Relocating to Singapore with Your Family

The pass sequence for a family, in order

Family passes are derivative. They depend on somebody holding a work pass, so the work pass has to come first and has to be approved before the family applications are filed. MOM allows family passes to be submitted at the same time as the main pass, but warns that the application fee for each family pass is lost if the main pass is rejected. In practice, waiting is cheaper.

Table 1. The family pass sequence, and who qualifies

Stage	Pass	Requirement	Covers
1	Employment Pass or S Pass	Job offer, salary floor, and for the EP the COMPASS assessment	The working parent
2	Dependant’s Pass	Sponsor holds an EP or S Pass, earns a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000, and is sponsored by an established Singapore-registered company	Legally married spouse, and unmarried children under 21 including legally adopted children
2 alternative	Long-Term Visit Pass	Same S$6,000 requirement for most categories	Common-law spouse, unmarried handicapped children aged 21 and above, unmarried step-children under 21
2 alternative	Long-Term Visit Pass for parents	Sponsor earns a fixed monthly salary of at least S$12,000	Parents of the pass holder
3	Student’s Pass, where relevant	Issued by ICA for a child enrolled in a Singapore institution	Children studying here who are not on a Dependant’s Pass
4	Work option for the spouse	An EP, S Pass or DP-Work Permit through an employer, or a Letter of Consent to run their own business	The accompanying spouse
5	Migrant Domestic Worker permit	Employer eligibility assessed by MOM	A domestic helper, if the household employs one. See domestic helper services

Two things worth noticing in that table. The S$6,000 threshold is based on the sponsor’s own fixed monthly salary, not on combined household income, so a two-earner couple cannot add their salaries together to reach it. And family members of Employment Pass holders who applied as an overseas intra-corporate transferee under WTO GATS or an applicable free trade agreement are not eligible for Dependant’s Passes or Long-Term Visit Passes, except where an applicable agreement specifically covers them.

Table 2. MOM fees and timings for family passes

Item	Amount or timing	Note
Application fee	S$105 for each pass	Paid on submission
Issuance fee	S$225 for each pass	Paid when the pass is issued
Multiple Journey Visa	S$30 each	Where required
Processing, dependants of EP and S Pass holders	Within 3 weeks for most cases	Check status after 3 weeks
Processing, dependants of EP (Sponsorship), PEP or EntrePass holders	Within 6 weeks for most cases	Different channel, different clock
In-Principle Approval validity, dependant of an EP holder	6 months to enter Singapore and have the pass issued	Contains a pre-approved single-entry visa
In-Principle Approval validity, dependant of an S Pass holder	2 months	Shorter than most people plan for
Babies born in Singapore	ICA issues a Special Pass valid for 6 weeks	Apply for the Dependant’s Pass within that window
Our fee, Dependant’s Pass or LTVP	S$600 new, S$200 renewal	Per pass, fixed in writing before work starts

One point that catches families out. If a family member is already in Singapore on a visit pass that will expire before the Dependant’s Pass is issued, MOM will not extend the visit pass. The family member does not need to be in Singapore when you apply, and the sensible sequence is to bring them once the pass is approved.

Schools, in depth

This is the decision that shapes the budget more than any other, and it is the one on which the market publishes the least accurate information.

Start with the legal position, because it explains everything else

The Compulsory Education Act 2000 requires a child of compulsory school age, born after 1 January 1996, who is a citizen of Singapore and residing in Singapore, to attend a national primary school regularly. Foreign children living in Singapore are not within that requirement. That single fact is why a place in a government school is not an entitlement for your child, why it is allocated by examination and vacancy, and why the international school sector exists at the scale it does.

Route one: government and government-aided schools

A foreign child can attend a Singapore government or government-aided school, but not by simply enrolling. Entry at Primary 2 to 5 and Secondary 1 to 3 is through the Admissions Exercise for International Students, known as AEIS. MOE describes it as an exercise for international students seeking admission for the following academic year. It typically starts in July, the tests are conducted in Singapore, and successful applicants start school in January. MOE states plainly that admission is not guaranteed and is subject to the child’s performance in the tests, and that placement is based on available vacancies in schools and your declared residential area where possible.

Read that last part carefully. Even a child who performs well is placed where there is a vacancy, which may not be the school you hoped for or the one nearest your home. Families who take the local route should make the housing decision after the placement, not before.

What government school actually costs a foreign family

MOE publishes monthly school fees by nationality. The figures below are the 2026 rates announced for government and government-aided schools. MOE’s current fees are published through an interactive fees checker rather than a static table, so confirm your child’s exact figure there before budgeting.

