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Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

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limkhaijack
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Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by limkhaijack » Mon, 10 Nov 2014 3:00 pm

Hi all,

have been trying to google the info regarding the Dual Citizenship for Malaysian + Singapore for my baby, but couldnt find...hope you guys can share some value points...

Background Story:
I was a Malaysian and Singapore PR (for about 7 years), got and completed my Singapore Citizenship application after i renounced my Malaysian Citizenship 2 weeks ago. Last week went to register my SG citizenship (for myself and my baby gal) and took the Oath at ICA.

My baby girl who is born in Singapore before my Singapore Citizenship Approval, tagged along with my SG Citizenship application. Both of us applied for SG Passport last week after the Citizenship registration at ICA and will be collecting the SG Passport this week.

When my baby gal is born (at TMC), she have SG Birth Cert, and then i went to Malaysia HiCom to register her Borang W at Jervois Road. Currently my baby gal have 2 birth certs (Malaysia and Singapore). After getting the Borang W, i applied Malaysia Passport for her.

Both me and my wife working and stay in Singapore, my wife is a SPR also, but my baby girl stay at JB Malaysia with my mother in law and before i got my SG Citizenship approval, she's been travelling in/out from Malaysia/Singapore using Malaysia Passport (for medical check up purposes).

Our plan is to bring her to Singapore for long term stay after she reach 2 yo, for education in Singapore.

The Confusion we faced:-
My baby girl will be holding Dual Citizenship (Malaysia + Singapore) until age of 21 yo. Then she have to choose one side and renounce the other one. But now she is holding 2 passports, Malaysia and Singapore Passport.

1. My baby girl came in to Singapore on 02/11/14 using Malaysia Passport, but after get the Singapore Passport, i will drive my MIL and baby girl back to JB, which passport my baby girl should be using for the exit from SG? and which passport should be use for the entry at MY?

This morning i went to ICA to collect my baby girl's Certificate of Citizenship certified true copy, and i ask the officer regarding the passports issues. She only mentioned that when we go ICA to collect the SG passports, we have to bring my baby girl's MY passport to get the 'RIGHT of ENTRY' stamp. But when i ask further, she didnt explain to me either.

2. I searched online, many of them commented using the SG passport to exit/enter SG and MY passport to exit / enter MY. For example now my baby girl is exiting SG, so at SG custom, we use SG passport, then when we entering Malaysia. we use Malaysia Passport to at Malaysia Custom vise-versa. Will this work? or what implications for doing that?

3. For SG passport, the maximum duration to stay in Malaysia is 30 days right? So by right every 30 days have to exit Malaysia and re-enter back Malaysia for the stamp (if not will be illegal staying right?). But for my baby girl, she is also holding Malaysia Passport, so does she have to do the exit and re-entry every 30 days? The same question goes for the Malaysia Passport which the maximum duration to stay in Singapore is also 30 days.

thanks for your times spent on reading my querries. Hope to get some clarifications soon..

cheers!!!
Jack

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 10 Nov 2014 3:21 pm

The short answer is that to leave Singapore the first time after acquiring her Singapore citizenship, she will have to use the Malaysian passport as that is the passport that she entered on (otherwise, she will overstay and, while that isn't really a problem, it could be inconvenient with the way Immigration works. I'd be ready with both passports anyway just in case. For entering Malaysia, she should use her Malaysian Passport as well. On re-entry to Singapore she should leave Malaysia on her Malaysian passport and enter Singapore on her Singapore passport, and vice verse when going back to Malaysia. Enter and leave each country with that country's passport. Switch passports going across the causeway/second link as the case may be.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by limkhaijack » Tue, 11 Nov 2014 1:33 pm

Thanks for your quick reply..but i still bother by the 30 days stays issue....if say my baby gal enter/exit SG and MY using the original country passport, for example, this friday use MY Passport to exit (coz she have entered using MY Passport last week), then enter Malaysia with MY PP...so how long can she stay at Malaysia? 30 days? or no limit as she's also a Malaysian holding Malaysia Passport. Unless she enter Malaysia using SG Passport, then i think the maximum stay is 30 days right? vise-versa for Singapore stay.

