--- title: Singapore Permanent Residence Application country: singapore service: "permanent-residence-application" category: immigration difficulty: complex estimated_time: "Approximately 90 minutes to complete the e-PR form; ICA processes the application within 6 months of complete submission" cost_range: "SGD 220 for a solo Professional/Technical/Skilled applicant; SGD 20,000 application fee plus per-applicant fees on the Global Investor Programme route" last_verified: 2026-05-24 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/singapore/permanent-residence-application/ status: current confidence: low tags: - "permanent-residence" - ica - immigration - "e-pr" - "re-entry-permit" - gip - nric sources: - https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/PR/apply - https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/esvclandingpage/epr - https://www.ica.gov.sg/docs/default-source/ica/files/faqs_revisions-to-permanent-resident-re-entry-permit-application-process-from-1-december-2025.pdf - https://www.ica.gov.sg/docs/default-source/ica/ipses/pr-document-checklist.pdf - https://www.edb.gov.sg/content/dam/edb-en/how-we-help/global-investor-programme/GIP%20Factsheet.pdf - https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/overseas-networks-expertise-pass/eligibility - https://www.ica.gov.sg/PR/see-more/entry-permit-and-re-entry-permit-conditions-for-singapore-permanent-residents --- # Singapore Permanent Residence Application **Country:** πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¬ Singapore **Last verified:** 2026-05-24 **Estimated time:** Approximately 90 minutes to complete the e-PR form; ICA processes the application within 6 months of complete submission **Cost:** SGD 220 for a solo Professional/Technical/Skilled applicant; SGD 20,000 application fee plus per-applicant fees on the Global Investor Programme route ## Required documents - **Passport / travel document** - Where to get: Issuing authority of the applicant's country of nationality - Required: Required for every applicant on the application - _Note:_ Both the personal-particulars page and any pages bearing previous Singapore entry/exit stamps or visa endorsements should be uploaded as part of the supporting documents. - **Passport-sized digital photograph** - Where to get: Any commercial photo studio that prepares ICA-compliant images, or a self-taken image that meets the published specifications - Required: Colour, taken recently, 400 by 514 pixels, white background, full-face without headgear unless habitually worn for religious or racial customs (and not hiding facial features) - **Birth certificate or household register** - Where to get: Civil-registry authority of the country of birth, or the equivalent household register where civil registration is not used - Required: Required only for births that were not registered in Singapore - _Note:_ Non-English documents need an accompanying English translation when uploaded. - **Marriage certificate** - Where to get: Civil-registry authority of the country where the marriage was registered - Required: Required only for marriages that were not registered in Singapore; relevant for the sponsored-spouse route and for applicants whose spouse is named on the application - **Educational certificates and transcripts** - Where to get: Awarding institutions; supplemented by skill certificates, professional licences, or membership certificates where applicable - Required: Required for the main applicant in every route except the sponsored-unmarried-child route where the child has not yet completed formal qualifications - **Letter of employment from current employer** - Where to get: Issued by the applicant's current employer's human-resources function - Required: Dated no more than three months before the date of the online application; must state occupation, date of employment, basic monthly salary, and gross monthly salary - _Note:_ The Professional/Technical/Skilled route relies on this letter together with recent pay slips to evidence the salary picture ICA assesses holistically. - **Pay slips from the last 6 months and recent income-tax documents** - Where to get: Employer payroll system for pay slips; Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) for the Notice of Assessment, or the equivalent overseas tax authority where the applicant has worked abroad - Required: Latest 6 months of pay slips; the latest 3 years of income-tax assessments or receipts are required only where the applicant has been working overseas - **Self-employment records (where applicable)** *(ACRA Business Registration)* - Where to get: Latest Business Registration Certificate from the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA); profit-and-loss statements from the applicant's accountant or accounting system - Required: Latest ACRA Business Registration Certificate plus the latest 3 years of profit-and-loss statements; required only for self-employed applicants ## Costs - **PR application fee (per applicant):** 100 SGD β€” Paid at e-PR submission. ICA states that all fees are non-refundable. - **Entry Permit issuance (per applicant):** 20 SGD β€” Paid at the Completion of Formalities appointment at ICA Building when PR status is first granted. - **Re-Entry Permit issuance β€” 5 years (per applicant):** 50 SGD β€” Paid at the Completion of Formalities appointment; the Re-Entry Permit is