Table 3. MOE monthly school fees for 2026, government and government-aided schools, in Singapore dollars

Level	Singapore Citizen	Permanent Resident	International student, ASEAN	International student, non-ASEAN
Primary	No monthly school fee	330	595	1,035
Secondary	5	680	1,090	2,190
Pre-university	6	760	1,290	2,540

On top of the school fee there is a miscellaneous fee, which MOE merged into a single tier from 1 January 2024 and which is the same for students of all nationalities: S$13 a month at primary, S$20 at secondary and S$27 at pre-university. Fees for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are exclusive of GST, which MOE subsidises. Fees for international students are inclusive of GST. The ASEAN countries for this purpose are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Independent schools, specialised independent schools, specialised schools, special education schools, the polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and the arts institutions set their own fees and are not covered by the table above.

Route two: international schools

Most relocating families take this route, for three practical reasons: there is no admissions examination run by a ministry, the curriculum is usually continuous with what the child was studying, and a place can be secured before the family arrives. The cost is the trade-off.

Singapore’s international schools do not publish a common fee schedule and no government agency publishes one for them. The figures below are indicative market ranges drawn from schools’ own published fee pages at the time of writing. They are not official figures and they are not ours to guarantee. Treat them as a planning bracket and get a written fee schedule from any school you shortlist.

Table 4. Indicative annual international school tuition ranges, in Singapore dollars. These are market estimates, not official figures

Stage	Lower end of the market	Mid market	Top of the market
Preschool and kindergarten	12,000 to 20,000	20,000 to 30,000	30,000 and above
Primary	20,000 to 28,000	28,000 to 38,000	38,000 to 50,000
Secondary	25,000 to 33,000	33,000 to 43,000	43,000 to 55,000
Pre-university, IB Diploma or A levels	28,000 to 36,000	36,000 to 46,000	46,000 to 60,000

Tuition is rarely the whole bill. Budget separately for a one-off application fee, a refundable or non-refundable enrolment or capital levy, school bus, uniform, laptop or tablet, examination entry fees at the senior end, and trips. Ask every school for the full schedule in writing, including which items are annual and which are once only, and ask what the fee increase has been in each of the last three years.

Route three: hybrid options

Two patterns are common and neither gets much attention. The first is starting international and moving local: a family that arrives mid-year, or with a child at an awkward stage, places the child in an international school immediately and prepares in parallel for AEIS in the following July. The second is splitting the children, with a younger child going local and an older sibling staying international, because the cost differential is largest at secondary and pre-university level and the disruption of switching curriculum is smallest in the early primary years.

What we would tell a family to do first

Decide the school route before you decide the neighbourhood. If you are going local, you cannot choose the school, so choose housing after placement. If you are going international, choose the school first and the housing within sensible reach of it.

Childcare, preschool and infant care

This section contains the single most commonly misunderstood fact in family relocation, so we will put it first and plainly.

Foreign families cannot access ECDA preschool subsidies

ECDA runs the infant and childcare subsidy scheme. The Basic Subsidy is available to all Singapore Citizen children enrolled in an ECDA-licensed infant or childcare centre. The Additional Subsidy requires the main applicant to be working and the family’s gross monthly household income to be S$12,000 or below, or per capita income S$3,000 or below for households of five or more related family members sharing the same registered address. The scheme is built around Singapore Citizen children. A child on a Dependant’s Pass is not one, and neither is a permanent resident child.

Table 5. ECDA subsidy amounts, and who can access them

Programme	Basic Subsidy, working main applicant	Additional Subsidy, working main applicant	Available to a foreign family
Infant care, aged 2 to 18 months	S$600 a month	Up to S$710 a month	No. The scheme is for Singapore Citizen children
Childcare, aged 18 months to 6 years	S$300 a month	Up to S$467 a month	No
Infant care, non-working main applicant	S$150 a month	Not applicable	No
Childcare, non-working main applicant	S$150 a month	Not applicable	No

The practical consequence is that a foreign family pays the full programme fee at a childcare centre while a Singapore Citizen family at the same centre pays the fee net of subsidy. When you compare centre fees, compare gross fees, and ignore any advertised figure that is quoted net of subsidy.

What foreign families actually do

Three patterns. Full-fee enrolment at an ECDA-licensed childcare centre, which is the most common. An international school’s early years programme, which usually costs more but keeps the child in one place through primary. Or a domestic helper, which changes the arithmetic entirely and brings its own obligations as an employer; we cover those on our domestic helper services page.

