Residency and Citizenship

The validity of a DP depends upon the supporting EP. This means if an EP expires or is cancelled by an employer, the associated DPs will also lapse—and the student will therefore not be able to attend school.

If the EP holder changes job, the new employers or employment agent can apply to the MOM for a new DP for children of Employment Pass (EP), S Pass or EntrePass holders.

Once the physical DP has been issued, the student’s online records at the College must be updated to include copies of the front and back of the valid DP, plus a copy of the DP details obtained by scanning the QR code using the SGWorkPass app.

Please note that if the MOM issues an expired DP holder with a Visit Pass under Immigration Regulation 12 to enable the holder to remain in Singapore, the student may not attend school until an IPA letter for the new DP is secured. 

If you are unsure of the impact of an upcoming change in DP issuance on your child’s continued enrolment, please contact the Office of the Registrar for clarification.

If your child’s PR is approved or renewed, they will be issued a Single Entry Permit, and are required to obtain a Re-Entry Permit (REP) to enable travel in and out of the country. The online records of UWCSEA students who are PRs must include a copy of a valid REP in order to attend school, as this contains the key information of issue and expiry dates.

While Singapore PRs aged 15 years and above are issued with a National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) we are required to hold a copy of the REP.

As an FSS, the College can register its students on the ICA’s online STP application platform. The approval of STPs is entirely at the discretion of the ICA.  

If approved, the College then forwards the Registration Acknowledgement Letter to parents together with instructions on what needs to be done to apply for the STP online.

If the applicant is issued with an IPA letter which is valid for two months, the formalities must be completed and the physical STP must be collected before the IPA letter expires. For STP applicants 15 years and above, these formalities include obtaining a medical report, which can take up to five working days. 

Students can only attend the College when in possession of the physical STP and copies have been uploaded to the student’s online record.

STPs are attached to the FSS who registered them with the ICA. Please contact the Office of the Registrar if you would like to ask about transferring your child to a Student Pass.

Students are allowed to attend a FSS as long as they have both the IEO stamp in their passport plus either a Multiple Journey Stamp with issue and expiry dates or written verification from the MFA confirming these dates.

If your child is a current student in our Infant School and you wish to apply for Singapore citizenship please be aware that this could mean that your child’s continued education into Grade 1 at UWCSEA may not be guaranteed. 

This is because it is College policy to only apply for waivers from the MOE in limited circumstances. We will only apply for waivers for Singapore Citizens who are new applicants to the College, and then strictly according to clearly defined priority circumstances.

This means that UWCSEA would not be in a position to apply for a waiver for your child to continue at UWCSEA if your child’s application to become a Singapore Citizen is successful prior to the required Primary 1 registration period, as prescribed by the Compulsory Education Unit of the MOE.

If your child is a current student in UWCSEA in Grade 1 and above and their application to become a Singapore citizen is successful, under prevailing Singapore Government regulations, we would not have to apply for a waiver from the MOE for your child to continue with UWCSEA.

Parent action

If you are a parent of a currently enrolled student who is considering applying to become a Singapore Citizen, please contact the Office of the Registrar for clarification on the possible impact on their continued enrolment.

If your child has become a Singapore Citizen, please update your child’s records online (login required). 

Students on a Student Pass (STP) who are graduating or withdrawing from the College should be aware that STPs are attached to the Foreign System School (UWCSEA or another international school) who registered them with the ICA.

All FSSs are obliged to cancel STPs within 7 days of a student’s last day at the school. For Grade 12s, the STP cancellations are generally submitted one week after the last day of Term 3. 

The Office of the Registrar will confirm the date of the STP cancellation, once a formal notice of withdrawal has been submitted.

If you intend to remain in Singapore, the College can help arrange for your child to secure a social visit pass for up to 89 days after the STP is cancelled until their departure from Singapore.

Please be aware that becoming a Singapore Citizen would have implications for any re-application to UWCSEA if your child leaves the College (e.g., due to relocation or transfer to another school in Singapore), and then subsequently wishes to return to UWCSEA. 

All applications for waivers must be submitted by the FSS to the MOE on behalf of the student. As a result, the waiver is attached to the FSS that submits the application to the MOE based on the enrolment at the time of the application. This means that even if a student has already been granted a waiver from the MOE to attend UWCSEA in the past, an application for a waiver to return to UWCSEA may not be successful.

The prevailing College policy on accepting applications from Singapore Citizens will apply at the time of re-application.

If you are unsure of the possible impact of withdrawal from the College on the immigration pass status of your child, please contact the Office of the Registrar for clarification.