issued valid for five years from the date of issuance. - **Identity Card (NRIC) issuance (per applicant):** 50 SGD β€” Paid at the Completion of Formalities appointment; the National Registration Identity Card is collected in person at ICA Building on the booked collection date. - **Global Investor Programme application fee (EDB route only) (optional):** 20000 SGD β€” waived if The applicant is not applying under the Global Investor Programme β€” Paid to EDB before the application forms are uploaded. The factsheet records that this fee was revised to S$20,000 with effect from 5 May 2025. Separate from and additional to the S$100 ICA processing fee per applicant. ## Steps ### 1. Confirm eligibility against the ICA landing page - Review the six eligibility categories on the ICA Apply page and identify the route β€” Professional/Technical/Skilled, sponsored spouse, sponsored unmarried child, foreign student, aged parent, or Global Investor Programme - On the Professional/Technical/Skilled route, confirm the applicant currently holds a valid Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass; on the Global Investor Programme route, confirm qualification under one of the four investor profiles in the EDB factsheet - Note that ICA does not publish a scoring formula, a points table, an ethnic-quota threshold, a minimum employment period, or a national-exam list β€” eligibility is assessed holistically against published factors > **Tip:** Practitioner write-ups that present a numeric PR scoring table are interpretations, not ICA-published policy. ICA's framing on factors considered β€” family ties, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, length of residency, and a commitment to sinking roots β€” is the only published criterion set. _Links:_ - [ICA β€” Becoming a Permanent Resident](https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/PR) - [ICA β€” Apply page for Permanent Residence](https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/PR/apply) - [EDB β€” Global Investor Programme overview](https://www.edb.gov.sg/en/incentives-and-programmes/global-investor-programme.html) ### 2. Register for Singpass for the main applicant and any sponsor - Apply for Singpass for each person whose authentication is needed on the application; foreigners not eligible for Singpass receive unique log-in credentials issued by ICA - Allow 2 to 5 working days for Singpass account approval before starting the e-PR submission - Where there is a sponsor β€” for a sponsored spouse or sponsored child route β€” confirm the sponsor's Singpass is active so they can complete sponsor-side disclosures > **Tip:** ICA recommends starting the application only after every Singpass account on the family group is active. Beginning the application before Singpass approval is granted creates a stalled draft that has to be restarted. ### 3. Prepare supporting documents to the published specifications - Assemble the documents listed in the ICA Document Checklist for Permanent Residence β€” personal documents, family documents, education, employment, and any route-specific supplement - Prepare the passport-sized digital photograph to ICA's specification: colour, taken recently, 400 by 514 pixels, white background, full-face without headgear unless habitually worn for religious or racial customs - Source the letter of employment from the current employer dated no more than three months before the online application date; gather the last 6 months of pay slips; for overseas work history, gather the latest 3 years of income-tax assessments - Prepare English translations for any non-English documents; on the Global Investor Programme route, translations must be notarised by a Singapore notary public or by a notary in the country that issued the document > **If this fails:** Stale employment letters (older than three months from the online application date) and non-compliant photograph specifications are the two most common at-submission blockers. Re-source both before submission rather than uploading non-compliant artefacts. ### 4. Submit the application through the ICA e-PR portal - Log in to the e-PR portal at eservices.ica.gov.sg/esvclandingpage/epr using Singpass or the unique log-in credentials issued by ICA - Complete the application form β€” ICA estimates approximately 90 minutes for a single sitting - Upload every supporting document in the same session; keep all uploads within the file-size and file-format limits published in the portal - Pay the S$100 application fee per applicant at submission; all fees are non-refundable - On the Global Investor Programme route, the EDB application fee of S$20,000 is paid to EDB before the application forms are uploaded β€” separate from the ICA processing fee > **Tip:** Save the application reference number at the end of submission β€” it is the identifier used for every subsequent status check and any follow-up correspondence from ICA. _Links:_ - [ICA β€” e-PR portal](https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/esvclandingpage/epr) - [EDB β€” Global Investor Programme Factsheet](https://www.edb.gov.sg/content/dam/edb-en/how-we-help/global-investor-programme/GIP%20Factsheet.pdf) ### 5. Wait for the application decision - ICA processes applications within 6 months provided all required documents are submitted and are in order β€” verbatim from the ICA Apply page - Track status through