If you choose a centre, check that it is ECDA-licensed, ask for the gross fee schedule, ask about the waiting list for your child’s age band specifically rather than for the centre generally, and ask what the deposit and notice period are if you leave mid-year. Infant care places are considerably scarcer than childcare places, and waiting lists in the central and east-coast areas are the longest.

Housing: HDB, condominium and landed

Most relocating families rent. The choice is between a public housing flat, a private condominium and a landed house, and the rules on each are different for foreigners.

Table 6. Housing types, and what a foreigner may rent or buy

Type	May a foreigner rent it	May a foreigner buy it	Key conditions
HDB flat, whole unit	Yes, subject to conditions	No	Tenant must hold an EP, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant Pass or Long-Term Social Visit Pass valid for at least 6 months at the date of the owner’s application. Non-citizen quota applies
HDB bedroom	Yes	No	The owner must continue to live in the flat. The non-citizen quota does not apply to bedroom rental
Condominium unit	Yes	Yes, without approval under the Residential Property Act 1976	No quota, no approval, no minimum tenancy set by a public authority
Executive condominium	Yes, subject to the owner’s minimum occupation period	Yes, without approval under the Act	HDB eligibility rules apply to the owner
Strata landed house in an approved condominium development	Yes	Yes, without approval under the Act	The exception that surprises people. It turns on whether the development is an approved condominium development under the Planning Act
Landed house, terrace, semi-detached or bungalow	Yes	Only with approval from the Controller of Residential Property	SLA assesses case by case. An applicant should be a permanent resident of at least 5 years and must make exceptional economic contribution to Singapore
Landed property at Sentosa Cove	Yes	Only with approval	Sentosa Cove is expressly within the approval requirement
Leasehold interest in landed property of not more than 7 years	Yes	Yes, without approval	Including any further term granted under an option to renew

The HDB rules in detail, because they are strict

HDB caps how long and to whom a flat may be rented. The minimum rental period is six months. Owners can apply to rent out a flat or bedrooms for a maximum of three years per application where all the tenants are Singaporeans or Malaysians; where any tenant is a non-Malaysian non-citizen the maximum rental period per approval is two years. That is why HDB leases to expatriate families are often written as two-year terms.

There is also a quota. The Non-Citizen Quota for renting out of flats is set at 8 per cent at the neighbourhood level and 11 per cent at the block level, and it applies where any tenant renting the flat is a non-Malaysian non-citizen. If the quota has been reached, only Singaporeans and Malaysians can rent a flat in that neighbourhood or block. Malaysians are excluded from the quota. HDB publishes an e-Service that lets you check a specific flat before you commit to it, and it is worth checking before you view rather than after you have agreed terms.

Occupancy caps apply too. The maximum number of tenants is four in a 1-room or 2-room flat, six in a 3-room, and eight in a 4-room or larger. HDB has stated that the figure for 4-room and larger flats reverts to a maximum of six for rental periods extending beyond 31 December 2028.

Finally, verify the landlord. Ask for documentary proof of ownership, ask for the printout of HDB’s confirmation of the owner’s eligibility to rent out the flat, ask for a copy of the approval letter, and make sure you are named as an authorised tenant. Only authorised tenants are allowed to stay in the flat.

Indicative rental ranges by area

No government agency publishes a forward-looking rental guide. What is published, and what you should use, is actual transaction data: URA’s private residential rental data and HDB’s rental statistics both show what was really paid. The table below is an indicative market bracket to help you frame a budget before you start viewing. It is a market estimate, not an official figure, and it moves.

Table 7. Indicative monthly rent for a family-sized home, in Singapore dollars. These are market estimates, not official figures. Check URA and HDB transaction data before committing

Area	3-bedroom HDB flat	3-bedroom condominium	Character of the area
Core central: Orchard, River Valley, Tanglin, Bukit Timah	Limited HDB stock	7,000 to 12,000 and above	Closest to the international schools cluster and the CBD, and priced accordingly
East coast: Katong, Joo Chiat, Siglap, Bedok	3,000 to 4,500	5,000 to 8,500	Popular with families, near several international schools and the airport
West: Clementi, Jurong, Bukit Batok	2,800 to 4,000	4,000 to 6,500	Good value, strong MRT coverage, close to the science and research corridor
North and north-east: Sengkang, Punggol, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio	2,600 to 3,800	3,800 to 6,000	The most affordable family stock, newer HDB estates, longer commute to the CBD
Central fringe: Novena, Toa Payoh, Queenstown, Tiong Bahru	3,200 to 4,800	5,500 to 9,000	A compromise between price and proximity
Landed housing, island-wide	Not applicable	8,000 to 20,000 and above	Wide range by size, tenure and condition

The tenancy process and lease stamp duty

How a Singapore tenancy is actually agreed

The sequence moves faster than most newcomers expect. You view, you make an offer through the agent by signing a Letter of Intent, and you pay a good faith deposit, conventionally one month’s rent. The landlord’s side prepares the Tenancy Agreement. On signing, the good faith deposit becomes the first month’s rent and you pay the security deposit, conventionally one month’s rent for a one-year lease and two months for a two-year lease. The lease is then stamped, an inventory and handover list is agreed, and you collect the keys.

