Under the Enlistment Act 1970, all male Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) will be scheduled for enlistment upon reaching the age of 18 years. PRs granted under the Professionals/Technical Personnel and Skilled Workers (PTS) Scheme are administratively exempted from National Service (NS).

Male applicants who are granted Singapore PR status as a Foreign Student or under their parents' sponsorship are required to register for NS upon reaching 16½ years old and will be scheduled for enlistment at the earliest opportunity upon reaching 18 years old.

MINDEF allows students to attain educational qualifications up to the 'A' Levels certificate, the polytechnic diploma or an equivalent before they are required to serve NS. They will be enlisted at the earliest opportunity when they have finished such courses, or after turning 18, whichever is later. MINDEF does not grant deferment for university studies, regardless of whether such studies have begun.

Males who are granted Singapore PR, and who were previously SCs or Singapore PRs, are liable to be called up for NS regardless of the scheme under which their Singapore PR status was granted.

For more information on NS liability, please contact:

Central Manpower Base
Email: contact@ns.gov.sg
Contact no: 1800-3676767 (local) or +65 65676767 (overseas)