Should I Take Up Singapore's Citizenship

[aldrichjennings]

I'm a British male, married to a British wife, and we just had a child quite recently. Both my wife and I grew up in Singapore, attended local schools and we're very comfortable speaking in a Singaporean accent, but our natural accent is still RP because we're brought up by British parents. Other than our skin color, we could easily pass as a Singaporean.

We still hold on to our British passports and we are considering whether or not we want to take up Singapore's citizenship. We have lived here our whole life, went to local public schools, my wife has a PhD from NUS, while I graduated from RJC and moved on to Cambridge and got a Master's... In short, we're both academics, and to us, we don't like the idea of our child delaying his studies to National Service. I was not enlisted because I was neither a PR nor a citizen. I consider our family to be a high-income household because I have two condos and we live in a semi-detached house (all fully paid off). My point is, we're relatively grounded in Singapore and it seems like common sense that we should be citizens.

If National Service were to be reduced to a year, and boys who already have acceptances to university could leave in September (or whenever the first semester starts) in the year after their A level year, I would seriously consider. As I'm not a voter, I'm not really familiar with the direction the government is heading with respect to NS in Singapore. I would like to know if it's likely that NS could be reduced to a year?

Although I could just hold on to my British citizenship and continue living in Singapore till I die because I am self-employed, the reason I want to take up a Singapore citizenship is purely due to convenience, and not having to go to the embassy all the time. Thanks

[JR8]

I'm a British male, married to a British wife, and we just had a child quite recently. Both my wife and I grew up in Singapore, attended local schools and we're very comfortable speaking in a Singaporean accent, but our natural accent is still RP because we're brought up by British parents. Other than our skin color, we could easily pass as a Singaporean.

We still hold on to our British passports and we are considering whether or not we want to take up Singapore's citizenship. We have lived here our whole life, went to local public schools, my wife has a PhD from NUS, while I graduated from RJC and moved on to Cambridge and got a Master's... In short, we're both academics, and to us, we don't like the idea of our child delaying his studies to National Service. I was not enlisted because I was neither a PR nor a citizen. I consider our family to be a high-income household because I have two condos and we live in a semi-detached house (all fully paid off). My point is, we're relatively grounded in Singapore and it seems like common sense that we should be citizens.

If National Service were to be reduced to a year, and boys who already have acceptances to university could leave in September (or whenever the first semester starts) in the year after their A level year, I would seriously consider. As I'm not a voter, I'm not really familiar with the direction the government is heading with respect to NS in Singapore. I would like to know if it's likely that NS could be reduced to a year?

Although I could just hold on to my British citizenship and continue living in Singapore till I die because I am self-employed, the reason I want to take up a Singapore citizenship is purely due to convenience, and not having to go to the embassy all the time. Thanks

Hi AJ, and welcome to the forum.

Was your son born here, and what passport does he hold?
What employment-status are you on, a PEP? And your wife?

My 2c is I don't see any indication or indeed material pressure for NS to change, so if I were in your shoes I'd err into considering the future obligations as as they stand today.

The above might help fill in a few gaps in the input. Thus asked, it is best I leave this to the Subject Matter Experts on this topic!

--- I wonder what any impacts might be with regards to CPF.


p.s. Why do you find yourself visiting the embassy (British?) so often?

[Girl_Next_Door]

My view is, your son is still an infant. It will be a good 16 years before he gets enlisted to NS, and 16 years is a long time with many possible changes. I think NS used to be 2.5 years, and now, its 2 years. In another 16 years, its hard to predict what will happen to NS. There is possibility that we will have career miltary only, there is possibility that NS will remain at 2 years or cut short to 1 year.

Personally, I will take the decision based on where you plan to retire. Can you visualize yourself retiring in Singapore, or you plan to retire somewhere in Europe? If it is the latter, then it might make more sense to retain your Brit citizenship?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Your post has a number of anomalies that must be addressed before we can really even take a stab at it....
(My comments in Blue)

I'm a British male, married to a British wife, and we just had a child quite recently. Both my wife and I grew up in Singapore, attended local schools and we're very comfortable speaking in a Singaporean accent, but our natural accent is still RP because we're brought up by British parents. Other than our skin color, we could easily pass as a Singaporean.

Both of you grew up in Singapore but what is your residency status as of today? Are you PRs, EP holders or PEP holders. At the moment, your residency is as clear as mud.

We still hold on to our British passports and we are considering whether or not we want to take up Singapore's citizenship. We have lived here our whole life, went to local public schools, my wife has a PhD from NUS, while I graduated from RJC and moved on to Cambridge and got a Master's... In short, we're both academics, and to us, we don't like the idea of our child delaying his studies to National Service. I was not enlisted because I was neither a PR nor a citizen. I consider our family to be a high-income household because I have two condos and we live in a semi-detached house (all fully paid off). My point is, we're relatively grounded in Singapore and it seems like common sense that we should be citizens.

Are you a PR now? I'm assuming you are a PR as you say you are self-employed. You cannot be self employed as an EP or PEP holder.

If National Service were to be reduced to a year, and boys who already have acceptances to university could leave in September (or whenever the first semester starts) in the year after their A level year, I would seriously consider. As I'm not a voter, I'm not really familiar with the direction the government is heading with respect to NS in Singapore. I would like to know if it's likely that NS could be reduced to a year?

As you say you are not a voter (because you are not a Singaporean). If this is the case, then your options are severely limited as if you get your son PR, he WILL be obligated to do NS and break his studies in order to fulfill his obligations. You could have him stay here on a LTVP and subsequently a Student Pass when old enough, but if you do that, and he avoids NS, he will never be allowed to stay here after the age of 21 when he will have to make do on his own merits (he will have reached the age of majority) because ICA will already know what the parents were attempting to do. Additionally, if you give him PR and then cancel it in order to avoid NS, the same will apply. He'll never get PR or even an EP here.

Although I could just hold on to my British citizenship and continue living in Singapore till I die because I am self-employed, the reason I want to take up a Singapore citizenship is purely due to convenience, and not having to go to the embassy all the time. Thanks

Maybe more once you have clarified some of the questions.....