East Malaysian, female (single), aged 29. Living in Singapore for almost 7 years now
Moved to Singapore in mid-2018 at the age of 23 for an internship under a Work Permit. Secured full-time employment under EP in 2019 after completing of my internship and being graduated from the University in the UK. Between those years, I changed companies a few times as I progressed in my career. In Nov 2022, I applied for Singapore permanent resident at the age of 25 and received my in-principle approval in early July 2023. About 3.5 years later after obtaining SPR, I applied for Citizenship back in Nov 2024, as I wanted to make this place my home. I received the in-principle approval on 22 May 2025.
Sharing the steps I took after getting my citizenship IPA. Hope it helps!
Step 1: Notification from Gov.sg
You will receive a text message from Gov.sg informing you that there is an update on your application status. Log in to check if it has been approved or rejected.
Step 2: Download IPA Letter
If approved, log in to your ICA account using your Singpass and download the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter. ICA no longer mail out the IPA letter.
Step 3: Schedule Malaysian Citizenship Renunciation in Person at Malaysia Embassy, Singapore
Email High Commission of Malaysia embassy at [email protected] with your IPA letter, stating that you have received IPA for Singapore Citizenship and would like to request a renunciation appointment. (Do this immediately, there are no online booking slots and availability is very limited). The embassy typically responds within 2 working days with your appointment date. Make time to block off the date given as it is confirmed by default. If you wish to reschedule, the next available slot could be as late as 3 months later. So plan ahead!
Step 4: Commence Singapore Citizenship Journey (SCJ) : must be completed within 2 months from IPA date.
Log in to your SCJ account using your Singpass 3 working days after your approval date. There are 3 components to be complete.
(1) Experiential visit - Book your slot early. There are many activities to chose from - heritage and museum visits, waterway kayak clean-up, community engagement events etc
(2) Community sharing session at Community Centre (based on your residential area) - Book your slot early
(3) E-learning modules on the SCJ portal - 7 modules, watch all videos and take the quiz for each module. Each quiz has 10 questions with a passing mark of 80%
1) Experiential visit - I choose Waterway Kayak Clean-up (Marina Reservoir) 2:00pm-5:30pm
- Be there before 2:00pm for registration. You will be denied entry after 2:15pm. Dress code are strictly enforced. Get the rental shoes at $2, highly recommended as it is a water activity and water may reach hip level. Use any super old shoes if you don’t want to rent (can get very muddy and dirty). ALL participants will be handed with an orange wristband upon registration and proceed to gather in a seminar room. The session kick off at 2:00pm with a short ice breaker with the neighbours seated next to you, followed by kayaking introduction, volunteerism activities, a brief share on Singapore’s water management system. This segment last about an hour, after which is the safety and orientation briefing before heading out to a 45-mins pairing water clean up along the marina reservoir. After the kayak clean-up, you are expected to wash the kayak, gloves and life vest assigned by the facilitator. Bring a set of clothes to shower. The session will end with a group debrief and reflection back in the seminar room after showering, followed by a group photo and the return of wristbands for attendance taking.
Community Sharing Session at Macpherson CC - 11:00am-1:30pm
- Reach at 10:45am for registration. Follow the dress code or you may be denied entry. No shorts and slippers. Must be covered shoes. Queue-up for name tag collection. Facilitator will bring you to your assigned group (approx. about 10 groups, 8-10 each). Those people in your group are your actual neighbours, some whom you may have seen before. The session includes to get to know about your constituency, a short game (puzzle on national pledge and Singapore’s history), videos about Singapore life, insights into community volunteerism and events. A brief about national identity, and breakout session to reflect your journey to citizenship. The session will end with a buffet lunch. The demographic are - mostly Malaysian Chinese, China national, Chinese Indonesian and Indian nationals. A handful of young adult and adult aged between 25-40s.
Once you have completed all the above, submit the online feedback survey and upload a passport sized photo to the SCJ portal.
MY Timeline: Receive in-principle approval: 22 May 2025 (Thu)
Commence the e-journey learning: 25 May - 18 Jun 2025
Experiential Kayak Waterway-Clean up activity: 19 Jun (Thu)
Sharing Session: 21 Jun (Sat)
Completed All + Submission: 23 Jun 2025 (Mon)
Total Duration: 1 month
Currently awaiting next steps from ICA.
-- Will update soon --