Points worth negotiating rather than accepting: the diplomatic clause, which allows early termination if your work pass is cancelled or not renewed; the minor repair threshold, which makes the tenant responsible for repairs below a stated value; air-conditioning servicing, which is almost always the tenant’s obligation and should be quantified; whether the unit comes furnished, part furnished or bare; and the reinstatement obligation at the end of the lease.

Lease stamp duty, which is the tenant’s cost

Stamp duty on a lease is charged under the Stamp Duties Act 1929 and administered by IRAS. It is usually paid by the tenant, and it is usually forgotten in budgeting.

Table 8. IRAS lease duty rates

Average annual rent	Lease period	Duty
Does not exceed S$1,000	Any	Exempted
Exceeds S$1,000	4 years or less	0.4 per cent of the total rent for the period of the lease
Exceeds S$1,000	More than 4 years, or any indefinite term	0.4 per cent of 4 times the average annual rent

Lease duty is rounded down to the nearest dollar, subject to a minimum duty of S$1. Average annual rent means the higher of the average annual contractual rent or the annualised market rent, and it includes other considerations such as advertising and promotion charges, furniture and fittings charges, maintenance charges, service charges and any other charges, excluding GST.

A worked example. A two-year lease at S$6,000 a month has a total rent of S$144,000, so the duty is 0.4 per cent of S$144,000, which is S$576. That is a real cost due at the start of the tenancy and it is not included in any agent’s headline figure.

What foreigners may buy

The governing instrument is the Residential Property Act 1976, administered by the Singapore Land Authority through its Land Dealings Approval Unit. Under the Act a foreign person means any person who is not a Singapore citizen, a Singapore company, a Singapore limited liability partnership or a Singapore society.

A foreign person may buy without approval: a condominium unit, a flat unit, a strata landed house within an approved condominium development, a leasehold estate in landed residential property for a term not exceeding seven years including any renewal option, a shophouse for commercial use, industrial and commercial properties, a hotel registered under the Hotels Act, and an executive condominium unit, HDB flat or HDB shophouse, subject in the last group to HDB’s own eligibility rules.

A foreign person must seek approval to buy: vacant residential land, a terrace house, a semi-detached house, a bungalow or detached house, a strata landed house not within an approved condominium development such as a townhouse or cluster house, landed residential property at Sentosa Cove, a shophouse for non-commercial use, association premises, a place of worship, and workers’ dormitories or serviced apartments.

SLA assesses each application case by case, taking into account, among other things, that the applicant should be a permanent resident of Singapore for at least five years and must make exceptional economic contribution to Singapore, assessed by reference to factors such as employment income assessable for tax here. Assessment generally takes about thirty working days from the date SLA receives all the relevant documents, and may take longer for complex applications. SLA strongly encourages applicants to obtain approval before entering into a contract to purchase a restricted residential property, and to seek independent legal advice to reduce the risk of forfeiting money paid if approval is not granted. We agree with both points, and property purchase is one of the matters we refer to an independent Singapore law firm rather than advise on ourselves.

Stamp duty on a purchase

Two duties apply. Buyer’s Stamp Duty is charged on the higher of the purchase price or the market value, at the same rates for everyone. Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty is charged on top, and depends on your residency status and how many residential properties you already own.

Table 9. IRAS stamp duty on a residential purchase, rates on or after 27 April 2023

Buyer’s Stamp Duty, residential	Rate	Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty by profile	Rate
First S$180,000	1 per cent	Singapore citizen, first property	Not applicable
Next S$180,000	2 per cent	Singapore citizen, second property	20 per cent
Next S$640,000	3 per cent	Singapore citizen, third and subsequent	30 per cent
Next S$500,000	4 per cent	Permanent resident, first property	5 per cent
Next S$1,500,000	5 per cent	Permanent resident, second property	30 per cent
Remaining amount	6 per cent	Permanent resident, third and subsequent	35 per cent
Rounding	Down to the nearest dollar, minimum S$1	Foreigner, any residential property	60 per cent
Entities	Same BSD scale	Entities, any residential property	65 per cent

The 60 per cent figure for foreigners is the number that ends most conversations about buying before permanent residence. On a S$2 million property it is S$1.2 million on top of the price and the Buyer’s Stamp Duty. For most relocating families, renting until the residency position changes is not a compromise, it is the arithmetic.

