TRW & Co · Private client and succession
How to Apply for Probate in Singapore: A Step-by-Step Guide for Executors
A probate application in Singapore asks the Family Justice Courts to confirm the executor named in a valid will. You file an Originating Application and Schedule of Assets, present the original will, file a Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath within 14 days, and the court usually issues the grant electronically in around two to three months.
Key pointMuch of what families think of as 'the estate' never needs a grant: CPF monies follow the nomination, joint tenancies pass by survivorship and estates up to $50,000 may be handled by the Public Trustee. Mapping assets first often makes the application smaller and quicker.
At a glance
Who applies
The executor named in a valid will applies for a Grant of Probate; where there is no valid will, beneficiaries apply for letters of administration instead.
Which court
Estates worth up to $5 million are handled by the Family Courts; larger estates go to the Family Division of the High Court, according to the courts' guide.
Key deadline
The Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath must be filed within 14 days of the Originating Application, unless the court grants an extension of time.
Typical timing
The courts estimate approximately two to three months for an uncomplicated grant; irregular wills, caveats or valuation questions can make it take longer.
Online option
A named sole executor of a simple Singapore estate worth up to $2 million may use the Probate eService with Singpass instead of the Service Bureau.
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The short answer: how a probate application works
A probate application in Singapore is the executor's request to the Family Justice Courts for a Grant of Probate: the court document that confirms the person named in a valid will has authority to collect the deceased's assets, pay the debts and distribute what is left. Without it, most banks, the Singapore Land Authority and share registries will not deal with the estate.
For a straightforward estate the process has four moving parts. You file an Originating Application with a Schedule of Assets; you present the original will for verification; within 14 days you file a Supporting Affidavit and an Administration Oath; and, if everything is in order, the court issues the grant electronically, often without anyone attending a hearing. The courts' own guide estimates roughly two to three months, depending on complexity.
This guide walks an executor through each stage, explains what to gather before you file, and flags the mistakes that most often cause documents to be rejected. It is written for families handling a loss as much as for the professionals helping them, so it starts with the practical question of whether you need a grant at all.
Before you apply: do you need a grant at all?
Not every asset passes through probate. The Singapore Courts guidance on probate and administration notes that CPF monies, immovable property such as an HDB flat held as joint tenants with no outstanding mortgage, insurance policies with valid nominations and certain bank accounts can usually be released without a grant. CPF savings follow the member's CPF nomination rather than the will, and joint tenancy property passes to the surviving owner by survivorship.
Where the estate is small, there may be a simpler route. The courts' guidance states that if the estate does not exceed $50,000, the Public Trustee may agree to administer it if certain criteria are met. Families in that position should check eligibility before spending money on a court application.
For everything else, an executor needs the grant, and a probate application in Singapore becomes necessary. That usually includes sole-name bank accounts, shares and unit trusts, private property, and any HDB flat held as tenants-in-common or with a share that does not pass by survivorship.
Find the latest valid will
The executor should be confident they hold the deceased's last will. Ask the family, check the deceased's papers and contact any lawyer who may have prepared it. The Wills Registry, which has been managed by the Singapore Academy of Law since May 2020, can be searched for information on wills that were voluntarily registered. Registration is not compulsory, so a nil result does not prove there is no later will.
If the will is valid on its face — in writing, signed by the testator and witnessed by two people present at the same time, as the Wills Act requires — the named executor applies for probate. If there is no valid will, the route is letters of administration instead, which we cover in our separate guide to letters of administration when there is no will.
The legal framework behind a probate application in Singapore
The core statute is the Probate and Administration Act 1934. It allows probate to be granted to any executor appointed by a will, caps the number of personal representatives for the same property at four, and lets the court grant probate of a copy or reconstructed contents where an original will has been lost. The Wills Act 1838 sets the formal requirements for a valid will, including the minimum age of 21.
Procedure is governed by the Family Justice (Probate and Other Matters) Rules 2024 for filings commenced on or after 15 October 2024, together with Part 24 of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024. Older filings remain under the 2014 Rules and the 2015 Practice Directions, which is why some court forms still carry two sets of numbers.