Am i right?

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by zzm9980 » Tue, 11 Nov 2014 1:48 pm

limkhaijack wrote:Thanks for your quick reply..but i still bother by the 30 days stays issue....if say my baby gal enter/exit SG and MY using the original country passport, for example, this friday use MY Passport to exit (coz she have entered using MY Passport last week), then enter Malaysia with MY PP...so how long can she stay at Malaysia? 30 days? or no limit as she's also a Malaysian holding Malaysia Passport. Unless she enter Malaysia using SG Passport, then i think the maximum stay is 30 days right? vise-versa for Singapore stay.

Am i right?
If you enter Malaysia on a Malaysian passport, you can stay forever.
If you enter Singapore on a Singaporean passport, you can stay forever.

Neither country cares what passport you used to leave the previous country. The same holds true for most of the world.

Notable exception will be Singapore when she reaches 21yrs of age, and is forced to renounce a citizenship.

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 11 Nov 2014 1:51 pm

This time, go back and read my post slowly. If she entered Singapore on her Malaysian Passport (she's currently in Singapore where she just received her Singapore Passport, correct?) then she must leave Singapore using the same passport she entered with.

When she enters Malaysia, she enters with her Malaysian Passport. When she leaves Malaysia, she leave on her Malaysian Passport but when she enters Singapore she gives them her Singapore passport. When entering and leaving Singapore use the Singapore passport. When entering and leaving Malaysia, use the Malaysian Passport. It is fully legal and will be up till the age of 21. She will not be subjected to any visas for either country.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by limkhaijack » Tue, 11 Nov 2014 1:54 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:This time, go back and read my post slowly. If she entered Singapore on her Malaysian Passport (she's currently in Singapore where she just received her Singapore Passport, correct?) then she must leave Singapore using the same passport she entered with.

When she enters Malaysia, she enters with her Malaysian Passport. When she leaves Malaysia, she leave on her Malaysian Passport but when she enters Singapore she gives them her Singapore passport. When entering and leaving Singapore use the Singapore passport. When entering and leaving Malaysia, use the Malaysian Passport. It is fully legal and will be up till the age of 21. She will not be subjected to any visas for either country.
Yes Sir!!! Fully understand now!!! Thanks thanks and thanks!!!

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by beppi » Tue, 18 Nov 2014 3:47 pm

It is an international rule (law?) that citizens MUST always enter/exit their country using the passport of that country, no matter what other passports/citizenships they may hold.
This is because of diplomatic protection: If you enter country A with a passport from country B, country B's embassy is in charge of you diplomatically (and NOT country A) - but the embassy is legally barred from helping its citizens who are also citizens of the host country. Thus you fall through the cracks (and have no protection at all) if you enter country A with country B's passport although having country A's a s well!

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by ehyeo » Thu, 01 Jan 2015 5:14 pm

so... after 5 years, baby could renew her M'sia passport without any issue at M'sia?

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by howardtang85 » Sun, 16 Aug 2015 2:21 am

limkhaijack wrote:Hi all,

have been trying to google the info regarding the Dual Citizenship for Malaysian + Singapore for my baby, but couldnt find...hope you guys can share some value points...

Background Story:
I was a Malaysian and Singapore PR (for about 7 years), got and completed my Singapore Citizenship application after i renounced my Malaysian Citizenship 2 weeks ago. Last week went to register my SG citizenship (for myself and my baby gal) and took the Oath at ICA.

My baby girl who is born in Singapore before my Singapore Citizenship Approval, tagged along with my SG Citizenship application. Both of us applied for SG Passport last week after the Citizenship registration at ICA and will be collecting the SG Passport this week.