Healthcare and insurance for a family

Singapore’s healthcare is excellent and the public system is heavily subsidised, but the subsidies and the national insurance scheme follow residency status.

MediShield Life is the basic national health insurance scheme and MOH describes it as protecting all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents against large medical bills for life, regardless of age or pre-existing conditions. A family on work passes and Dependant’s Passes is not within it. Neither does a foreign family receive the subsidised rates at public hospitals and polyclinics that citizens and permanent residents receive.

In practice that means private insurance is not optional for a relocating family, it is the whole of the cover. Settle six questions before you arrive: whether your employer’s group policy covers dependants and to what limit, because many corporate policies cover the employee generously and the family thinly; whether it covers outpatient care and general practitioner visits or only hospitalisation, because with children the outpatient cost is the one you actually incur; whether maternity is covered and what the waiting period is; whether pre-existing conditions are excluded, and which; whether the policy travels with you if you change employer; and whether dental and optical are included, because they usually are not.

MOM’s own position is that employers can choose whether to provide medical insurance for Employment Pass holders, so do not assume there is a mandatory minimum standing behind your employer’s offer at that pass level. Read the policy schedule, not the benefits summary. Day to day, a family uses a mix: a private general practitioner for everyday illness, a paediatrician for the children, and a private or restructured hospital for anything serious. Register with a GP in the first fortnight rather than waiting for the first fever.

Cost of living: a worked monthly budget

The table below is an illustration, not a quotation. Every figure marked as an estimate is a market estimate and not an official one. It assumes a family of four, two adults and two children of primary school age, living in a three-bedroom condominium in a central-fringe area, with both children in a mid-market international school, running one car is excluded, and a domestic helper is excluded. Change any of those assumptions and the total moves a great deal.

Table 10. Illustrative monthly budget for a family of four, in Singapore dollars. Estimates unless marked as an official figure

Item	Monthly	Basis
Rent, 3-bedroom condominium, central fringe	6,500	Market estimate. Check URA rental data
Utilities, water and electricity	250	Market estimate, higher with constant air conditioning
Broadband and mobile, family	150	Market estimate
International school fees, two children at primary	5,800	Market estimate, based on S$35,000 per child per year at the mid market
School bus, two children	500	Market estimate
Groceries	1,400	Market estimate, sensitive to how much imported food you buy
Eating out and coffee	700	Market estimate
Private health insurance, family	600	Market estimate, and only if the employer does not cover dependants
Public transport and taxis	350	Market estimate
Children’s activities and sport	500	Market estimate
Household, laundry, cleaning, sundries	300	Market estimate
Indicative monthly total	17,050	Illustration only

The one-off costs nobody budgets for

The move itself, before the monthly figures start. Shipping or air freight. A security deposit of one or two months’ rent. Lease stamp duty, at 0.4 per cent of the total rent, which is an official figure. School application and enrolment fees, which at some schools run into five figures. Furnishing an unfurnished or part-furnished flat. Work pass and family pass fees, which are S$105 to apply and S$225 to issue per pass. And a buffer for the first two months before salary, reimbursements and insurance reimbursements settle into a rhythm.

Where the budget actually flexes

Three levers move the total more than everything else combined. School, where the gap between a government school place and a top-of-market international school is many thousands of dollars a month. Housing, where moving from central to the east or west can save S$2,000 to S$3,000 a month on a comparable unit. And whether you run a car, which in Singapore is by a distance the most expensive discretionary decision a family can make.

Spouse employment options

This has changed and a good deal of the advice online is out of date. A Dependant’s Pass no longer carries an automatic right to work through a Letter of Consent.

MOM publishes three routes for a Dependant’s Pass holder who wants to work for an organisation. A prospective employer can apply for an Employment Pass, an S Pass, or a DP-Work Permit. A DP holder who gets an EP or S Pass must meet the prevailing qualifying criteria for that pass, will have the work and stay privileges of that pass, will no longer be dependent on the main pass holder for their stay in Singapore, and must have the Dependant’s Pass cancelled before the new pass is issued. That last point matters: the spouse’s immigration status becomes independent, which is usually an improvement but should be a conscious decision.

The DP-Work Permit is the route that gets least attention and suits many cases. MOM states that a DP-Work Permit holder can be of any nationality, is not subject to a minimum qualifying salary, has a pass validity tied to the Dependant’s Pass, is not subject to the six-monthly medical examination or security bond requirements, and does not need the employer to provide medical insurance if already covered under a plan meeting MOM’s minimum mandatory insurance requirement. It is subject to the relevant Work Permit quota and levy, with the levy set at the lowest rate for each business sector.

