Your PC will lapse after the expiry date and you do not need to renew it if you wish to cease practice in Singapore. If you wish to apply for a reduced practice PC instead, please refer to question "What is reduced practice? What can a doctor in reduced practice do?" under “Doctors on Reduced Practice/ Retiring” topic.

If you have not retired but have gone overseas to practise and are now returning to Singapore, you should apply for a new PC at least 1 month before resuming practice in Singapore. If you have retired or ceased practise for 3 years or more, you may be required to submit a satisfactory performance assessment report to SMC as a condition for grant of your new PC application. To obtain the assessment report, you will have to undergo an Observership for a few months in an SMC-accredited healthcare institution. For further information, please write to SMC_PCRenewal@spb.gov.sg.

Validity Period of PC

Please note that regardless of the starting date of your new PC, it will end on 31 Dec of the year (i.e. if your new 2-year PC application is approved on 26 May 2025, the PC validity will be from 26 May 2025 to 31 Dec 2026).

If you do not wish to renew your PC, you will still receive reminders on PC renewal from the SMC’s PRS before the expiry of your PC, and after the expiry of your PC, the PRS will notify you that your PC has expired, and you must stop practising medicine immediately. You may ignore all these reminders if

you do not wish to renew your PC to practise or to practise in Singapore.

Remaining in SMC’s Register 

Your name will remain in the SMC’s Register of Medical Practitioners as long as you remain contactable. Therefore, you are advised to update your particulars and remain contactable if you wish for your name to remain in the SMC’s Register. If you wish to resume practice in future, you may apply for a new PC. In a case where the name of a doctor has been removed from the register(s), he/she may apply for restoration if he/she wishes to practise medicine in Singapore again. 

Update of Particulars and Singpass 

To log on to the PRS and update particulars, please refer to "How do I update my particulars" question under Medical Registration (General Registration).

The above applies to Fully registered doctors only. Conditionally, Temporarily and Provisionally registered doctors may contact their respective employers for advice on cessation of practice.