Permanent residence in Singapore: what Brits gain, pay and sign up for
PR is the closest thing Singapore has to settled status, and it comes with strings that a work pass never had.
The short version
- Employment Pass and S Pass holders can apply to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) without a sponsor. Spouses and children of citizens or PRs apply with one [1].
- It costs SGD 100 to apply (about £58), plus SGD 120 at the end for the entry permit, a five-year Re-Entry Permit and your identity card (about £70) [1]. Decisions take up to six months, sometimes longer [1].
- ICA doesn't publish a points formula, so there's no way to know in advance whether you'll be approved.
- New PRs start paying into CPF at lower graduated rates, rising to the full 20% employee and 17% employer rates from the third year [2].
- Sons who become PRs must do National Service. Taking PR doesn't affect your British passport; becoming a citizen usually does [1][3].
Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = SGD 1.7214).
Who can apply
ICA lists the groups who can apply for PR [1]:
| Applicant | Sponsor needed? |
|---|---|
| Spouse of a Singapore citizen or PR | Yes, your spouse |
| Unmarried child under 21 of a citizen or PR, including adopted children | Yes, your parent |
| Aged parent of a Singapore citizen | Yes, your citizen child aged 21 or over |
| Employment Pass or S Pass holder | No |
| Student who has passed a national exam (PSLE, N, O or A levels) or is on the Integrated Programme | No |
| Foreign investor under the Global Investor Programme | No (run by the Economic Development Board) |
For most Brits, the route is the work pass one, so you'll already have cleared the Employment Pass salary bar and COMPASS to get here [4]. If you're on a Dependant's Pass, you can be included as the spouse or child of a PR once your partner is approved, or apply in your own right if you switch to your own Employment Pass. See Dependant's Pass and LTVP.
What helps, and what we can't tell you
Here's the frustrating bit. ICA doesn't publish the criteria it weighs or a pass mark, and refusals don't come with reasons you can mark against a checklist. People who've been approved usually point to the same things: several years working in Singapore on a steady pass, a good salary, a clean record, family ties here, children in local schools, and signs you've put down roots, such as community or volunteering work. Treat that as experience, not a formula.
A few practical points that are within your control:
- Get the documents right. ICA asks for originals and official translations of anything not in English, and an incomplete application may not be accepted [1]. Use its document checklist.
- Apply as a family if you can. Spouses and children can be sponsored once you're a PR, but applying together keeps everyone on the same footing.
- Think about your sons first. National Service is the biggest long-term commitment PR brings (more below).
- Be patient. ICA says within six months, and some cases take longer [1]. Some Brits apply more than once.
Your Employment Pass carries on as normal while you wait, so nothing changes day to day.
The fees
| Stage | Fee | In pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Application (per applicant, non-refundable) | SGD 100 | about £58 |
| Entry Permit, on approval | SGD 20 | about £12 |
| Five-year Re-Entry Permit | SGD 50 | about £29 |
| Singapore identity card | SGD 50 | about £29 |
All figures from ICA [1]. Compared with UK settlement fees back home, it's refreshingly cheap; the real cost comes later in CPF and, for some families, National Service.
The Re-Entry Permit: don't leave home without it
As a PR you need a valid Re-Entry Permit (REP) to travel abroad and come back as a PR [1]. The first one comes with your approval and lasts five years. Let it lapse while you're away and you risk losing your status. Diarise the renewal the way you'd diarise a passport expiry, because Singapore won't send you a cheery reminder like the DVLA does.
CPF: Singapore's compulsory savings
On an Employment Pass you don't pay into the Central Provident Fund (CPF). Once you're a PR you do, and so does your employer [2]. CPF is a mix of pension, housing fund and health savings, and it's a big chunk of your payslip.
New PRs ease in on graduated rates for their first two years. For employees aged 55 and under earning over SGD 750 a month, the 2026 rates are [2]:
| PR year | Employee | Employer | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| First year | 5% | 4% | 9% |
| Second year | 15% | 9% | 24% |
| Third year onwards | 20% | 17% | 37% |
Contributions on ordinary wages are capped at an ordinary wage ceiling of SGD 8,000 a month (about £4,650) in 2026 [2]. At the full rate, that means up to SGD 1,600 a month (about £930) comes off your pay and goes into your CPF accounts. You and your employer can jointly opt in to full rates from the start [2].
What happens to CPF if you later leave Singapore for good is its own topic, and we cover it in CPF: what it means for foreigners and PRs. CPF isn't a UK pension, and moving UK pension money into or out of anything needs regulated financial advice; see our guide to UK pensions abroad and the transfer warnings.
PRs are also enrolled in MediShield Life, Singapore's basic public health insurance scheme [3]. It's a safety net, not the NHS, so most Brits keep private or employer cover on top.
National Service for sons
This is the deal-breaker for some families, so read it twice.
Under the Enlistment Act 1970, male citizens and PRs must serve National Service unless exempted [1]. That includes boys who become PRs through their parents' application [1]. In practice:
- Registration at 16½ and enlistment at the earliest opportunity after turning 18 [1].
- Deferment is allowed until A levels, a polytechnic diploma or an equivalent pre-university qualification, but not for university [1]. So a son can't take up a UK university place first and serve later.
- Defaulting is an offence, with a fine of up to SGD 10,000 (about £5,800), up to three years in prison, or both [1].
- Giving up PR without completing full-time National Service affects future immigration applications for the son and for the rest of the family [1].
ICA points families to the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) to check obligations before applying [1]. The FCDO also notes that male citizens, dual nationals and PRs may be liable [3]. If your son is young, this is a decision about him as much as about you, so talk it through before you file.
Your British passport
Taking Singapore PR doesn't change your British citizenship. You stay a British citizen with a British passport and a Singapore identity card.
Citizenship is a different matter. The FCDO says Singapore generally doesn't recognise dual citizenship, and to become a Singapore citizen you may have to renounce your British citizenship [3]. Many Brits stay PR for decades for exactly that reason. Children born here to British parents are covered in registering a child born abroad.
On the UK side, PR changes nothing in itself. You're still taxed by the UK on UK income such as rent, and your UK State Pension is frozen while you live in Singapore, so check whether voluntary National Insurance is worth paying. A tax adviser who knows both countries can check your case.
Thinking of applying and want to hear how long it took others? Our community group for Brits in Singapore has plenty of PRs, some approved first time and some on their third go.
Sources
- ICA: Apply for PR (last updated 30 October 2026)
- CPF Board: How much CPF contributions to pay and CPF contribution rates from 1 January 2026 (PDF) (checked 7 November 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Singapore (last updated 18 February 2026)
- Ministry of Manpower: Employment Pass eligibility (checked 7 November 2026)