Procedure to NS Deferment

I contacted CMPB recently as I have an almost 12-year old boy who has dual citizenship, but who has never held a Singapore NRIC, passport or attended school in Singapore.

CMPB advised that I can only apply for Deferment from NS for the boy after he turns 13. Of course I have to announce the boy's intention to renounce his Singapore citizenship at the age of 21 at the same time.

IF they grant the deferment, I will then have to apply for an exit permit for the boy if we do not live in Singapore. There will be no bond required in this case and the exit permit will be posted to our overseas address.

National Service Deferment

1. Please refer to your email dated 26 Jun 2008 regarding your request for your son to be granted deferment from National Service (NS) till his age of 21 years, pending the renunciation of his Singapore citizenship.

2. Under the Singapore Constitution, Singapore citizens may renounce their Singapore citizenship after reaching the age of 21. NS-liable males below 21 years old can apply for deferment from NS till 21 years of age, pending the renunciation of their Singapore citizenship. Any request for deferment can only be assessed if the NS-liable male is aged 13 years and above. As your son has yet to reach the age of 13, we are unable to process your request at this point in time.

3. We wish to remind you that all NS-liable persons aged 13 and above who have not completed full-time NS are required to have an Exit Permit if they wish to remain overseas for periods spanning three months or longer."

You know what they say, when in doubt - ask. I was under the impression before that that the thing to do would be to not let the child enter Singapore between the age of 13 and 21 (when he could then renounce his citizenship). Mistake - as this would mean staying away without exit permission and he would then become an NS defaulter. Not only would he not be able to renounce his Singapore citizenship without doing NS but he would be handcuffed etc upon arrival at the airport.

I must thank this forum for clearing some of the air and especially to SMS for his replies. Everyone has a different situation, the best thing to do is check with CMPB directly. They will not bite you and never asked me for my NRIC number etc during our exchange.

Source: Singapore Expats Forum

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24 Jul 2008
Singapore Expats Forum