Dependant Pass

[Makingthemove]

Apologies for duplicating or asking the obvious.

Am filling out a form for a school in which there is a box to tick to say whether or not your child will be on a Dependant's Pass.

Is this something we get before we arrive in Singapore or once out there? The MOM website shows how to get one, but not exactly what it's for.

I'm guessing this could be a question to put to my husband's APAC HR team?

[Mi Amigo]

Assuming your husband is the one who is going to be employed in Singapore, normally the employer would apply for an Employment Pass (EP) for him. For you and any child(ren) accompanying him, application is normally made at the same time (again by the employer) for a Dependant's' Pass (DP) for each accompanying person. So if (as is likely) this applies to your family, then yes, you would tick the 'Dependant's' Pass' box.

The EP/DP application would usually be done before you move to Singapore but the passes can only be collected once you are here. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) issues an In Principle Approval (IPA) letter which can be used when entering Singapore, and for the purpose of completing the formalities and collecting the passes.

There are other alternatives to DPs in some circumstances, so if you want to be 100% sure you could check with the HR department.

More details here:

http://mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/pass ... fault.aspx

[Makingthemove]

Mi Amigo, hugely and completely helpful. Many thanks for the unravelling.

[Mi Amigo]

You're very welcome, and good luck with the move.

You and your husband have probably got this covered already, but... it might be a good idea to confirm what stage you're at with the EP/DP application process (assuming that's what's being done). The point being (and I'm not trying to scare you here) that getting a job offer and then applying for an EP doesn't guarantee that the application will be approved (if you search this forum you'll find tons of threads around that subject).

I mention this because the school might have a policy that any deposit and/or registration fees you pay are not refundable.

[Makingthemove]

Ah. OK. Thanks for that. I've already asked my husband to rattle off an email to his HR department. We have a few months' grace for all of this; like I say we're at a very early stage so I'm assuming that the technical stuff will be covered in the correct order, allowing no falling-on-our-behinds as we cross the border.

All the same I'll direct him to all the forums when he gets home and leave him to browse, at least then he'll know what I'm on about (for once).

A useful heads-up; thanks.