When my baby gal is born (at TMC), she have SG Birth Cert, and then i went to Malaysia HiCom to register her Borang W at Jervois Road. Currently my baby gal have 2 birth certs (Malaysia and Singapore). After getting the Borang W, i applied Malaysia Passport for her.

Both me and my wife working and stay in Singapore, my wife is a SPR also, but my baby girl stay at JB Malaysia with my mother in law and before i got my SG Citizenship approval, she's been travelling in/out from Malaysia/Singapore using Malaysia Passport (for medical check up purposes).

Our plan is to bring her to Singapore for long term stay after she reach 2 yo, for education in Singapore.

The Confusion we faced:-
My baby girl will be holding Dual Citizenship (Malaysia + Singapore) until age of 21 yo. Then she have to choose one side and renounce the other one. But now she is holding 2 passports, Malaysia and Singapore Passport.

1. My baby girl came in to Singapore on 02/11/14 using Malaysia Passport, but after get the Singapore Passport, i will drive my MIL and baby girl back to JB, which passport my baby girl should be using for the exit from SG? and which passport should be use for the entry at MY?

This morning i went to ICA to collect my baby girl's Certificate of Citizenship certified true copy, and i ask the officer regarding the passports issues. She only mentioned that when we go ICA to collect the SG passports, we have to bring my baby girl's MY passport to get the 'RIGHT of ENTRY' stamp. But when i ask further, she didnt explain to me either.

2. I searched online, many of them commented using the SG passport to exit/enter SG and MY passport to exit / enter MY. For example now my baby girl is exiting SG, so at SG custom, we use SG passport, then when we entering Malaysia. we use Malaysia Passport to at Malaysia Custom vise-versa. Will this work? or what implications for doing that?

3. For SG passport, the maximum duration to stay in Malaysia is 30 days right? So by right every 30 days have to exit Malaysia and re-enter back Malaysia for the stamp (if not will be illegal staying right?). But for my baby girl, she is also holding Malaysia Passport, so does she have to do the exit and re-entry every 30 days? The same question goes for the Malaysia Passport which the maximum duration to stay in Singapore is also 30 days.

thanks for your times spent on reading my querries. Hope to get some clarifications soon..

cheers!!!
Jack
Dear Jack,

I read your post and found it quite relevant to my situation now so would like to seek for your advice.

May I know how did you apply for dual citizenship? My wife and I are both Malaysian and SPR now. My wife is pregnant now and we intend to let our future child to have dual citizenship. May I know if I'm to do so, I should hv my baby delivered in Singapore (while both of us r still Msian), get the Spore birth cert, bring her back to Msia to apply for Msia birth cert (but how do u enter Msia since new born baby has only spore birth cert and no any passport?), and now he/she (we don't know our baby's gender yet (: ) is a Msian. After that, one of us (me or my wife) hv to convert our citizenship and tag along the baby then he/she will hv dual citizenship till 21 yo? or I need to send in my citizenship application and tag along my unborn baby now then only he/she is eligible for dual citizenship?

My greatest gratitude to u in advance as I hv been googling ard without getting an answer :)

Cheers,
Howard

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sun, 16 Aug 2015 3:15 pm

Unless one of the parents are Singaporean Citizens, you don't have to worry about it. The child will be a Malaysian regardless of which country she is in. Singapore doesn't grant citizenship to foreigners born in Singapore. A PR is still a foreigner. One parent MUST be a SG Citizen in order for the child to gain SC at birth.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by matthewbrown » Mon, 17 Aug 2015 5:08 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Unless one of the parents are Singaporean Citizens, you don't have to worry about it. The child will be a Malaysian regardless of which country she is in. Singapore doesn't grant citizenship to foreigners born in Singapore. A PR is still a foreigner. One parent MUST be a SG Citizen in order for the child to gain SC at birth.
We're facing the same issue as well. I'm Malaysian and my wife is Singaporean, we decided to let our baby to become Singaporean. But, there's one issue, my wife need to go Malaysia to do her confinement, and also we might let my mother to take care of our baby for a year. Is there a way to let my baby to stay in Malaysia for a long term?

