Singapore Expats

Asking on behalf of friend: Is it possible to expat husband and local wife to apply for an International School for their child?

If the child is a Singaporean then by default, he will have to be admitted to a local school. I believe there is some provision wherein the parents can be granted exemption by writing into the MOE. I don't know first hand, but I'm guessing that permission will be granted by showing evidence that the family can transfer out of Singapore.

Singaporeans can go to International Schools even if both parents are Singaporeans, I think long ago, they were not allowed but things have changed . Generally due to the high International School fees, it is quite unusual for both Singaporean parents to send their kids to International schools.

roslind.fong wrote: ↑

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 4:19 am

Singaporeans can go to International Schools even if both parents are Singaporeans, I think long ago, they were not allowed but things have changed . Generally due to the high International School fees, it is quite unusual for both Singaporean parents to send their kids to International schools.

This post is misleading. Cost is not the only obstacle — if it were, many more Singaporeans would be studying in International school.

Singaporeans can only enroll under exceptional circumstances with MOE approval. The only cases I know of true blue Singaporeans getting enrolled include special needs children and internationally mobile parents who have careers that included overseas assignments.

In the case of one parent being non-Singaporean, they also have a chance at getting the exception — especially if the child is a dual citizen, based on the family’s potential to migrate to that spouse’s country in the future.

In Singapore, if the child is a Singapore citizen, even if only one parent is local, they cannot enroll in an International School without MOE approval. This applies regardless of the other parent’s expat status. If the child is not a Singapore citizen (e.g., holds only a foreign passport), then there’s no restriction, and the family can apply freely to International Schools. So for your friend, it really depends on the child’s citizenship.

IF 1 parent is a foreigner, can write in to MOE for approval to be in International School, especially if the child has dual citizenship. It is also subjective to the international school vacancies & quota.

megnanako wrote: ↑

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:29 pm

IF 1 parent is a foreigner, can write in to MOE for approval to be in International School, especially if the child has dual citizenship. It is also subjective to the international school vacancies & quota.

The school needs to make the request to MOE after your child has been accepted at the school.

Have you considered SJI International? No approval would be needed, and it’s supposed to be good.

However, as a dual citizen, local school option is going to be much more attractive, both in terms of access and cost. You can supplement their local education.

For reference the approval has to come from MOE and they refer to International Schools as the "Foreign School System " (FSS). That's the term you need for Google