Recently, the Singapore government announced a further easing of its entry policies: starting from 00:00 on April 1st, all fully vaccinated travelers and children aged 12 and below can enter Singapore as long as they complete a pre-departure PCR test with a negative result.
At the same time, travelers will no longer be restricted to designated flights to enter Singapore, nor will they be required to take a Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test (ART) within 24 hours of arrival.
Furthermore, Singapore will no longer impose a daily cap on arrivals. All vaccinated travelers will not require entry approval and can enter as long as they hold a valid status. In some respects, this border policy is almost identical to the one before the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
This policy most directly affects tourism, but it is also a significant change for expatriates who wish to bring their children to live in Singapore. Based on our information, despite Singapore further increasing the property stamp duty, many foreigners still aspire to bring their children to Singapore. Therefore, we will discuss what the recent easing of border policies by the Singapore government means for these individuals.
Category One: Accompanying Parents
Generally, expatriates who want to bring their children to settle in Singapore do so to provide them with a better learning environment and conditions. Therefore, the most common visa for expatriates bringing their children to Singapore is the guardian’s pass. Next, let’s look at the policies related to this pass.
Under Singapore’s study policies, there is a special provision that allows a student’s mother, grandmother, or maternal grandmother to accompany them in Singapore. While holding a guardian’s pass, the accompanying parent can travel in and out of Singapore freely without needing to apply for a separate tourist visa.
Singapore introduced this special policy primarily because primary and secondary school students have limited self-care abilities, and their families are not comfortable with them studying abroad alone.
Typically, a parent can only apply for a guardian’s pass if the child holds a Student’s Pass. However, holding a Student’s Pass does not guarantee approval for a guardian’s pass. So, what are the requirements for applying for a guardian’s pass?
First, the student must be between 6 and 18 years old. The Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) considers students aged 18 and above to be capable of living independently. If a student reaches 18, the accompanying mother’s pass will generally not be renewed. For students over 18, a mother wishing to stay with their child would need to apply for a renewable visitor visa or a work pass.
It is important to note that holders of a guardian’s pass are not permitted to work in Singapore. To work legally, they must find a company willing to sponsor them for an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass (SP).
Category Two: Employment Pass (EP) Holders
As an Employment Pass holder with a monthly salary of S$6,000 or more, you can apply for a Dependant’s Pass for your family members. However, the requirements for applying for a Dependant’s Pass vary for different family members, as detailed in the table below:
| Family Member | Pass Type |
| Legally married spouse | Dependant’s Pass |
| Unmarried children under 21, including legally adopted children | Dependant’s Pass |
| Common-law spouse | Long-Term Visit Pass |
| Unmarried handicapped children over 21 | Long-Term Visit Pass |
| Unmarried step-children under 21 | Long-Term Visit Pass |
| Parents
(Only applicable for EP holders earning at least S$12,000 per month) |
Long-Term Visit Pass |
As shown in the table above, as an Employment Pass holder, you can bring your children and your legally married spouse to live in Singapore with you. More importantly, the children of EP holders are eligible to enroll directly in local government primary and secondary schools.
With the further opening of Singapore’s borders, the difficulty of applying for these passes is also expected to decrease. This means it will be easier for both accompanying parents and the children of EP holders to come to Singapore to live and study.
Addendum: Property Purchase Policies for Foreigners
If you wish to avoid the hassle of renting and searching for a house while bringing your children to study and live in Singapore, you can also easily purchase a condominium to live in. In Singapore, the government has set a low threshold for property purchases by foreigners, and bank loan interest rates are also very low. Both accompanying parents and Employment Pass holders can purchase private condominiums in Singapore.
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