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- Living Overseas
...Being a Global Citizen

 
Leaving Singapore
 

You have made an important decision to leave Singapore permanently and migrate to another country. Or you may have stopped working in Singapore and will be returning to your home country to be reunited with your family.

What happens to your CPF then?

 
Can I withdraw my CPF?
 
If you are a West Malaysian residing in West Malaysia,
 

You may withdraw your CPF in full if you satisfy all the following conditions:

1.
You do not hold a valid Singapore Work Permit/Employment Pass or have renounced your Singapore Permanent Residency; and
2. You are:
  a)  
55 years old or above, or
  b)  
below 55 years old but above 50 and have not worked in Singapore in the two years before your application, or
  c)  
physically or mentally incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment or found to be of unsound mind.

You may apply online to withdraw. Alternatively, you can complete the application form and mail it to us.

To support your application, please mail us photocopies of the relevant supporting documents (as stated on the application form). The documents must be certified by a Notary Public* or an official from the Singapore High Commission.

 
If you are leaving Singapore and West Malaysia permanently with no intention of returning to either country for employment or residence:
 

You may apply online to withdraw. Alternatively, you can complete the application form and mail it to us.

To support your application, please mail us photocopies of the relevant supporting documents (as stated on the application form). The documents must be certified by a Notary Public* or an official from the Singapore High Commission.

 
*Who is a Notary Public?
 

A Notary Public is a public official who has the power in law to witness the signing of a written statement or certify the authenticity of documents and make them official. Usually, a Notary Public has in force a practising certificate as a solicitor/advocate/lawyer, depending on the legal system in that country. If the solicitor/advocate/lawyer has been empowered with the duties of a Notary Public and has a seal/stamp showing the official title of Notary Public, documents witnessed or certified by him are acceptable.

Upon approval of your withdrawal application, please note that:

If you have used your CPF to purchase a property, you will not be required to refund the amount withdrawn upon sale of the property.
If you have used your CPF Ordinary Account monies to invest under the CPFIS-Ordinary Account, your Investment Account will be automatically closed and any investment holdings or cash balance will be released to you by your agent bank. You may then liquidate the investments as and when you wish and the proceeds would be paid to you directly.
If you have used your CPF Special Account monies to invest under the CPFIS-Special Account, the Board will inform your product provider(s) to release any investment holdings to you. You may then liquidate the investments as and when you wish and the proceeds would be paid to you directly.
If you have outstanding tax liabilities, your CPF will be used to pay off the taxes as CPF Board is appointed as a collecting agent for the Income Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).

For more information on prevailing tax rules, click here to access the IRAS website.

 
Mode of payment
 

The CPF withdrawn will be paid to you in Singapore Dollars.

You can choose to receive the monies through one of the following options:

Interbank GIRO into your Singapore Bank Account
Telegraphic Transfer to your overseas bank account
Demand Draft to be sent to your overseas address
CPF withdrawal cheque which can be encashed only at the Board's appointed bank in Singapore

Please refer to the application form for detailed information on the various options available.

 
How soon will your application be processed?
 

To view the processing time for each type of withdrawal application, click here.

 
Discounted SingTel shares
 

If you wish to sell your discounted SingTel shares before leaving, you may go to any Singapore Post office to perform the transaction. You would need to bring your identity card or passport to sell your shares. If you are unable to go in person, you may authorise someone to sell the shares for you. The authorised person is required to obtain your signature on the application form and bring this, together with his and your identity cards to SingPost. He will also need to countersign on the application form in the presence of a SingPost customer service officer.

Please click here for more information on selling the shares through SingPost.

If you have a trading account with a stockbroking firm, you may sell your discounted SingTel shares through your stockbroker. However, if you intend to trade through the internet, please check with your stock broker before selling.

 
Repayment of Education Loan
 

If you have used your CPF savings for your children's education, you may submit an application to waive the repayment of the loan. The application should be made only after the student has graduated or has left the approved institution and is expected to begin the repayment.

To apply, please complete and submit the form.

However, if you have withdrawn your CPF savings for your own education, you need not apply separately for the waiver. The Board will waive the repayment upon your withdrawal of your CPF savings.

 
Refund of CPF
 

If you are an ex-Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) and wish to return as a PR again, you would need to refund the full CPF amount you had previously withdrawn. A Letter of Clearance would then be issued to you for your submission to the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) for completion of the PR formalities.

If you wish to know more about the procedures to apply for PR status, click here to access the ICA website.

 

Living Overseas  ...Being a Global Citizen 

Making Voluntary CPF Contributions
Taking charge of your healthcare needs
Building your retirement savings by making wise investments
Providing for your children's education
Buying or selling your home
Providing financial protection for your loved ones
Retiring with grace
When you are no longer around
Other Useful Information
 Last Updated on: Thursday, September 04, 2008 at 5:33 PM
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