MyICA for applications submitted after the mobile-app cutover, or through the ICA e-Service portal for earlier applications (cutover date detailed in additional_items) - Respond promptly through the same channel if ICA requests further supporting documents; do not lodge a fresh application in parallel > **Tip:** ICA's published timing is: "Applications will be processed within 6 months, provided all the required documents are submitted and are in order." The Global Investor Programme route runs longer at approximately 12 months to Approval-in-Principle per the EDB factsheet. > **If this fails:** Where the application enters extended review, the most productive lever is responding to document requests in full and at the published quality bar β€” re-applications in parallel slow rather than speed the decision. ### 6. Book the Completion of Formalities appointment after approval - On approval, ICA sends in-principle approval and instructions to book an in-person appointment at ICA Building, 10 Kallang Road, Singapore 208718 - Book the appointment through the ICA eAppointment system within the window specified in the approval correspondence - Coordinate the appointment for every approved applicant on the family group β€” sponsored spouses and children attend alongside the main applicant _Links:_ - [ICA β€” Check Status and Make Appointment](https://www.ica.gov.sg/check-status-make-appointment) ### 7. Attend the Completion of Formalities appointment at ICA Building - Attend in person at ICA Building with the original passports, the approval letter, and any documents ICA has requested in the booking correspondence - Pay the completion fees β€” S$20 Entry Permit, S$50 five-year Re-Entry Permit (REP), and S$50 NRIC issuance per applicant - Receive the Entry Permit (the formal document conferring PR status under the Immigration Act 1959), the Re-Entry Permit valid for five years from the date of issuance, a temporary identity receipt, and a collection slip for the National Registration Identity Card - Where the applicant is below the identity-card registration age, an ICA officer may stamp the dependant's pass or cancel any prior pass at the same appointment ### 8. Collect the National Registration Identity Card - Book the NRIC collection appointment β€” bookable one day after Completion of Formalities for applications submitted after the MyICA cutover, or one week after for earlier applications - Collect the NRIC in person at ICA Building on the booked collection date β€” the NRIC must be collected within 3 months of Completion of Formalities - From the NRIC collection date, the Permanent Resident holds the full set of identity-and-residency documents: Entry Permit, Re-Entry Permit, and NRIC > **Tip:** The MyICA mobile app is now the default channel for retrieving the digital Long-Term Pass (where applicable) and for tracking status on the application; the earlier paper or e-Service workflow continues for applications submitted before the MyICA cutover. ## FAQ ### Who is eligible to apply for Singapore Permanent Residence? ICA lists six eligibility categories on the Apply page β€” holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass on the Professional/Technical/Skilled route, spouse of a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident, unmarried child under 21 born within the context of a legal marriage, aged parent of a Singapore citizen aged at least 21, foreign student studying in Singapore who has passed at least one national exam, and foreign investor under the Global Investor Programme. The Professional/Technical/Skilled, spouse, child, and student routes are submitted directly through the ICA e-PR portal; the Global Investor Programme route is initiated through EDB and Contact Singapore. ### How long does ICA take to process a PR application? ICA states applications are processed within 6 months provided all required documents are submitted and in order. Complex cases β€” incomplete documents, follow-up requests, or further checks β€” extend beyond 6 months. The Global Investor Programme route takes approximately 12 months from submission to Approval-in-Principle per the EDB factsheet. ### Is there a minimum employment period before Employment Pass or S Pass holders can apply? ICA does not publish a numeric minimum on the Apply page. Practitioners commonly describe six months of continuous employment in Singapore as the operational floor, but this is not stated by ICA as a published threshold. Claims of a 2-year or 5-year minimum are not ICA-published rules. Eligibility is assessed holistically against factors that include family ties, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, length of residency, and a demonstrated commitment to sinking roots. ### Is there a faster PR pathway for Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass holders? No. The MOM eligibility page for the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass makes no mention of an accelerated PR pathway, a fast-track scheme, or any direct conversion of pass status into PR. Holders who choose to apply for PR do so under the ordinary Professional/Technical/Skilled route and are assessed under the same holistic ICA framework as Employment Pass and S Pass holders. ### Does ICA publish a scoring formula or a points table? No. ICA lists the factors it considers but does not publish weights, thresholds, pass/fail