The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced that from 1 December 2025, permanent residents (PRs) who are overseas without a valid re-entry permit (REP) will have a prescribed period of 180 days to apply for a new REP before losing their PR status.
The change is part of the phased implementation of the Immigration (Amendment) Act 2023, which was passed in Parliament on 18 September 2023.
Under the revised rules, PRs who are outside Singapore without a valid REP will be allowed to remain PRs for up to 180 days, starting from either 1 December 2025 or the date they first left Singapore without a valid REP—whichever is later.
This prescribed period provides time for PRs to regularise their status and confirm their intention to continue residing in Singapore.
PR permit structure and current process
PRs are issued two key permits. An Entry Permit (EP) is granted when PR status is first conferred and allows the individual to live in Singapore. A Re-Entry Permit (REP), typically valid for up to five years, enables PRs to leave and re-enter Singapore during the period of validity.
Currently, if a PR is overseas without a valid REP, they are deemed to have lost their PR status immediately. A one-month grace period is allowed to apply for a new REP to reinstate their status. ICA has exercised flexibility in allowing reinstatement in cases with legitimate reasons, such as overseas hospitalisation.
However, during this interim period, the individual is technically no longer a PR, which creates uncertainty about their residency rights and entitlements.
“This process presents some uncertainty about an individual’s PR status and corresponding benefits, from the time he loses his PR status till his application for a REP is approved,” MHA stated.
New prescribed period process
Under the updated framework effective from 1 December 2025, a PR who is overseas without a valid REP will have 180 days—referred to as the prescribed period—to submit a new REP application:
- If the application is approved within this period, PR status continues uninterrupted.
- If the application is rejected, the individual loses PR status the day after the rejection date.
- If no application is submitted within the 180 days, PR status is lost the day after the period ends.
This applies regardless of whether the individual is still overseas or has returned to Singapore during the prescribed period.
If an application is submitted within the 180-day period but remains under consideration beyond it, the person continues to hold PR status until a decision is made.
“These amendments make it clear that PRs must apply for a REP within 180 days of them being outside Singapore without a valid REP, failing which they will lose their PR status,” MHA said.
The ministry added: “With this revised process, there will no longer be an avenue for PR reinstatement once a PR loses his PR status. The person who has lost his PR status may submit a fresh PR application, if he is eligible to do so.”
Temporary entry allowance during the prescribed period
PRs overseas without a valid REP during the prescribed 180-day period may still be allowed to re-enter Singapore, subject to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) usual assessments.
These individuals will be issued a PR’s Single-Entry Pass for re-entry during this time.
“We encourage PRs to obtain a new REP or to renew their expiring REP in a timely manner before travelling out of Singapore, to minimise the risk of losing their PR status,” MHA advised.
Update to Entry Permit (EP) conditions
In addition to the revised REP process, ICA will update the conditions attached to all Entry Permits (EPs) issued to PRs.
The updated EP conditions will be published on ICA’s website on 1 December 2025. PRs who have not previously been issued an EP—such as those granted PR before 1987 or born locally before 2005—will receive one that includes the updated conditions by that date.
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