How to apply for Singapore PR, step by step

Before you start

• Confirm your category. ICA lists six. Use the eligibility checker or the eligibility guide.
• Singpass for everyone. ICA states that every person added as an applicant must review the form and give declarations via Singpass, and recommends starting only after all applicants have Singpass. Account approval “may take 2 to 5 working days”. Applicants under 15 use a non-Singpass option, and a separate flow exists for foreign students below 15.
• Documents scanned and translated. Non-English documents need official translations (embassy, notary public, or attested private translations). ICA warns that insufficient documentation may result in non-acceptance. Build your checklist.
• No pending application. ICA does not accept a new or repeated application for the same person while one is still in process.

Who submits the application?

The steps

1. 1

   Log in to the ICA e-Service

   Go to ICA's PR application e-Service and log in with Singpass. Sponsors start the application for spouse, child and parent routes.

2. 2

   Add applicants and complete the form

   Enter personal, family, education and employment particulars for each applicant. Keep names, dates and employment details identical to your documents — ICA verifies employment information with employers.

3. 3

   Upload the documents

   Photo (400 × 514 px, white background), passport, birth and marriage records where not registered in Singapore, education certificates and transcripts, employer letter dated within 3 months stating occupation, start date and basic and gross salary, last 6 months' payslips, and the route-specific items on ICA's checklist.

4. 4

   Review and declare

   Each applicant logs in with their own Singpass to review the completed form and make the declarations.

5. 5

   Pay S$100 per application

   Online by Visa/MasterCard, AMEX, Internet Direct Debit (DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB, SCB) or PayNow. Use one payment mode per application; the receipt cannot be reprinted after the pop-up closes. Fees are non-refundable.

6. 6

   Wait for the outcome

   Processing is “within 6 months, provided all the required documents are submitted and are in order”; some take longer. Check status in MyICA. You may leave Singapore while waiting. Processing time guide.

7. 7

   Outcome by e-mail

   The outcome letter is available online for up to two months from issuance. If approved you receive an In-Principle Approval (IPA) with the conditions to fulfil.

8. 8

   Complete formalities in person

   Applicants and sponsor attend the ICA Services Centre at the assigned appointment to complete formalities and pay S$120 (Entry Permit S$20, 5-year Re-Entry Permit S$50, Identity Card S$50). Collect your IC from one week later and within 3 months. After approval.

What the form asks for

ICA's checklist mirrors the form: identity and travel documents; family records (birth, marriage, divorce, custody, death certificates where relevant); education and professional certificates; employment evidence (employer letter, payslips, tax assessments if working overseas, ACRA registration and three years of accounts if self-employed); and for aged-parent applications the sponsor's non-applying children's records and income. ICA may request documents beyond the list.

Common mistakes that delay applications

• An employer letter older than 3 months, or one missing basic and gross salary.
• Payslips that do not cover the last 6 months, or name/date mismatches across documents.
• Untranslated or uncertified foreign documents.
• Starting before every applicant has a working Singpass account.
• Submitting a second application while the first is pending — it will not be accepted.

Frequently asked