Quick answer
It depends on your child’s age on 1 January of the year they start. At 6, it is P1 registration: in 2026, MOE took interest from 19 May to 25 May 2026, with Phase 3 in October 2026. Older children sit AEIS (tests in September, school from January) or S-AEIS (tests in February or March, school from April or May).
The useful number: MOE places international students after Singapore Citizen and PR children. In 2026, the primary school fee is S$595 a month for ASEAN and S$1,035 for non-ASEAN international students.
Who is this for?
Parents moving to Singapore, or already here, whose child is not a Singapore Citizen or PR. MOE calls these children international students. Singapore Citizen and PR children use the usual P1 phases instead.
Which route fits your child’s age?
- Age 6 on 1 January of the year they start: P1 registration for international students.
- Older: AEIS, for Primary 2 to 5 and Secondary 1 to 3 in the following academic year. Tests are in September; school starts in January.
- Or S-AEIS, for Primary 2 to 4 and Secondary 1 to 2 in the same academic year. Tests are in end February or early March; school starts in April or May.
- Your child should not be more than 2 years older than the appropriate age for that education level. MOE’s eligibility checker gives the levels your child can sit.
MOE’s age for each level, as at 1 January of the year your child starts:
- Primary 1
- 6
- Primary 2
- 7
- Primary 3
- 8
- Primary 4
- 9
- Primary 5
- 10
- Primary 6
- 11: new students are generally not admitted at this level.
- Secondary 1
- 12
- Secondary 2
- 13
- Secondary 3
- 14
- Secondary 4
- 15: new students are generally not admitted at this level.
What are the next published dates?
| Route | Dates MOE has published | School starts |
|---|---|---|
| P1, 2026 exercise | Indicate interest 19 May 2026 to 25 May 2026. Phase 3 registration in October 2026. MOE emails the outcome by the end of October 2026. | January 2027 |
| AEIS 2026 | Applications closed. Tests 1 September 2026 to 3 September 2026. Primary results 17 to 21 December 2026. | January 2027 |
| S-AEIS 2027 | Applications open in early January 2027. Tests end February or early March 2027 (tentative). | April or May 2027 |
MOE has not published the 2027 AEIS dates yet. For P1, MOE says it does not consider appeals from parents who miss the deadline.
What do the tests cover, and what do they cost?
- Primary: Mathematics test. Primary applicants also upload a Cambridge English Qualifications result.
- Secondary: English and Mathematics tests.
- Application fee: S$340 for primary and S$630 for secondary, for AEIS and S-AEIS. GST at the prevailing rate is charged on these fees.
- The school posting is final. You cannot pick the school: MOE posts your child to one with a vacancy.
What are the monthly school fees?
| Level | ASEAN, 2026 | Non-ASEAN, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | S$595 | S$1,035 |
| Secondary | S$1,090 | S$2,190 |
The miscellaneous fee is S$14.17 a month in primary and S$21.80 in secondary. That is MOE's fee for international students including GST: the same S$13 (primary) and S$20 (secondary) a month that every pupil pays, plus GST. MOE’s fees page says fees for international students include GST. MOE has not published 2027 fees for international students yet.
Does my child need a Student’s Pass?
Your child needs a Student’s Pass for an MOE school unless they hold a valid Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass or Immigration Exemption Order. Apply at least 2 months and not more than 3 months before the course begins. ICA charges a S$45 processing fee. A local sponsor, a Singapore Citizen or PR aged 21 or older, is needed.
What should we sort out before we arrive?
- Dependant’s Pass: With an Employment Pass or S Pass and a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000, you can get one for unmarried children below 21. MOM counts your own salary, not the household’s. The employer, or its employment agent, applies. Most applications take up to 3 weeks. MOM charges S$105 to apply and S$225 when each pass is issued.
- Documents for the pass: a copy of the birth certificate with both parents’ names, and a copy of the passport’s personal particulars page.
- Vaccination proof: Measles and diphtheria vaccinations are compulsory for children under Singapore’s Infectious Diseases Act. Children aged 12 and below applying for a new Dependant’s Pass need a Verification of Vaccination Requirements document from the Communicable Diseases Agency. Existing Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass and Student’s Pass holders do not need it.
- Records from home: to add earlier jabs to Singapore’s National Immunisation Registry, you need your child’s NRIC or FIN. Upload the birth certificate with both parents’ names and the original vaccination records. Records not in English must be translated into English. Only vaccines on Singapore's national schedule are added.
- Health cover: MediShield Life covers Singapore Citizens and PRs. A child on a Dependant’s Pass or Student’s Pass is neither, so is not in it. Check what your own health insurance covers.
Tick these off with the Moving to Singapore with children checklist.
What does this guide not tell you?
It does not decide eligibility or the level your child can sit. MOE does, and no place is guaranteed. Dates and fees change each year: check MOE’s pages before you apply.
Printables for this guide
Moving to Singapore with children checklist
Passes, the compulsory measles and diphtheria proof, school documents and health cover for children moving to Singapore. Plus a page for dates and documents.
Check your child’s route
Enter the birth date and the month you arrive. See the route, the next published window and the fee line.
See your child’s route →Frequently asked questions
Is it Phase 3 for international students?
For P1, yes. In 2026, parents indicated interest online by 25 May 2026. Those children took part in Phase 3 registration in October 2026, after the Singapore Citizen and PR phases.
My child is 8. Can they start in P1?
MOE’s age for P1 is 6 on 1 January. Your child should not be more than 2 years older than the appropriate age for that education level. MOE’s checker gives the levels your child can sit.
Can we choose the school?
Not through AEIS or S-AEIS. MOE posts successful children to a school with a vacancy, and says the posting is final.
Do we need a Student’s Pass if we have a Dependant’s Pass?
No. MOE and ICA say a child with a valid Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass or Immigration Exemption Order does not need one.
Keep this guide for the next big decision.
Build your own reading list and pick up where you left off with a free RaisingAngels account.
Free account · Tools stay free without an account.
Sources & assumptions
- MOE: P1 registration for international students ↗
- MOE AEIS ↗
- MOE S-AEIS ↗
- MOE: studying in Singapore ↗
- MOE school fees for non-citizens, 2024 to 2026 ↗
- ICA Student's Pass ↗
- MOM Dependant's Pass eligibility ↗
- MOM: apply for a Dependant's Pass ↗
- MOM Dependant's Pass documents ↗
- Communicable Diseases Agency vaccinations ↗
- National Immunisation Registry: update a vaccination record ↗
- MOH MediShield Life ↗
MOE decides admission and ICA and MOM decide passes.