tests, or a points table. Third-party sites that present a numeric PR scoring formula are interpretation, not ICA policy. Similarly, ICA does not publish ethnic-quota figures or any CMIO (Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others) threshold as a PR criterion β€” the CMIO framework is broader integration policy and does not appear as a published PR rule. ### How is PR status retained while travelling abroad after the December 2025 rule change? From 1 December 2025 a Permanent Resident outside Singapore without a valid Re-Entry Permit retains PR status for 180 days from the date of first being physically outside Singapore without one. The PR must apply for a new Re-Entry Permit within that 180-day window; ICA decides each application case-by-case. If a new Re-Entry Permit is granted, PR continues subject to the conditions in the Entry Permit, Re-Entry Permit, and prevailing laws. If the new application is unsuccessful, PR status is lost the day after the outcome is sent. If no application is filed within the 180-day window, PR status is lost automatically the day after the window closes. No appeals are accepted once status has lapsed. The earlier rule β€” immediate loss with a 1-month grace period β€” applied before 1 December 2025 and is now superseded. ### What is the Permanent Resident Single-Entry Pass? A Permanent Resident outside Singapore without a valid Re-Entry Permit, but still within the 180-day retention window, may be issued a Permanent Resident Single-Entry Pass (PRSEP) to return to Singapore. The pass is valid for a single entry on the date stated; it has no separate validity duration of its own β€” the underlying Entry Permit governs the stay in Singapore. ### What documents are issued at Completion of Formalities? At the in-person Completion of Formalities appointment at ICA Building, the successful applicant has documents verified, pays the completion fees, receives the Entry Permit (the formal document conferring PR status under the Immigration Act 1959), receives the Re-Entry Permit valid for five years, and receives a temporary identity receipt plus a collection slip for the NRIC. The NRIC is then collected in person at ICA Building on the booked collection date β€” bookable one day after Completion of Formalities for applications submitted from 26 June 2024 onwards, and one week after for earlier applications. The NRIC must be collected within three months of Completion of Formalities. ### Can a rejected applicant appeal or re-apply? ICA does not publish reasons for rejection and does not publish a fixed appeal-deadline policy on the Apply page. Practitioners commonly describe a 6-month window from the rejection-letter date for one appeal; ICA itself does not state this as a published rule. Unappealed rejections can typically be re-applied after a period of further evidence-building; ICA does not publish a mandatory re-application waiting period. ### Are male PR dependants liable for National Service? Yes. The Global Investor Programme factsheet's footnote β€” applicable broadly to dependant PRs β€” states that male children who obtain PR by virtue of being a dependant will be liable for National Service, and male dependants whose spouse is the main applicant may be liable to serve National Service. National Service obligations apply structurally, not as a discretionary policy. More information is published at the Central Manpower Base. ## Sources - [Immigration & Checkpoints Authority](https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/PR/apply) β€” accessed 2026-05-24 β€” _T1_ β€” ICA Apply page sets out the eligibility categories (holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass; spouse of a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident; unmarried child below 21 born within the context of a legal marriage; aged parent of a Singapore citizen aged at least 21; foreign student studying in Singapore who has passed at least one national exam) and the procedural anchors: Singpass authentication or unique log-in credentials issued by ICA, Singpass account approval timing of 2 to 5 working days, the estimate of approximately 90 minutes to complete the e-PR application, the published fee schedule of S$100 application fee plus S$20 Entry Permit plus S$50 five-year Re-Entry Permit plus S$50 identity card per applicant, the statement that all fees are non-refundable, the verbatim processing-time framing β€” "Applications will be processed within 6 months, provided all the required documents are submitted and are in order" β€” and the status-check channels (MyICA for applications submitted from 26 June 2024 onwards, ICA e-Service for earlier applications). - [Immigration & Checkpoints Authority](https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/esvclandingpage/epr) β€” accessed 2026-05-24 β€” _T1_ β€” Active e-PR portal landing page β€” confirms the canonical submission URL eservices.ica.gov.sg/esvclandingpage/epr. The earlier path under ica.gov.sg/reside-in-singapore/permanent-residence does not resolve and should not be cited. - [Immigration & Checkpoints Authority](https://www.ica.gov.sg/docs/default-source/ica/files/faqs_revisions-to-permanent-resident-re-entry-permit-application-process-from-1-december-2025.pdf) β€” accessed 2026-05-24 β€” _T1_ β€” ICA FAQ on the revisions to the Permanent Resident Re-Entry Permit application process effective 1 