The Letter of Consent route remains, but for a specific purpose: MOM directs a Dependant’s Pass holder who is looking to set up or operate their own business to apply for a Letter of Consent. Our fee for a Letter of Consent application is S$300, and S$150 for a renewal.

Volunteering does not require a work pass, provided no payment is involved and the activities are for a charitable purpose.

One further point that comes up constantly. If a spouse intends to work remotely for an overseas employer while physically in Singapore on a Dependant’s Pass, that is a question for MOM rather than an assumption to make. MOM publishes guidance on it and the answer depends on the arrangement. Ask before you start, not afterwards.

Driving licence conversion

The Singapore Police Force sets the rule and it is clearer than most people expect. A valid Singapore driving licence is required to drive or ride on Singapore roads, and this applies to all Singapore citizens, all permanent residents, foreigners residing in Singapore for more than twelve months, and foreigners residing here for less than twelve months who are employed as drivers holding Work Permits or S Passes. If you fall into any of those categories and hold a valid foreign driving licence, you are required to convert it.

The conversion requires passing the Basic Theory Test. Work Permit and S Pass holders are granted a Class 3C licence on successful conversion, which permits driving motor cars with an unladen weight of 3,000 kg or less carrying seven or fewer passengers, and they must pass a practical driving test in addition if they want to drive Class 3 vehicles. A Class 3 or 3A licence is needed for light goods vehicles, vans, pick-ups, small buses and mini vans used for work.

If you need to drive for work, the Police state that you must obtain a Singapore driving licence within six months of the date of issue of your work pass. Book the Basic Theory Test early, because slots at the three driving centres are often booked well ahead. Bring the original and a photocopy of your foreign licence, your passport and work pass, and where the licence is not in English an official translation. Check the Police’s own checklist before your appointment, because the documents required vary by the country that issued the licence.

Banking

Opening a personal account is straightforward once the work pass card is in hand, and awkward before it. Most banks will want your passport, your work pass card or the In-Principle Approval letter, proof of your Singapore residential address such as a tenancy agreement or a utility bill, and an employment letter. Some banks open an account on an IPA and some require the physical card, so ask before you make an appointment.

Practical points for a family. Open a joint account if the spouse will manage household spending, noting that documentary requirements for a Dependant’s Pass holder differ by bank. Set up PayNow, which is the near-universal way Singapore households transfer money to each other, to schools, to landlords and to tradespeople. Expect GIRO to be the default for recurring bills, school fees and utilities, and allow a couple of weeks for each arrangement to activate. Keep your home-country account open for at least the first year. And budget for the first month’s costs coming out of an overseas account, because salary cannot be paid into an account that does not yet exist and the account cannot be opened before the pass is issued.

The first ninety days, as a checklist

Table 11. A practical first ninety days

When	Action	Why it sits here
Before arrival	Work pass approved, family pass In-Principle Approvals in hand	Dependant’s Pass IPAs are valid 6 months for an EP dependant and 2 months for an S Pass dependant
Before arrival	School place confirmed in writing, or AEIS timetable noted	AEIS typically starts in July for entry the following January
Before arrival	Serviced apartment or short lease for the first 4 to 8 weeks	Do not choose a home before you have seen the commute
Week 1	Work pass issued, fingerprints and photo registered if required	Work may only begin once the pass is issued
Week 1	Local SIM card and mobile number	Needed for almost every subsequent registration
Weeks 1 to 2	Open a bank account, set up PayNow	Salary, rent and school fees all run through it
Weeks 1 to 2	Family passes issued, cards collected	MOM processes dependants of EP and S Pass holders within 3 weeks for most cases
Weeks 2 to 4	View properties, check the HDB non-citizen quota if renting a flat	The quota is 8 per cent at neighbourhood level and 11 per cent at block level
Weeks 3 to 6	Sign the tenancy, pay the security deposit, stamp the lease	Lease duty is 0.4 per cent of total rent for a lease of 4 years or less
Weeks 3 to 6	Register with a general practitioner and a paediatrician	Foreign families are outside MediShield Life and public subsidies
Weeks 4 to 8	Confirm private health insurance covers dependants and outpatient care	Employers may choose whether to provide medical insurance for EP holders
Weeks 4 to 8	Children start school, sort the school bus	The commute is the thing families underestimate
Weeks 6 to 10	Book and sit the Basic Theory Test if you will drive	Required to convert a foreign licence, and slots book out
Weeks 6 to 12	Spouse employment route decided and filed if applicable	EP, S Pass or DP-Work Permit through an employer, or a Letter of Consent for their own business
Weeks 8 to 12	Set up GIRO for utilities, school fees and insurance	Each arrangement takes a couple of weeks to activate
Weeks 8 to 12	Notify MOM of the residential address and any change of particulars	Our fee for an update of particulars is S$80 per change
Month 3	Diarise the pass renewal window and the lease diplomatic clause date	The EP renewal window opens 6 months before expiry

Frequently asked questions

What salary do I need to bring my family to Singapore?