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by beppi » Mon, 17 Aug 2015 5:25 pm

I don't know the Malaysian rules regarding citizenship, but by Singapore rules a child that has two citizenships by birth (e.g. by being born to mixed parents) can keep both until 21 years old (and then has to renounce one of them). If the Malaysian rules are similar, or more lenient, your kid can stay in Malaysia as Malayisan and in Singapore as Singaporean.

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by the lynx » Wed, 19 Aug 2015 2:01 pm

matthewbrown wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:Unless one of the parents are Singaporean Citizens, you don't have to worry about it. The child will be a Malaysian regardless of which country she is in. Singapore doesn't grant citizenship to foreigners born in Singapore. A PR is still a foreigner. One parent MUST be a SG Citizen in order for the child to gain SC at birth.
We're facing the same issue as well. I'm Malaysian and my wife is Singaporean, we decided to let our baby to become Singaporean. But, there's one issue, my wife need to go Malaysia to do her confinement, and also we might let my mother to take care of our baby for a year. Is there a way to let my baby to stay in Malaysia for a long term?
If you expect your baby to spend long periods of time in her childhood in Malaysia (especially when both of you are working and you want to let your mother in Malaysia to care for the child), it is better to apply for Malaysian passport for the child. And then the preceding advice on Passport A to exit/enter Country A stands.

When the child reaches that age, and you no longer need the child to spend so much time in Singapore, you can renounce Malaysia citizenship.

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by nanana » Fri, 28 Aug 2015 9:20 pm

I was in similar situation before. I did not apply Malaysian citizenship for my child, who holds Singapore passport. He was under my mom's care in Malaysia for a couple of years. I applied Long-term Social Pass for him to allow him to stay in Malaysia. You have to renew the pass once every 6 months for the first 2 years, then Once every year for the following years until the child reaches 18 years old.

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Re: Dual Citizenship Baby - MY + SG

Post by limkhaijack » Tue, 31 May 2016 10:38 pm

hi all, sorry to reply late..was busy with works recently..

Regarding the question how my baby girl gotten the dual citizenship...here's the story...

Me and my wife were SPR for quite some years....then i finally decided to apply for citizenship somewhere back in early February 2015...when my baby girl was born in June 2015...i apply for her the citizenship that "tag" along to my existing application...and i got the approval in September 2015 for both me and my baby girl..

My baby girl was born in SG, she is still Malaysian (becoz both me and my wife still SPR, while i still waiting for my citizenship application results)...then we gotten her SG birth cert in the hospital (but the nationality at that point of time is Malaysian)...with the SG birth cert, i went to Malaysia Embassy to apply for the Borang W (malaysia birth cert, is a must in order to apply for Malaysia Passport), then after the Borang W, i applied the MY Passport for my baby girl..so that she can travel out of SG back to MY...

then come September when me and my baby girl citizenship application were approved, the same concerns we faced and i googled alot trying to find some answers online...we are confused about the dual citizenship..but after bumping my heads here and there and everywhere....i gotten the answers from Malaysia Embassy and ICA....

becoz my baby was born in SG at the time her parents are still Malaysian (SPR)...so her SG birth cert nationality is stated Malaysian...then when she tag along to my SG citizenship application and got it...she becomes Singaporean..but becoz she is under 21 yo, so she dont need to go renounce her Malaysia citizenship YET (she have to do it when she is 21 yo)...and Singapore & Malaysia laws allow person under 21 yo to hold dual citizenship....for me..i have to go thru the renounce process at Malaysia Embassy...

so for some of your cases, like Howard is that both of you and your wife are Malaysian, whether you are SPR or not, even if your baby is born in SG, your baby wont be getting SG citizenship...until anyone of you become Singaporean..then you can apply for your baby to get the SG citizenship...

i hope the long winded story help....cheers....

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