Singapore permanent residence in 2026

Singapore permanent residence is administered by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). There is no automatic conversion from a work pass to PR.

Who may be eligible to apply

ICA currently lists categories including:

spouse of a Singapore citizen or permanent resident;
eligible unmarried children;
aged parent of a Singapore citizen;
Employment Pass or S Pass holder;
qualifying students studying in Singapore; and
foreign investors applying through the Global Investor Programme.

Being listed as eligible to apply does not guarantee approval.

Work-pass holders

Employment Pass and S Pass holders can apply through ICA if they meet the current application requirements. ICA assesses PR applications holistically and does not publish an approval probability or a guaranteed number of years after which a work-pass holder will become a PR.

Students

ICA lists certain students as potentially eligible where they have passed specified national examinations or are in the Integrated Programme. A Student's Pass by itself is not an automatic PR route.

Investors

Qualifying investors can seek PR through EDB's Global Investor Programme. Ordinary company incorporation, share ownership or property investment outside the GIP does not automatically confer PR.

Discretionary assessment

ICA states that it considers factors such as economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, length of residency and commitment to Singapore. Those factors should not be converted into unofficial scoring formulas or approval claims.