If you are going to live overseas, you need to consult a lawyer to prepare the Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows you ("donor") to appoint another person ("attorney") to act on your behalf and in your name on matters specified in the Power of Attorney. You are advised to obtain the Power of Attorney before you leave the country.

Your lawyer has to prepare the Power of Attorney in accordance with HDB's approved standard format.

View more information on Power of Attorney for buying a new HDB flat.

View more information on Power of Attorney for buying an HDB resale flat.

Your lawyer has to ensure that the Power of Attorney is adequate to empower the attorney to sign the security documents to withdraw the CPF savings for the purchase of the property.

The approved Power of Attorney has to be signed by you in the presence of your lawyer. If you are already overseas, you have to sign the Power of Attorney in the presence of a Notary Public, Singapore High Commission Ambassador or Singapore Ambassador in the country of your stay. Your lawyer has to register the signed Power of Attorney with the High Court Registry.

View more information on Power of Attorney.

Once the savings in your CPF Ordinary Account are used up, no payment for your housing instalments will be made. Thereafter, if there is no further CPF contribution continuously for six months, we will mail a letter of notification to your address maintained with the CPF Board.

As your financier will charge you interest for any shortfall in payment, you should monitor your Ordinary Account balances and make arrangement to pay cash for your housing instalments as soon as your Ordinary Account balances are insufficient.

If you have taken an HDB loan, please pay cash to HDB directly. If you have taken a bank loan, you may wish to arrange a standing order with your bank to deduct the monthly instalments from your savings or current account with the bank.

For more tips to financing a house, visit our Business Centre in Retirement Ready @ my cpf.

To estimate when you will reach the CPF Housing Withdrawal Limits, click here.

If you wish to perform HDB transactions, click here.