help & advice needed on moving to singapore

Moving to Singapore? Ask our regular expats in Singapore questions on relocation and their experience here. Ask about banking, employment pass, insurance, visa, work permit, citizenship or immigration issues.
Post Reply
zephyrjohn
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 7:50 am
Location: newcastle

help & advice needed on moving to singapore

Post by zephyrjohn » Sat, 02 Feb 2008 8:03 am

hi, i need help / advice, my wife was born in the miltary hospital in singapore in 1968. her parents (both brits) left 2 years later in 1970. my wife has a singapore birth certificate. her parents applied to the british high commision for a british birth certificate aswell. she has since lived in the uk from 1970 and visited singapore on holiday in 1995.
the question / help needed is can she apply to live / work in singapore. could she get citizenship? we would love the idea of leaving the uk to go to singapoe. she works in retail and i work in computers.
thanks

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 39870
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 11
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:19 am

zephyrjohn

Have you looked carefully at the Singapore Birth Certificate? Does it indicate on there that she is a Singapore Citizen? Just because it is a Singapore Birth Cert does not necessarily mean she is a citizen here.

If she is considered a citizen on the birth cert then she has been on the wrong side of the law for 18 years (holding dual citizenship after the age of 22) as she was required to renounce one of them according to Singapore law within 12 months of her 21 birthday.

A call to ICA on this one might be in order as I've not run into this sort of variable regarding the offspring of military personnel. Normally military personnel births are not given local citizenship but only a certificate certifying the 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

User avatar
durain
Director
Director
Posts: 3666
Joined: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 8:15 pm
Location: Location: Location: Location:

Post by durain » Sat, 02 Feb 2008 5:40 pm

if your wife is holding a british passport, there's no reason why she cant work* or stay** in singapore. any reason why she want to be a singaporean citizen?



* once she find a job in singapore, she will be issue with a work permit.
** british passport holder will get a 30 days social visa on entering singapore.

User avatar
ksl
Governor
Governor
Posts: 5989
Joined: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 8:52 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Post by ksl » Mon, 04 Feb 2008 5:25 am

Unfortunately not! If she was born in the BMH, her birth will be registered through the BMH and British Embassy...Something to do with diplomatic laws & legal rights, within the boundaries of the British Hospital...She would not get Singaporean Citizenship at birth, I can tell you that for nothing...

My own daughter was also Born in a BMH in Germany, and even though I never had a british passport for her, because she was on my wifes, later in life, she applied for a British Passport, and true to form, they had no record in the UK.

She had to contact the German based British Military for a birth certificate, it's basically the same situation.

They have to be born in a State hospital, and registered in the Singapore Births System.

Although she can apply to come here, through work application like everyone else and she will also get the 30 day entry too.

It's not at all easy to find employment, unless you have a special skill to offer. or start your own business.

Where are you in the UK? just curious, because I maybe recruiting soon for some talent. What are your computer skills, can you pm me, with your CV. and your wife too! You need 5 posts, before you can PM me!

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 39870
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 11
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:25 am

While I agree with ksl, I would first like to know exactly what her "Singapore Birth Certificate" actually says. There may be more to it than meets the eye here. She has already said she had one AND her parents APPLIED to the British High Commission for one. So while she was born in the Military Hospital for some reason she WAS issued a Local Birth Cert and and British Birth Cert. Therefore some clarification of what is on the local birth cert would be necessary before commenting further.

Durain, if for some reason, she is a Singapore Citizen, she is in violation of the law of Singapore and as a Singapore Citizen once she steps into Singapore British Law no longer appllies if she holds Singapore citizenship. My children both hold dual citizenship by birth as well (neither is a naturalized citizenship).
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

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Relocating, Moving to Singapore”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests