sponsor his/her direct family members – spouse, unmarried children under the age of 21, born within a legal marriage or legally adopted and aged parents to obtain a long-term staying visa or even a PR status. Whereas as a PR, you are only limited to sponsoring PRs for spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21.
Education
Singaporean children are entitled to a government initiative called the Edusave Scheme.
This scheme rewards children who do well in either their academic or non-academic activities and can also be used to help pay for the 2nd-Tier Miscellaneous Fee.
Furthermore, Singapore Citizens pay the lowest fees for public education and are entitled to the most immense amount of subsidies for private and tertiary education.
The table below shows a comparison of the latest, maximum rates of school (including Miscellaneous Fees) payable monthly.
The Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme, in which a Singaporean employee or PR employee and their employer have to contribute a monthly minimum amount to the employee’s pension fund.
The CPF scheme helps the individual financially when it comes to home-ownership, health care, children’s education, family protection and asset growth through investments and higher interest rates given.
CPF contributions can also be a form of tax relief, hence, resulting in a lower taxable income per year.
If one has been a PR for more than 2 years, the employees’ CPF contribution is the same as a Singapore Citizen.
Unlike Singapore PRs who are only entitled to purchase resale public housings (HDB) owned and managed by the Government after being a PR for at least 2 years, Singapore citizens have a further privilege.
They are eligible to own and rent apartments from the HDB once they are over the age of 21 years old. In addition, any Singapore citizen who is owning a property for the very first time is allowed to purchase the government’s Built-To-Order (BTO) flats, which are further subsidized by the Government.
As a Singapore citizen, it is a lot easier to borrow various loans such as a housing loan should they want to buy property as compared to foreigners.
While a Singapore PR or foreigner needs to pay an Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) for even their first property owned, this is not applicable for a Singapore citizen.
Even for subsequent properties owned, the stamp duty payable for a citizen is considerably lesser as compared to being a PR or foreigner.
Parenthood Incentives
The Singapore Government has implemented various measures to encourage and help Singaporeans at each stage or aspect of their journey as parents and also to address the broader set of concerns that have been preventing Singaporeans from having larger families. These measures include:
Making Child Birth More Affordable – Singapore citizens can use Medisave to pay for pre-delivery medical expenses (e.g. ultrasound scans) in addition to delivery expenses, for all their children.
Enhanced Baby Bonus – A cash bonus of up to S$8,000 for the 1st 2 children and up to S$10,000 cash bonus for the 3rd and 4th child of a Singaporean family.
Parenthood Tax Rebate and Working Mother's Child Relief – Provides a lump sum tax rebate of S$10,000 – S$20,000, depending on the birth order of the child. There will also be a tax relief of 5% - 25% of a working mother’s (of a Singaporean child) earned income, depending on the number of children in the family.
Infant Care Subsidy – Parents of Singapore Citizen infants aged, 2-18 months and attending licensed infant or child care centres, will receive an infant-care subsidy of up to S$400 per month.
Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession – Singaporean families with children aged 12 years and below will only pay an FDW Levy of S$250.
With that many windows of opportunities and incentives to apply Citizenship in Singapore, should you wish to find out more about your chances or how to apply for Singapore Citizen, do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation today!
Obligations
No Dual Nationality
Singapore does not allow dual citizenship. Hence, all new citizens are required to renounce their existing citizenship at their respective embassies before they can complete the formalities to become Singapore citizens.
However, Singaporean child(ren) may hold dual citizenship till enlistment for NS (for males) or till 21 years old.
National Service
Under the Enlistment Act, all male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) are required to serve the National Service (NS).
NS-liable individuals are required to register for NS upon reaching 16.5 years old.
They will be scheduled for enlistment at the age of 18 years old, typically before enrolment for university studies, after completion of Junior College (JC) / Polytechnic / Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
Limitations For CPF Withdrawal
Singapore Citizens and PRs are allowed to withdraw the excess amount from their CPF account upon reaching the age of 55.
The amount withdrawable depends on the balances in your respective CPF account. From age 65 onwards, you will receive a monthly payout from your CPF Retirement Account (RA) till death. The monthly payout depends on the amount of money left in your RA.
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 table 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:
1
Have been a Singapore PR for at least 2 years and above the age of 21 years old.
Currently employed in Singapore.
2
Married to a Singapore citizen for at least 2 years.
Have been a Singapore PR for at least 2 years.
3
An unmarried child under the age of 21 years old, born within the context of legal marriage to, or has been legally adopted by a Singapore citizen.
4
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).
5
A PR who is also an aged parent (i.e., 65 years old) of a Singapore Citizen.
