Singapore Explains How Many Years Foreigners Must Live in Country Before Becoming Citizens
- Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority published the official requirements foreigners must meet before they can apply for citizenship
- The government requires applicants to have held Permanent Resident status for a minimum period before their citizenship application will be considered
- Male foreigners who gain citizenship or PR status face an additional obligation that could affect their education and career plans
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Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has published the conditions foreigners must satisfy before they can apply to become citizens of the country.
According to the ICA, a foreigner who holds Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) status is eligible to apply for citizenship after living in the country as a PR for at least two years, provided they are 21 years of age or older.
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A PR who has been married to a Singapore citizen for a minimum of two years also qualifies to apply, regardless of how long they have held PR status.
Applicants may include their spouse, if the spouse is also a PR, as well as any unmarried children below the age of 21 who were either born within a legal marriage or legally adopted.
There are also other important conditions foreigners must meet before going ahead to apply for citizenship.
How Singapore Citizenship Application Process Works
The ICA processes citizenship applications through its e-Service portal, which requires all persons listed on an application to log in using Singpass, Singapore's national digital identity system.
Those who are not eligible for a Singpass account are issued separate login credentials by the ICA directly.
The authority advises sponsors and applicants to begin the process only after every person included in the application has successfully registered for a Singpass account, noting that account approval can take between two and five working days.
National Service Obligation for Male Applicants
Male foreigners who are granted Singapore citizenship or PR status face an additional requirement that sets the country apart from many other destinations popular among migrants.
Under the Enlistment Act 1970, all male Singapore citizens and PRs are required to serve National Service (NS), unless formally exempted. Those who are granted citizenship or PR status as foreign students, or under their parents' sponsorship, must register for NS upon turning 16 and a half years old and are scheduled for enlistment into full-time NS at 18.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) permits students to first complete their education up to the A-Levels, a polytechnic diploma, or an equivalent pre-tertiary qualification before enlisting. However, the ministry does not grant deferrals for university studies under any circumstances.
A male applicant who is already enrolled at university when citizenship or PR status is granted may be required to interrupt his studies to fulfil his NS obligations if he cannot finish his degree before his enlistment date.
Once full-time NS is completed, servicemen become Operationally Ready National Servicemen. Their NS obligation continues until the age of 40 for other ranks and 50 for officers.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
