Singapore PRs overseas without valid re-entry permit to have 180 days to apply for one before losing status

SINGAPORE: Permanent residents (PRs) who are outside Singapore without a valid re-entry permit will have 180 days to apply for one before losing their PR status.

This change will take effect from Dec 1, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (Sep 29), adding that it is part of the phased operationalisation of the Immigration (Amendment) Act that was passed in parliament 2023.

A valid re-entry permit is necessary whenever a permanent resident travels out of Singapore, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website. It allows them to retain their PR status while abroad. 

Re-entry permits have a fixed validity period and allow permanent residents to re-enter Singapore after having left the country temporarily.

Currently, permanent residents who are outside of Singapore without a valid re-entry permit are deemed by ICA to have lost their PR status immediately.

They have a one-month grace period after their re-entry permit has expired to apply for a new one if they wish to reinstate their PR status. 

If the application is approved, their status is reinstated.

ICA has been exercising flexibility in allowing some permanent residents who miss the deadline to have their PR status reinstated if they have legitimate reasons, such as being hospitalised overseas, said MHA in a press release.

“However, this means that the permanent resident had effectively lost his PR status during the period between the re-entry permit expiry and PR reinstatement,” said the ministry.

“This process presents some uncertainty about an individual’s PR status and corresponding benefits, from the time he loses his PR status till his application for a re-entry permit is approved.”

NEW APPLICATION PROCESS

From Dec 1, a permanent resident who is outside of Singapore without a valid re-entry permit will have a prescribed period of 180 days to apply for one, before their PR status is lost, said the ministry.

The period starts from Dec 1 if the permanent resident is outside Singapore without a valid re-entry permit on that date.

In other cases, this period starts on the date on which the permanent resident is first outside Singapore without a valid re-entry permit. 

Permanent residents will have their status retained if they submit their re-entry permit application within the 180 days and it is approved.

Those who fail to apply for a re-entry permit within the prescribed period will lose their PR status the day after this period ends, regardless of whether they have returned to Singapore or are still overseas.

Permanent residents who apply within the prescribed period but fail to have their re-entry permit application approved will lose their PR status the day after their application is rejected, said MHA.

Permanent residents will retain their status during the prescribed period, or beyond, when their re-entry permit application outcome is still pending. This applies even if they are outside of Singapore without a valid re-entry permit during this time.

Those without a valid re-entry permit will still be allowed to re-enter Singapore during the prescribed period if they meet ICA’s usual assessment at Singapore’s immigration checkpoints, said the ministry.

“These individuals will be issued a PR’s single-entry pass for their re-entry into Singapore,” it said.

The ministry added that the amendments made it clear that permanent residents must apply for a re-entry permit within 180 days of being outside Singapore without a valid one, failing which they will lose their PR status.

With this revised process, there will no longer be an avenue for reinstatement once a permanent resident loses their status, said MHA.

Those who lose their PR status may submit a fresh application if they are eligible to do so, it added.

“We encourage permanent residents to obtain a new re-entry permit or to renew their expiring re-entry permit in a timely manner before travelling out of Singapore, to minimise the risk of losing their PR status.”

ICA will also be updating the entry permit conditions for all permanent residents. The updated conditions will be published on the ICA website on Dec 1. 

In accordance with the Immigration (Amendment) Act, permanent residents who were not previously issued an entry permit will be given one that includes the updated conditions by Dec 1, said MHA.

According to the ministry, those who were granted PR status before 1987, or were born locally before 2005, were not previously issued with an entry permit for legacy reasons.