🇸🇬 🇲🇾 Dual citizenship application procedures
I’m finally sharing my experience on how to register for dual citizenship as many of you has PM-ed me on this 🫣
As I’m a Malaysia citizen (Singapore PR) and my husband is a Singapore citizen, we decided to apply dual citizenship for our baby so that she can conveniently enter and exit Malaysia until the age of 21.
After delivery, the hospital gave me 3 documents:
• Borang JPN.LM01
• Hospital birth notification (proof that I delivered in that hospital)
• A checklist for birth registration documents
⚠️ If your hospital doesn’t provide the JPN form, don’t worry — you can collect it directly from the government office. Not all hospitals issue it.
Mine was super kind and even helped pre-fill the parts they knew, since my husband doesn’t understand Malay 🥹
‼️ Important: If you’re a Malaysia + Singapore couple who registered your marriage in Singapore, remember to register your marriage again at the Malaysian Embassy / Malaysian government office.
Skipping this step is actually against the law.
Our next step: UTC Johor
We picked a day to head down to UTC Johor.
👉 Remember to bring your baby along.
👉 If you plan to do the passport on the same day, dress your baby in dark-coloured clothes for the photo.
Because we were carrying a baby, the staff let us enter directly to take a queue number without lining up outside 🙏
Submit all forms and documents, double-check the baby’s name, then wait to be called for payment and collection of the Malaysian birth certificate.
After receiving the birth certificate, we proceeded to apply for the Malaysian passport since we needed to return to Singapore after confinement. Same process — get the correct form, submit, and take photo.
We were super lucky because our baby opened her eyes perfectly, so everything passed in one go ✨
Once both documents were done, we moved on to Singapore citizenship application.
⚠️ Only the Singapore citizen parent can apply for the child. In our case, my husband handled the application. Just apply via ICA Singapore website.
The required documents are quite a lot — I’ve listed them in the last picture.
You may prepared beforehand for the ones that take the most time to prepare:
• Last 6 months’ payslips (both parents)
• Letter of Employment from employer
• Baby photo with eyes open
After submission, ICA will ask if you want to apply for the passport at the same time (FREE) — remember to tick YES ‼️
We received ICA’s approval email in about 5 days 🎉
Then we booked an appointment at ICA (baby no need to go) to:
• Collect the Citizenship Certificate
• Collect the Singapore passport
Once your baby becomes a Singapore citizen, you can apply for Baby Bonus immediately 💰
‼️For dual-citizenship babies, remember to apply for Right of Entry (ROE) via ICA.
This allows your baby to freely enter and exit using either passport ✈️
Hope this helps all the parents who’ve been waiting — feel free to save or share 🤍
Having undergone the dual citizenship process for our child born in Johor Bahru, I wanted to share additional insights that might ease your application journey. One crucial step many overlook is thoroughly preparing all documents beforehand. The JPN.LM01 form from the Malaysian side is mandatory but not always issued by hospitals. In that case, you should obtain it directly from the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) office. The office details and phone numbers are listed in the official documentation you receive at birth. Remember to bring originals and photocopies of the baby's birth notification, parents' identification or passports, and marriage certificates, especially for couples married in Singapore. This is legally required for registration. When heading to the UTC Johor or Pasir Gudang JPN offices, if you have a newborn, dress your baby comfortably but also consider transporting them in dark-colored clothes if you plan to get a Malaysian passport photo done the same day, as suggested by the staff. For the Singapore citizenship application, only the Singaporean parent can submit the application online via the ICA website. Gather all documents like payslips for the past six months, employment letters, and a baby photo with eyes open to prevent delays. ICA usually processes approvals within about five days, and it’s advisable to apply for the Singapore passport simultaneously since it is free and convenient. After citizenship approval, remember to schedule a collection appointment at ICA. A noteworthy tip is that your baby does not need to attend this appointment. Finally, for dual citizens, apply for the Right of Entry (ROE) permit so your child can freely move in and out of Singapore using either passport without complications. This step is vital to avoid travel issues at immigration checkpoints. The OCR details shed light on the precise data fields required on official forms, from birth weight, length, time of birth, to religious and residency status. Ensuring all these details are accurately filled will prevent unnecessary back-and-forth with authorities. This process, while complex, becomes manageable with thorough preparation and knowledge of each step. Save and share this guide to help fellow parents navigating dual citizenship registration for their children in Malaysia and Singapore.
Hi, so if the baby travel overseas which passport to use?