{"id":9056,"date":"2017-02-06T14:17:02","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T06:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=9056"},"modified":"2024-11-08T17:17:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T09:17:44","slug":"singaporeans-marrying-foreigners-home-ownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/singaporeans-marrying-foreigners-home-ownership\/","title":{"rendered":"Singaporeans marrying foreigners and its impact on home ownership"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marriages between Singapore citizens (<\/span>SC<\/b>) and non-residents (FR)<\/strong><\/span> are on the rise. In fact, the proportion of such marriages has increased<\/a> from 21% in 2000 to 28% in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from dealing with visa issues, Singaporeans marrying foreigners will also have to navigate the government\u2019s strict regulations regarding foreign ownership of property. <\/span><\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re one of these couples, here are a few things consider before you search for your home.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Type of property you’re eligible to purchase<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Public housing<\/b><\/h3>\n

Housing is pricey in Singapore (we weren\u2019t voted the most expensive city in the world for nothing!) but thankfully, we have the option of relatively affordable public housing offered by the Housing and Development Board (<\/span>HDB<\/b>). <\/span><\/p>\n

To purchase HDB flats, Singaporeans marrying foreigners must first qualify for a few criteria. These include conditions such as income caps and minimum age requirements. Most importantly though, you\u2019ll need to fall under <\/span>one of HDB’s seven eligibility schemes<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"hdb<\/a><\/p>\n

As most of these schemes require both applicants to be SC, or at least Permanent Residents (<\/span>SPR<\/b>), your best bet is to qualify under the Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme (<\/a><\/span>NCS<\/b>). The NCS was developed to cater to the growing class of Singaporeans marrying foreigners in Singapore but is, unfortunately, only available for certain types of HDB flats. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you can qualify under the Public Scheme<\/a> however, that opens more doors to you in terms of flat types. Under the Public Scheme, you\u2019ll need to form a \u2018family nucleus\u2019 with at least one SC or SPR.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Eligibility scheme<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

New flats<\/b><\/td>\n\n

Resale flats<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme<\/b><\/td>\n\n
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  • 2-room Flexi in non-mature estates<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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Public Scheme<\/b><\/td>\n\n
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  • Up to 5-room flats<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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