To sponsor a spouse and unmarried children under 21 on a Dependant’s Pass you must hold an Employment Pass or S Pass, earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000, and be sponsored by an established Singapore-registered company. For parents on a Long-Term Visit Pass the figure is at least S$12,000. It is based on your own fixed monthly salary, not combined household income.

Can my children attend a Singapore government school?

Yes, but not by simply enrolling. Entry at Primary 2 to 5 and Secondary 1 to 3 is through the Admissions Exercise for International Students, which typically starts in July with tests in Singapore and successful applicants starting school in January. MOE states that admission is not guaranteed and is subject to your child’s performance in the tests, and that placement is based on available vacancies and your declared residential area where possible.

How much does a government school cost for a foreign child?

MOE’s 2026 monthly school fees for government and government-aided schools are S$1,035 at primary, S$2,190 at secondary and S$2,540 at pre-university for a non-ASEAN international student, and S$595, S$1,090 and S$1,290 respectively for an ASEAN international student. A permanent resident child pays S$330, S$680 and S$760. There is also a miscellaneous fee of S$13, S$20 and S$27 a month, the same for all nationalities. Confirm your child’s figure using MOE’s fees checker.

How much do international schools cost?

There is no official figure and no government agency publishes one. Indicative market ranges for tuition run from roughly S$20,000 to S$50,000 a year at primary and roughly S$28,000 to S$60,000 at pre-university level, plus application fees, enrolment or capital levies, bus, uniform and trips. Those are market estimates, not official figures. Ask each school for the full schedule in writing.

Can I get childcare subsidies as a foreigner?

No. ECDA’s Basic Subsidy is for Singapore Citizen children enrolled in an ECDA-licensed infant or childcare centre, and the Additional Subsidy adds a working-parent test and an income test on top of that. A child on a Dependant’s Pass is not eligible, and neither is a permanent resident child. When comparing centre fees, compare gross fees.

Can a foreigner rent an HDB flat?

Yes, if you hold an Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Student Pass, Dependant Pass or Long-Term Social Visit Pass valid for at least six months at the date of the owner’s application. The minimum rental period is six months, the maximum per approval is two years where any tenant is a non-Malaysian non-citizen, and the non-citizen quota of 8 per cent at neighbourhood level and 11 per cent at block level applies. HDB publishes an e-Service to check a specific flat.

Can a foreigner buy property in Singapore?

A condominium unit, a flat, a strata landed house within an approved condominium development, and a leasehold interest in landed property of not more than seven years can be bought without approval under the Residential Property Act 1976. Landed houses, vacant residential land, strata landed houses outside an approved condominium development and landed property at Sentosa Cove require approval from the Controller of Residential Property. SLA assesses case by case and looks for at least five years of permanent residence and exceptional economic contribution to Singapore.

What stamp duty does a foreigner pay on a home purchase?

Buyer’s Stamp Duty on the higher of price or market value, at 1 per cent on the first S$180,000 rising to 6 per cent on the amount above S$3 million for residential property, plus Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty at 60 per cent for a foreigner buying any residential property. A permanent resident pays 5 per cent ABSD on a first residential property. A Singapore citizen pays none on a first property.

How much is stamp duty on a rental lease?

Where the average annual rent exceeds S$1,000, lease duty is 0.4 per cent of the total rent for a lease of four years or less, or 0.4 per cent of four times the average annual rent for a lease of more than four years or an indefinite term. It is rounded down to the nearest dollar with a minimum of S$1, and it is usually paid by the tenant. Average annual rent includes service, maintenance, furniture and advertising charges, excluding GST.

Is my family covered by Singapore’s public healthcare?

Not on the subsidised terms citizens and permanent residents receive. MediShield Life protects all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, and a family on work passes and Dependant’s Passes is outside it. Private insurance is your whole cover, and MOM’s published position is that employers can choose whether to provide medical insurance for Employment Pass holders. Read the policy schedule and check that dependants and outpatient care are included.

Can my spouse work on a Dependant’s Pass?