In addition to satisfying the above requirements, the Government also takes into account the following factors for a Citizenship candidate:
Ties of kinship in Singapore
Economic contributions
Qualifications
Age
Family Profile
Social Integration Efforts
Physical Length of Residency
Industry Expertise and Skillsets
Financial assets and investment held in Singapore
Overall conduct as a law-abiding citizen
What Are The Documents Required For Singapore Citizenship
You will need to prepare the common mandatory documents listed below:
Your Passport / Identification / Birth Certificate
Marriage / Divorce Certification
Separation Deed (If applicable)
PR Identification
Foreign Citizenship Certification
Proof Of Employment From Your Current Employer
Income Tax Contributions For Last 3 Years
CPF Contributions (If employed)
For Business Owners, you will also want to include your ACRA business profile
You will also be required to fill up the application form for Singapore Citizenship in addition to the documents listed above. For a full list of documents required, you may refer to the ICA website.
Submitting Your Application For Singapore Citizenship
Once you have completed your application form for Singapore Citizenship and the necessary documents, you have two options to submit your application:
2. Or you can submit it in person at ICA's building. However, you will still have to make an appointment through their online appointment booking system here: https://eappointment.ica.gov.sg/ibook/index.do
What's Next After Submitting My SG Citizenship Application Form
The entire process will generally take about twelve months and up to twenty-four months. Depending on the complexity of the application, the process might take slightly longer. However, you will be notified by mail of the outcome of your application.
Why Choose The Immigration People For Your Singapore Citizen Application
With over 25 years of collective experience in Singapore Citizenship application, we believe in sharing and educating people to better understand the process instead of holding back the information.
This is unique to us. Most agencies hide the main points you should be aware of when applying for Singapore Citizenship, worrying that the general public will use this knowledge and ultimately lose business. But we believe in unscrambling the mystery to educate and empower all.
With a tailor-made approach to suit each specific client profile, let us help you out with your Singapore Citizen application.
Get started today. Reach out to us to understand how we can assist with how to become a Singapore Citizen, guiding you through the time-consuming document preparation process and enhancing your chances to become a Singapore citizen. Speak to our immigration experts today.
Have more questions on how to apply Singapore Citizen? Check out our frequently asked questions (FAQs) below!
Frequently Asked Questions About Applying For Singapore Citizen
How Long Does A SG Citizenship Application Take?
Generally, the citizenship application process takes about six to twelve months for approval. However, on certain occasions, an individual application may take slightly longer due to the complexity. For more information on your application for Singapore citizenship, do contact us for a free consultation.
Is It Hard To Obtain A Singapore Citizenship?
It depends on the criteria and if you have submitted the necessary Singapore citizenship application documents. However, you will have to successfully apply for a Singapore Permanent Residency before considering applying for Singapore Citizen.
Can Students Apply For Singapore Citizenship?
Yes, definitely. As a student, you can submit your own SG Citizenship application if you are:
Singapore Permanent Resident
More Than 15 Years Of Age
Living In Singapore For Over 3 Years
What Are The Chances Of Approval?
To be eligible for Singapore Citizenship as the main applicant, you must first meet one of the following three minimum requirements:
Permanent Resident for at least two years and at least 21 years old
Married to a citizen for at least two years
PR student residing in Singapore for at least three years and passed one national examination
Other factors like economic contribution (salary, industry, professional achievement), social integration, endorsements from citizens, family ties (existing Citizen/PR), and financial and property investments also matter.
When Should I Renounce My Foreign Citizenship?
If your application is successful, you must complete the Singapore Citizenship Journey (SCJ) within two months. Once you have completed SCJ, you will then renounce your prior citizenship. You have to visit the embassy of your country. After the renunciation of your citizenship, you will surrender your passport.
The duration for this depends on your respective embassy but may take about 1-2 months. Only after your existing citizenship has been renounced can you proceed with completing the formalities at the Immigration authorities (ICA).
As A Singapore Citizen, Will I Be Required To Sell My Overseas Properties?
This depends on the law and regulations of the country where your properties are located. We recommend that you speak to the property agent who has facilitated your purchase of the property to advise you on the country's regulations.
As a Singapore citizen, it is acceptable for you to own overseas properties. However, if you wish to purchase Singapore's public housing, i.e., Housing Development Board (HDB) flats, you cannot own residential properties overseas or locally.
Should you already own a property overseas, yet still wish to purchase a resale HDB flat, you are required to dispose of the overseas property before or within six months from your resale HDB purchase.
How Much Does It Cost To Engage TIP Services?
Typically, our fees are quoted based on the following considerations:
The case's complexity (e.g., rejected several times / charged with a criminal offence / etc.)
Size of Family (the more extensive the family nucleus, the more costly it will be due to the sheer volume of documentation and time required to work on the case)
The steps to complete formalities
To find out more on how we can better assist you with your application for Singapore Citizenship, do contact us for a free consultation!
