Before You Apply
The route decides the timeline.
There are two different LTVPs
The Long Term Visit Pass is not one pass with one process. Family members of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents generally apply through ICA. Certain family members of eligible work pass holders apply through MOM.
How long it takes
Processing times depend on the route and on the circumstances of the application:
- Around six weeks where the couple completed the Pre-Marriage Long Term Visit Pass Assessment before marrying.
- Up to around six months for a standard application without a completed assessment.
The difference is substantial, and it is within your control if the marriage has not yet taken place.
The Pre-Marriage Assessment is free, and most people miss it
Couples intending to marry can complete a Pre-Marriage Long Term Visit Pass Assessment before the marriage takes place. It carries no fee.
It gives an indication of the likelihood of a successful LTVP application, and where it has been completed the subsequent application is processed considerably faster. Couples who have not yet married and are planning to apply later are usually better served by completing it than by waiting.
It is not a guarantee of an outcome. It is an indication, and a shorter timeline.
Differences Between the LTVP and LTVP+
LTVP+ is commonly described as an upgraded LTVP. It is more accurate to treat it as a separate ICA scheme with its own eligibility, introduced to give foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens greater certainty of stay.
It is for spouses only, and only where the sponsor is a Singapore Citizen. Parents, parents in law and children are not eligible, and a Permanent Resident cannot sponsor a spouse for it. Couples with at least one Singaporean child from the marriage are eligible to apply. Where there is no Singaporean child, ICA considers other factors including the duration of the marriage, and has said it generally looks more favourably on marriages of at least three years. The sponsor's ability to support the family financially and the conduct of both parties are also taken into account.
There is no separate application to make. Foreign spouses of citizens who apply for an LTVP are automatically considered for LTVP+ where they qualify, and an existing LTVP holder who becomes eligible is considered at the next renewal.
Where it is granted, three differences matter in practice:
- Length of stay. Three years on first issue, and up to five years on each subsequent renewal.
- Working. A prospective employer applies to MOM for a Letter of Consent rather than an Employment Pass, S Pass or Work Permit. Holders working on a Letter of Consent are not counted against their employer's foreign worker quota, and no foreign worker levy is payable. A standard LTVP holder has no equivalent route and needs a regular work pass.
- Healthcare. Subsidies for inpatient services at restructured hospitals, at levels close to those for Permanent Residents. Means testing applies for the relevant ward classes.
What it does not cover is worth stating just as plainly. The subsidies apply to inpatient care only, not to day surgery, specialist outpatient clinics or polyclinic services. LTVP+ does not place the holder on the same footing as a citizen, and it is not a prerequisite for permanent residence. ICA's own guidance encourages holders to take up health insurance rather than rely on the subsidy alone.
None of this is a choice an applicant makes. Which status is available follows from the relationship and the sponsor rather than from preference, which is why establishing the route comes before everything else.
What the pass does not do
An LTVP allows the holder to remain in Singapore. It does not by itself permit employment, and working requires separate authorisation. It is also a pass rather than a status, which means it is granted for a period and renewed rather than held permanently.
For families whose long term intention is permanent residence, the LTVP is usually a stage rather than a destination, and it is worth planning on that basis from the start.
Official and current information on the Long Term Visit Pass is published by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority at ica.gov.sg and by the Ministry of Manpower at mom.gov.sg, depending on the applicable route. Requirements and procedures change periodically, and the position published by the relevant authority always takes precedence over any general guidance, including ours.