Jurisdiction depends on value. According to the courts' guide, estates worth up to $5 million go to the Family Courts; estates above that go to the Family Division of the High Court. Estate duty does not apply to deaths on or after 15 February 2008, so most current applications deal only with court fees and administration costs, not death taxes in Singapore.
Muslim estates
Where the deceased was Muslim, distribution follows Muslim law and the executor must also file a copy of the Inheritance Certificate issued by the Syariah Court. The probate procedure in the Family Justice Courts still applies to obtain the grant itself, but the shares are determined differently, so early advice is sensible.
Probate application in Singapore: the step-by-step process
The sequence below follows the courts’ guide to filing for a Grant of Probate for a case where the deceased left a valid will and the applicant is the named executor. Every probate application in Singapore is filed electronically: lawyers file through eLitigation; self-represented executors either use the Probate eService (if eligible) or book an appointment at the Service Bureau.
- Gather the papers. Locate the original will and any codicils, the death certificate (a digitally verifiable Digital Death Certificate avoids the need for a certified copy) and statements for each asset and debt. Contact banks, CPF, insurers and brokers to confirm balances as at the date of death.
- Settle who will apply. If several executors are named and some do not wish to act, each must sign a renunciation before a Commissioner for Oaths or a lawyer. An executor can also simply not join the application, with power reserved, but this should be a deliberate choice.
- Optionally search for caveats and earlier applications. On the day of filing, a search of the court's record will show whether anyone has entered a caveat or filed a competing application. A caveat means the court must give that person an opportunity to contest the grant.
- File the Originating Application and Schedule of Assets. The application uses Form 162 of the 2024 Practice Directions; the Schedule of Assets uses Form 177. If values are not yet available, the Schedule can be filed later, supported by a supplementary affidavit.
- Present the original will. For filings at the Service Bureau, the original will must be presented for verification at the Family Justice Courts' Probate Counter by 4.30pm on the next operating day. It is returned after verification.
- File the Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath within 14 days. The affidavit confirms on oath that the information and documents are accurate; the oath confirms you will faithfully administer and account for the estate. If you need more time, a request for an extension must be filed.
- Respond to any queries or attend the hearing. If documents are complete before the hearing date, the court may approve the application on the papers and tell you not to attend. Otherwise, you attend the scheduled hearing or ask for it to be re-fixed.
- Receive the grant and extract certified copies. Grants are issued electronically; a printed grant with an embossed seal can be requested. Many institutions ask for a certified true copy, which can be applied for separately.
The courts ask applicants to explain any delay if they file more than six months after the death. That is not a bar to applying late, but the reason must be stated in the application, and a long gap often means interest, penalties or property issues have built up in the meantime. Starting the paperwork for a probate application in Singapore early is the single most useful thing an executor can do.
Documents, fees and timing compared
Self-represented executors with a simple estate may qualify for the Probate eService. The courts list the criteria: the applicant must be the named sole executor, over 21 and a Singpass user; the deceased must have been a Singapore citizen or permanent resident domiciled in Singapore who died in Singapore on or after 15 February 2008 and was not Muslim; the will must be in English and regular on its face; and the estate must be worth no more than $2 million.
| Route | Who it suits | How it works | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Probate eService | Sole named executor, simple Singapore estate up to $2 million | Online, Singpass login, MyInfo pre-fill; original will still verified at the Probate Counter | Discrepancies in names or IDs push the case back to the Service Bureau; rejection fees apply per document |
| Service Bureau (self-filed) | Executors who do not meet eService criteria but have an uncontested estate | Service Bureau prepares and files the Originating Application and Schedule of Assets from your information | Appointment needed; you remain responsible for accuracy and the 14-day affidavit deadline |
| Through a lawyer | Multiple executors, foreign assets, missing or irregular wills, family tension, estates above $5 million | Lawyer files on eLitigation and handles affidavits of due execution, queries and hearings | Professional fees; choose counsel who will also advise on distribution, not only the grant |
| Public Trustee | Estates not exceeding $50,000 meeting the Public Trustee's criteria | Public Trustee administers the estate instead of a court grant | Not available for every asset type or family situation; check eligibility first |
Choosing the right route for a probate application in Singapore is mostly about complexity, not value alone.