December 2025. Establishes the verbatim framing that the Entry Permit "is issued when PR status is first granted" and the post-1-December-2025 rule: a PR outside Singapore without a valid Re-Entry Permit retains PR status for 180 days from the date of being first physically outside Singapore without a valid REP. The PR must apply for a new REP within that window; if granted, PR continues subject to the conditions in the Entry Permit, Re-Entry Permit, and prevailing laws; if the application is unsuccessful, PR status is lost the day after the outcome is sent; if no application is filed within the 180-day window, PR status is lost automatically the day after the window closes; no appeals are accepted after status has lapsed; a Permanent Resident Single-Entry Pass (PRSEP) may be issued to return to Singapore within the retention window. Supersedes the earlier rule of immediate loss with a 1-month grace period. - [Immigration & Checkpoints Authority](https://www.ica.gov.sg/docs/default-source/ica/ipses/pr-document-checklist.pdf) β€” accessed 2026-05-24 β€” _T1_ β€” ICA's Document Checklist for Permanent Residence β€” four-column matrix covering Every Applicant, Non-Applying Sponsor or Spouse, and route-specific variants. Establishes the photograph specification (colour, recently taken, 400 by 514 pixels, full-face without headgear unless habitually worn for religious or racial customs, white background), the employment-letter dating rule (no more than three months before the online application date and stating occupation, date of employment, basic monthly salary and gross monthly salary), the requirement for the last 6 months of pay slips, the requirement for the latest 3 years of income-tax assessment only where the applicant has been working overseas, the self-employed variant (latest ACRA Business Registration Certificate plus latest 3 years of profit-and-loss statements), and the aged-parent supplement on non-applying children. The checklist closes with ICA's reserve clause that further supporting documents may be requested in assessing the application. - [Singapore Economic Development Board](https://www.edb.gov.sg/content/dam/edb-en/how-we-help/global-investor-programme/GIP%20Factsheet.pdf) β€” accessed 2026-05-24 β€” _T1_ β€” EDB Global Investor Programme Factsheet, updated 5 May 2025. Sets out the four qualifying investor profiles (Established Business Owners, Next-Generation Business Owners, Founders of Fast-Growth Companies, Family Office Principals) and the three investment options β€” Option A at S$10 million in a new or expanded Singapore business with at least 30% shareholding and a management role; Option B at S$25 million in a GIP-select fund investing in Singapore-based companies; Option C at S$200 million assets under management in a Singapore-based single family office with at least S$50 million transferred into Singapore and deployed in EDB-specified investments (Option C is the only option available to Family Office Principals). Records the verbatim revision that the GIP application fee was revised to S$20,000 with effect from 5 May 2025, paid to EDB before the application forms are uploaded and separate from the S$100 ICA processing fee per applicant. Records the approximate 12-month processing time from submission to Approval-in-Principle, the requirement that translations of non-English documents must be provided and notarised by a notary public in Singapore (via the legalisation directory at sal.sg) or in the country that issued the document, and the National Service framing in the factsheet's footnote 1 β€” male children obtaining PR by virtue of dependant status will be liable for National Service, and male dependants whose spouse is the main applicant may be liable. - [Ministry of Manpower](https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/overseas-networks-expertise-pass/eligibility) β€” accessed 2026-05-24 β€” _T1_ β€” MOM eligibility page for the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass β€” establishes the S$30,000 fixed monthly salary threshold, the three eligibility tracks (salary, outstanding achievements with salary waived in sports/arts/culture or academia/research), and 5-year renewable validity. Critically, the page makes no mention of an accelerated PR pathway, a fast-track scheme, or any direct conversion linked to pass status β€” substantiating the honest-absence framing that any third-party description of a PR fast-track for this pass class is not a published ICA scheme. - [Immigration & Checkpoints Authority](https://www.ica.gov.sg/PR/see-more/entry-permit-and-re-entry-permit-conditions-for-singapore-permanent-residents) β€” accessed 2026-05-24 β€” _T1_ β€” ICA Entry Permit and Re-Entry Permit conditions page for Permanent Residents β€” Entry Permit is the formal document conferring PR status under the Immigration Act 1959; the Re-Entry Permit is the document that allows the Permanent Resident to leave and re-enter Singapore while retaining PR status; cancellation grounds include breach of any permit condition, finding by a court or other competent authority of a contravention of law, or a Controller-of-Immigration determination of conduct contrary to national or public interests or prejudicial to public order or public welfare. --- Verification pending β€” see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/singapore/permanent-residence-application/