Marriage in Singapore: Rights and Obligations

Getting married represents an important moment in the life of a person; however, several procedures have to be followed by the two persons getting married here, as stipulated by the local legislation. Persons who want to marry in Singapore should know that the marriage procedure is regulated by the Singapore Registry of Marriages (ROM). The Singaporean legislation allows marriages between local and foreign citizens, under certain conditions; our law firm in Singapore can provide you with the legislative framework under which foreign persons can get married here. 

Getting married in Singapore 

In order to get married in Singapore, one of the parties involved should announce this intention to the ROM Registrar by filing a Notice of Marriage available on the ROM’s on-line platform. In order to receive the right to get married in Singapore, one of the persons should have a minimum of 15 days of continuous residency (the day of arrival is not taken into consideration) on the Singaporean territory before applying for the marriage procedure at ROM.

After this, the couple getting married should wait for 21 days in order to receive the right to marriage in Singapore. After filing for marriage, the couple is not required to wait in Singapore for the issuance of documents. Persons who get married for the first time should present their passports and birth certificates; you can find out more information on the subject from our Singaporean lawyers. 

Rights and obligations of married couples in Singapore 

According to the Singaporean legislation, a civil marriage represents the union of two people, in which at least one has a non-Muslim origin; it is legally binding to receive a certificate of marriage issued by ROM in order to attest the validity of the union. 

Muslim marriages, in which both of the parties are of Muslim religion, must receive a certificate from the Registry of Muslim Marriages. 

Married couples in Singapore can benefit from various government support schemes (such as housing grants and the Baby Bonus scheme); the Singaporean state offers various incentives for married people who want to have a child; some of them refer to fertility treatments incentives or child health care services. 

Married women expecting a child can have 16 weeks of paid maternity leave (12 weeks if the child is not a Singapore citizen) if they have been employed in a company for at least 3 months; in the situation in which one of the spouse is ill, he or she can receive health coverage through the other’s spouse social security plan. 

Singapore has no community-property regime: each spouse keeps his or her own property during the marriage, and matrimonial assets are divided by the court only on divorce or judicial separation. 

If you need further information on the marriage procedures in Singapore, please contact our Singaporean law firm for legal assistance.