common-law marriage in Singapore

[Seeny]

i

Was just trying to understand what are the rules, can I fly home and not to risk to be stopped at the immigration control. [/color]

Don't quite follow, please clarify

At the moment I am less than one month here on 90 days tourist visa/SVP. I need to EU for 2 weeks in march. I am not quite sure that by march we will settle everything for common-law spouse LTSVP (also I would need to pick up some docs in EU to prove this), so I was planning to re-enter Singapore for the 2nd 90 days SVP and than arrange for LTSVP here.
Was just trying to understand what would be the odds of having problems entering SG for the second 90 days SVP

[/quote]

[Seeny]

me again... while in SG neither partner has any right to the others assets (if there are children, then that can be an exception). You need to make sure that each of you agree and document what should happen in the event of a split.
Common law partners have received DP's (better than LTVP's). Read the loooong thread already going for that one.
Please also note that this is NOT Europe. Some things are done better. Others way worse but an expectation of 'similar' is a waste of time.

Thank you, Carteki, this is very true, I do need to realize we are not in EU any more and things are not better or worse, things are just DIFFERENT.
We have a contract valid for EU-laws. I will check with my lawyer in NL if it is also good for Singapore

[Seeny]

OP

READ

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic ... highlight=

Rule of thumb

EU countries max is three SVP of 90 days at a stretch

Asian countries max three SVp of 30 days

Malaysian , Indian , Indon or PRC pick your straw on the third visit if you are lucky

thank you, Mad Scientist,

read this thread before, very informative indeed.
I hope there won't be problems with second SVP of 90 days (I am an EU citizen). In april I plan to convert it into EP or LTSP

[Mad Scientist]

OP

READ

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic ... highlight=

Rule of thumb

EU countries max is three SVP of 90 days at a stretch

Asian countries max three SVp of 30 days

Malaysian , Indian , Indon or PRC pick your straw on the third visit if you are lucky

thank you, Mad Scientist,

read this thread before, very informative indeed.
I hope there won't be problems with second SVP of 90 days (I am an EU citizen). In april I plan to convert it into EP or LTSP

I have to reiterate that if you walk like a criminal and talk like a criminal then you are a criminal. Therefore at the end of the day the border control officer make the call

[JR8]

me again... while in SG neither partner has any right to the others assets (if there are children, then that can be an exception).

For the sake of clarity my original point was that having a declaration of effective marriage might carry legal weight back in your home country, rather than SG.

You need to make sure that each of you agree and document what should happen in the event of a split.
For what purpose? Even most people getting married don't do this.

[_CS_]

HI Seeny,

I'm in an identical position to you, ie. coming from living NL, and having to prove a common law relationship.

Can you give me an update on whether you managed to get your LTSVP? What documents did you end up providing? And how did you obtain these?[b][/b]

[Seeny]

HI Seeny,

I'm in an identical position to you, ie. coming from living NL, and having to prove a common law relationship.

Can you give me an update on whether you managed to get your LTSVP? What documents did you end up providing? And how did you obtain these?

Hi CS,

I am in SG for 5 months already, have left and re-entered the coutry 4-5 times already (mostly travelling around and going back to Europe). Each time they just stamped me a new 90day visa at the border, no questions asked. At the moment I am applying for EP as I found the job here in the meantime.
Went to the Dutch embassy to ask for their statement just in case. The informed me that as of 1.01.2012 they don't issue these statements anymore even for the officially registered partners. So the only option left is the Commissioner of Oaths ((. Try to gather as much documents supporting your exclusive relationship anyway, might be helpful if the Commissioner asks for any proof. Here think rent contracts, bank accounts, insurances polices
I hope it helps, wish I could tell you more

Seeny//,

[_CS_]

Thans for The quick response.

Did you ever try applying for The LTSVP? Or got to MOM to discuss?

wondering whether i should get The Cohabitation Agreement from à Dutch notary just in case?

Do you ask for à 90 day pass at The border or do They just give it to you automatically? I thought it was 30 days for Dutch people entering?

[JR8]

I believe that a Commissioner of Oaths simply attests to the swearing of an oath*, and so there is no need for documentation as back-up. However there would be no harm collating any back-up that you have just in case.

The procedure has been discussed before, you can try using both of the search buttons above/right to pull up those topics. I believe someone last year reported that 'the court' at City Hall provides such services at very reasonable prices.

With an EU passport and arriving at the airport you would typically expect a 90 SVP on arrival. If you exit and re-enter overland/sea then you can probably expect a 30 day stamp.

Seeny has been away on 'real' and self-evident business trips, and importantly also, back to his home country so the repeated entries will not ring alarm bells. Be aware though not to take his experience as suggesting you can go over the Causeway to Johore Bahru on day trips to 'border-run' (renew) your SVP 5 times in a row without the dung hitting the fan.

Good luck.




* Rather like when you witness a signature on a tenancy agreement. You are witnessing the signature alone, and not the contents of the agreement.

[Seeny]

Thans for The quick response.

Did you ever try applying for The LTSVP? Or got to MOM to discuss?

wondering whether i should get The Cohabitation Agreement from à Dutch notary just in case?

Do you ask for à 90 day pass at The border or do They just give it to you automatically? I thought it was 30 days for Dutch people entering?

Hi CS,

No, at the end I did NOT apply for LTSVP with MOM.
I would strongly advise though to get the notarized Cohabitation Agreement. As the Dutch embassy does not provide statements anymore, it might be your only official document to prove that your Common law marriage is valid in your home country.

I never dared to explicitly ask for 90 days to invite more questions. I have always put the number of days somewhere between 30 and 60. From what I've seen the immigration officers have several stamps: 5-14-30-90 days, so they used the 90days stamp each time. This is just an observation, I do not know the actual policy.
All EU-citizens are eligible for 90days visa when entering SG. Not sure if it always the case for multiple re-entries.

[Seeny]

With an EU passport and arriving at the airport you would typically expect a 90 SVP on arrival. If you exit and re-enter overland/sea then you can probably expect a 30 day stamp.

Overland border control at Woodlands also gave me 90days, but as everyone is assessed on an individual bases, there is no guarantee.

Seeny has been away on 'real' and self-evident business trips, and importantly also, back to his home country so the repeated entries will not ring alarm bells. Be aware though not to take his experience as suggesting you can go over the Causeway to Johore Bahru on day trips to 'border-run' (renew) your SVP 5 times in a row without the dung hitting the fan.

Thank you for this specification, JR8! In no way I suggest border-run as a solid strategy. It might give some oxygen before one settles for something more permanent, but it is always a gamble.