Not automatically. MOM’s published routes are an Employment Pass, an S Pass or a DP-Work Permit obtained through a prospective employer, or a Letter of Consent if your spouse is setting up or operating their own business. A DP holder who obtains an EP or S Pass is no longer dependent on the main pass holder for their stay and must have the Dependant’s Pass cancelled before the new pass is issued.

Do I have to convert my driving licence?

Yes, if you will be residing in Singapore for more than twelve months and hold a valid foreign licence. Conversion requires passing the Basic Theory Test. Work Permit and S Pass holders are granted a Class 3C licence on conversion and need a practical driving test in addition if they want Class 3. If you need to drive for work you must obtain a Singapore licence within six months of the date your work pass was issued.

Do foreigners pay CPF?

No. CPF Board states that employers are required to pay CPF contributions for employees who are Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents earning total wages of more than S$50 a month, and that persons who are not citizens or permanent residents are exempted. That is one reason take-home pay on a work pass looks higher than a comparable local salary, and it is also why your pension planning has to happen somewhere other than CPF.

What should we do first if we are moving in six months?

Settle the work pass, because everything else depends on it. Then decide the school route, because it drives both the budget and the neighbourhood. Then take a short lease rather than a long one for the first two months, so the housing decision is made after you have seen the commute rather than before.

How we can help

Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd is an employment agency licensed by the Ministry of Manpower, EA Licence 19C9790. We work on Singapore work passes, family passes and immigration applications from our office at 151 Chin Swee Road, Manhattan House.

What we handle

The pass side of a family move, end to end. The Employment Pass or S Pass for the working parent at S$1,400 for a new application and S$200 for a renewal. Dependant’s Passes and Long-Term Visit Passes at S$600 and S$200. A Letter of Consent at S$300 and S$150. A Work Permit at S$300 and S$150. An entry visa at S$100. Updates of particulars with MOM at S$80 per change. If the family later applies for permanent residence, that is S$2,000 for a single applicant and S$2,500 for a family, and citizenship is on quote. Every fee is fixed in writing before work starts and does not move once we have begun.

What we do not handle, and will say so

We are not a relocation agent. We do not book movers, find you a flat, take a commission from a school or an insurance broker, or receive any payment from anyone other than you. What you read above is what we know from doing the pass work for families month after month, published because it is useful, not because it is a product.

We do not give legal advice. Property purchase under the Residential Property Act 1976, tenancy disputes, custody and consent questions for a child applicant, and anything touching a criminal or immigration record go to an independent Singapore law firm under a separate engagement, and we take no referral commission. Company incorporation goes to our affiliate Raffles Corporate Services, which also handles the resident director requirement.

Start here

Send us the shape of the move: the offer or the role, the salary, who is coming, the children’s ages and current school stage, and your target date. We will come back with the pass sequence, the realistic timeline, the total cost including the government fees, and an honest view on anything in the plan that does not work. There is no charge for that and no obligation.

Our wider immigration work is mapped on the immigration services hub.

Talk to our team about relocating your family to Singapore.

Official sources

• MOM: Eligibility for a Dependant’s Pass
• MOM: Apply for a Dependant’s Pass, including fees and timings
• MOM: Working in Singapore for Dependant’s Pass holders
• MOM: Eligibility for a Long-Term Visit Pass
• MOM: Key facts on the Employment Pass
• MOE: Admissions Exercise for International Students
• MOE: School fees and the fees checker
• MOE: Revised school fees for non-citizens, 2024 to 2026
• ECDA: Overview of the infant and childcare subsidy scheme
• HDB: Eligibility conditions for renting a flat or bedroom
• HDB: Regulations for renting a flat or bedroom, including the non-citizen quota
• SLA: Foreign ownership of property
• IRAS: Stamp duty on leases
• IRAS: Buyer’s Stamp Duty
• IRAS: Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty
• MOH: MediShield Life
• CPF Board: Who should receive CPF contributions
• Singapore Police Force: Singapore driving licence and conversion
• URA: Private residential property price and rental data
• Singapore Statutes Online: Compulsory Education Act 2000
• Singapore Statutes Online: Residential Property Act 1976
• Singapore Statutes Online: Stamp Duties Act 1929

Official figures checked against MOM, ICA, MOE, ECDA, HDB, SLA, IRAS, CPF, MOH and Singapore Statutes Online on 15 September 2026. Figures described as indicative or as market estimates, including international school fees, rental ranges and the illustrative monthly budget, are not official figures and are not guaranteed. The Ministry of Manpower decides every work pass application and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority decides every immigration application, each on its own assessment. We make no approval-rate claim and no guarantee. This page is general information and not legal advice. See our legal and referral information.