child's citizenship

[EuroGuy1957]

I am European, my wife is Singaporean, my son is Singaporean but also European according to the embassy. Can I renounce his Singapore citizenship on his behalf while we live in Europe? If so, how do I do this?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Nope. Not until he is 21 years old and has finished NS, unless you get him out of the country before he is 13 years old and you follow all the protocols necessary TO THE LETTER. You still cannot renounce his Singaporean Citizenship until he is 21 though in any case.

Start here: http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic61423.html

There are numerous threads in the Strictly Speaking sub-forum on this issue.

sms

[EuroGuy1957]

He is 4 years old.........

[sundaymorningstaple]

Same thing goes if he is 4 months old. If his mother is Singaporean he is a Singaporean by birth and that's the crux of the matter. Singapore wants those male citizens for national service. You have to follow the protocol exactly or it will, take my word for it, come back an haunt you (or should I say, him) forever. He will never be able to return to Singapore to work or even visit, as he might get picked up coming through immigration with the new computer systems being implemented as we speak, that will like all the major government databases together. Simple queries for passports that show a date & place of birth will be able to narrow down the odds to within one or two people (you have to consider the small size of the population here.

My son will be doing his NS as soon as he finishes NAFA (he's on a deferment at the moment (his mother is a Singaporean and he has dual citizenship as well).

sms

[beppi]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding was that a child of a mixed Singaporean-Other couple is automatically (and unrenouncably until 21 yrs.) Singapore citizen only if born in Singapore - for those born abroad an application for citizenship would be needed (a mere formality, but if you don't apply the kid won't be citizen).

[sundaymorningstaple]

I based my answer on the fact that the OP indicated that the child was already a Singapore Citizen. That coupled with a local IP address would indicate that the child was born here. His other information also came from his embassy which further indicates that the child was born here. With that in mind all else is irrelevant as the damage has already been done...