Singapore is known as the most popular country for immigrants, featuring with quality life, well-paid jobs, and convenient healthcare systems. To enjoy these benefits, you must become a Singapore citizen first. More than hundreds of thousands of people apply for Singapore citizenship every year, but not all of them are finally granted citizenship. In this passage, we are going to share an ultimate guide on Singapore citizenship, including the Singapore citizenship requirement, how to apply for it, and other related issues.
Singapore Citizenship Requirement
Not every Singapore resident can apply for Singapore citizenship. Before learning about how to become a Singaporean citizen, let’s learn about whether you are eligible for it and what you should prepare for the application.
Who Can Apply for ICA Singapore Citizenship
The eligibility for Singapore citizenship is listed below.
- You are aged at least 21 years old and have been a permanent resident (PR) in Singapore for two years. Your legal spouse and unmarried children younger than 21 years old (either born to you or legally adopted) can apply together with you.
- Your spouse is a Singapore citizen and you have been married to him/her for at least 2 years. You have been a Singaporean PR for at least two years.
- Your spouse is a Singapore citizen and you have been married to him/her for at least 2 years. You have been a Singapore PR for at least two years.
- You are below 21 years old and haven’t got married. Born within a legal marriage or adopted legally, your parent is a Singaporean citizen.
- You are a student who has been Singaporean PR for at least one year and has been living in the country for over 3 years. You passed at least one national exam or are now taking part in the Integrated Programme (IP).
- You are a Singaporean PR and an aged parent of a Singapore citizen.
Required Documents for ICA Singapore Citizenship
When applying for Singapore citizenship, some documents are required to support your application. Let’s see what they are.
- A colored head-and-shoulder photo
- Foreign ID card
- Passport, or any other travel document (only for documents not issued by ICA)
- Birth certificate (only in the case of birth registration outside Singapore), or official household census list/family register as an alternative
- Family documents, such as marriage certificates, separation deeds, divorce certificates, annulment certificates of previous marriages, death certificates of spouse or children from current/previous marriage, birth certificates of children of current/previous marriage, or custody orders of children from previous marriage
- Education documents, such as educational certificates, skill certificates, professional licenses or membership certificates
- Employment documents, such as a letter of employment from the current employer (dated within the last 3 years, and stating occupation, date of employment and salary per month), payslips of the last 6 months, income tax receipt of the last 3 years (only for overseas employees), latest business registration certificate and extra financial statement (for self-employed applicants), etc
- National Service Certificate/Testimonial/Transcript (if any)
- Deed poll or religious certificate for name change (if any)
Please note that the evidence above for your spouse should also be included even if he/she is not coming with you. Extra documents might be asked for by ICA during the assessment.
Extra Singapore Citizenship Requirement for Children
Child applicants must provide the following supplementary documents.
- Adoption papers, IVF report or surrogacy report (if any).
- Letter of consent from the other parent if the child is under joint custody.
- Parents’ personal and family documents are listed in the last section.
- The parent’s employment documents are listed in the last section.
How To Apply for Singapore Citizenship
Singapore Citizenship applications must be done online with a Singpass account. If you are applying for yourself, log in with your own SingPass. If you are sponsored by your spouse/parent/child who is a Singapore citizen, please ensure they log in with their Singapass account. In this part, we will guide you through the application step by step.
Step 1: Log in
Visit the ICA’s official website and click the “MyICA” button at the top right corner. Then log in by entering your Singpass account or by scanning with your Singpass app which can be downloaded in App Store, Google Play and Appgallery. Once logged in, click through the “Singapore Citizenship > Apply for Singapore
Citizenship/Enquire Application status”.
Alternatively, you can also find the application access through the following paths.
- ICA portal > eServices and Forms > Singapore Citizenship > Apply for Singapore Citizenship
- ICA portal > Applying to Stay > Singapore Citizenship > Becoming a Singapore Citizen.
Step 2: Finish Questionnaire
Both the Singapore citizen sponsor and PR main applicant should answer the questions correctly so as to generate correct forms, including marital status, whether you are applying for/together with family, number of dependents, etc. When sponsoring or applying with children, enter Singapore Identity Card Number (UIN) if they are Singapore PR, Foreign Identification Number (FIN) if they are long-term/dependent pass holders, or “Not Applicable” if they are not a PR/ long term/ dependent pass holder.
Step 3: Provide Applicant Details
This section should be finished in 7 days. Singapore citizen sponsor needs to provide information on himself and all applicants. All the form displayed is required to be filled according to your previous choice. The status will change from “In Progress” to “Form Completed” after finishing. The relevant information is related to the following sections.
- Biodata
It includes personal information, such as UIN, name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, birth certificate number, citizenship, race, religion, denomination/branch/sect, and contact information.
- Family Information
This section requires information on your current marriage, spouse and children. If there are other marriages and biological children, please also provide particulars of them.
- Employment
Click on the “Add” button to provide employment records, achievements and innovations within the last 10 years. Choose “I am currently working here” for current employment or “Not Employed” for unemployed status.
- Education
lick on the “Add” button to provide current and previous academic qualifications, professional & technical qualifications, and membership of professional societies/clubs/associations/religious groups and other organizations. Choose “not available/not of school-going age/no formal education” when the ICA Singapore citizenship applicant hasn’t received formal education or reached school age.
- Travel
If you have ever been out of Singapore for at least 1 year in total in the last 6 years, please provide the country, duration of absence, address abroad and traveling purpose in the “Absence from Singapore in last Six years” section. Additionally, click on the “Add” button to provide information “All Past and Current Residential Status and Travel Documents Issued” not by ICA.
- Antecedent
If there is any offense history and Singapore citizenship history, you should provide them in this part.
- National Service
Male applicants who choose “COMPLETED FULL-TIME NS” for National Service Status should provide detailed information, such as organization, date of enlistment, operationally ready date (ORD), etc.
- Parent and Siblings
Single applicants should provide details of parents and siblings, such as personal information, immigration status in Singapore, current employment, and highest educational qualification.
After all sections are finished, you will review What you Have Provided. if there is anything wrong, click on “edit” to modify. If not, click on “next”.
Step 4: Upload Required Documents
There will be a list of required documents for ICA Singapore citizenship. Please upload a scanned version of the documentation and make sure each document file size is less than 2MB. Don’t set passwords or lock the documents. If your supporting documents are not in English, please submit translations provided by a certified organization, such as the embassy of the country that issued the document, a notary public in Singapore or the country that issued the document.
Step 5: Declaration
Here comes the final step to review the information you provide. If you want to make changes, click on the “Back” button. If not, click on “Next”, read the declaration, and check the box to agree with the declaration.
Step 6: Fulfill Payment
Acceptable online payment methods include Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card, American Express credit card, and Internet Direct Debit.
ICA Singapore Citizenship Application Fees
It depends on the identity of the applicants and where they are born. Detailed fees are listed as follows.
When the applicant is a Singapore adult permanent resident or their child, it costs SGD 100 for each application as processing fees, SGD 70 for a Singapore Citizenship Certificate, and SGD 10 for a Singapore Identity Card.
When the applicant is born to a Singapore citizen outside Singapore, it costs SGD 18 as processing fees, and SGD 10 for a Singapore Identity Card.
Please note that the Singapore Identity Card fee is only applicable to those aged 15 years or older.
Benefits of ICA Singapore Citizenship
Becoming a citizen of Singapore allows you to enjoy a lot of benefits covering travel, education, healthcare, housing and employment.
Travel Privilege of Singapore Passport
Despite the increasing restrictions on international travel, the Singapore passport still maintains a good reputation for its travel freedom by ranking No.4 on the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index. Singaporean citizens can apply for Singaporean passports and travel to hundreds of countries without visas in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. Visa-free access is a high degree of travel freedom, which is suitable for international travelers.
Educational Subsidies/Priority
Singaporean citizens can pay a much lower percentage of school and university fees than permanent residents and foreign students. Child citizens can enjoy subsidies for school fees and join specific educational schemes. The waived fees can reach up to 100% depending on the educational institutions and scores. Moreover, reputable colleges and universities might reserve enrollment quotas for local students.
Housing
Compared with PRs and foreigners, Singapore citizens are eligible to purchase or rent subsidized new apartments Housing & Development Board (HDB), apply for CPF housing grants, enjoy subsidy and concessionary interest rates to pay for home upgrading, and request mortgage loans from HDB at a concessionary interest rate.
Healthcare
The government established some medical schemes to help relieve the patients’ pressure on medical costs, most of which are only available to Singapore citizens. More importantly, the subsidies for citizens are higher than that for PRs.
Leave Benefits
If you and your child are Singapore citizens, you will have 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, 6 days of paid childcare leave per year per parent, and 6 days of unpaid infant care leave per year per parent. Your salary during maternity leave will be paid by the employer and the government. Otherwise, the duration of your maternity leave is determined by your employment contract.
Tax Relief
Some tax relief benefits are only available to citizens, such as the Parenthood Tax Rebate (PTR), Working Mother’s Child Relief (WMCR), Qualifying/Handicapped Child Relief (QCR/HCR), Grandparent Caregiver Relief (GCR), etc.
FAQs:
Q: How long is the processing time of the Singapore Citizenship applications?
A: It generally takes up to 12 months. For Singapore citizens’ children born abroad, the authority will deal with the application within 2 months after submitting.
Q: Does Singapore allow dual citizenship?
A: No. Obtaining ICA Singapore citizenship means you are prepared to renounce your current citizenship.
Q: What’s the difference between nationality VS citizenship?
A: Nationality refers to legal status related to one’s birth, ancestry, or culture while citizenship is a political status that ensures an individual’s civil rights and obligations. The most common way to determine nationality is birthright. Citizenship could be obtained through naturalization, immigration or other legal processes. They are not interchangeable. For example, one can be a US citizen but own a Canadian nationality.
Q: How can I track Singapore citizenship application status?
A: Log in to the ICA website and track through “MyICA > e-Services > Apply for Singapore Citizenship/Enquire Application status”.
Q: What if my Singapore citizenship application is rejected?
A: You will need to wait for a year and submit the application again. Unfortunately, the authority will not tell you the reasons. Common mistakes include insufficient documentation, unqualified photos, improper statements of intention to apply, etc.
Q: Can I cancel my application?
A: Yes. You can log in to MyICA page and visit ” e-Services > Singapore
Citizenship > Apply for Singapore Citizenship/Enquire Application status > Enquire/ View Status > Self/Sponsored > Withdrawing Application.
Summary
As you can see, if you decide to settle down in Singapore permanently, PR status is not the best choice. To apply for ICA Singapore citizenship, you should check whether you are eligible for it first. If yes, get ready supporting documents according to the Singapore citizenship requirement, such as citizenship photo, ID card, passport, birth certificate, family documents, education documents, employment documents, etc. Finally, when it comes to how to apply for Singapore citizenship, it is suggested to use a computer and apply online. We hope this ultimate guide can help you obtain citizenship successfully and wish you a happy life in Singapore.
Dolores Xiao