On fees, the courts' published guide for Service Bureau filings lists $210 to $240 for the Originating Application (depending on whether a printed grant is required), plus smaller fees for each supporting document such as the Schedule of Assets, a certified copy of the will and the death certificate. Commissioner for Oaths fees, lawyers' fees and valuation costs are additional.
On timing, the courts estimate approximately two to three months for a grant in an uncomplicated case. Valuation questions, a missing witness, a caveat or a query on the will can extend that considerably.
After the grant: collecting, paying and distributing
The grant is the beginning of the executor's work, not the end. With it, the executor closes accounts, transfers or sells shares, deals with property and gathers everything into an estate account. Debts, funeral costs and administration expenses are paid before beneficiaries receive anything.
Executors owe duties to the beneficiaries. They must act honestly, keep the estate's money separate from their own, keep records and be ready to account for what they received and paid. Beneficiaries who feel kept in the dark often become claimants, so regular, plain-language updates are worth the effort.
Residential property and foreign beneficiaries
The courts highlight a point families often miss. Under the Residential Property Act 1976, if a foreign person (which includes a Singapore permanent resident for these purposes) inherits residential property such as a landed home, the executor must transfer or sell that interest within five years of the death, unless an extension is obtained or the Singapore Land Authority approves the beneficiary retaining it. This needs planning from the outset, not at year four.
Our probate and estate administration practice page sets out how we support executors through collection and distribution, and our probate coordination guide covers multi-adviser estates.
An illustrative scenario
Illustrative only; the facts are generic. A widow's two adult children are named as joint executors in her will. The estate comprises a private condominium in her sole name, two bank accounts, a share portfolio and a small savings account in Malaysia. Her CPF nomination is in favour of the children.
The CPF monies are released by the CPF Board under the nomination and never enter the probate application. The children obtain death-date statements, commission a valuation of the condominium and check the court's records for caveats on the day of filing. One child lives overseas and does not want to travel back to sign documents repeatedly, so she renounces in favour of her sibling, signing before a Commissioner for Oaths.
The remaining executor files through a lawyer because of the Malaysian account. The grant issues electronically. Before distributing, the executor pays the outstanding property tax and credit card balances, takes advice on how to deal with the Malaysian account, and sends both beneficiaries a short account of receipts and payments. The careful sequence does not make the process quick, but it makes it calm.
Common mistakes that delay a probate application in Singapore
The courts publish a list of frequent filing errors. In our experience, the following cause the most frustration for families.
Names and identity numbers do not match
If the executor's or the deceased's name in the will differs from the identity card — a changed surname, an added Christian name, an old passport number — the court will want an explanation, usually by affidavit. The Probate eService cannot handle many of these discrepancies, so the case moves to the Service Bureau.
Check every name and number against the will and death certificate before filing, and prepare the explanatory evidence at the same time.
The will looks irregular
Alterations that are not initialled, a missing attestation clause, pages that appear to have been removed or a staple mark where something was attached can each trigger a requisition. The court may require an affidavit of due execution from a witness.
If the witnesses are elderly or overseas, trace them early. A will that is otherwise perfectly valid can take months longer if the only witness who can explain an irregularity is difficult to reach.
The Schedule of Assets is incomplete or undervalued
The Schedule of Assets is used to confirm the estate's value and, in some cases, to determine security. Leaving out an account, guessing at a property value or forgetting foreign assets can cause rejection or later amendment.
Where valuation is genuinely uncertain, the courts may refer the matter to the Panel of Financial Experts scheme for a neutral valuation. It is better to flag uncertainty than to guess.
Distributing too early
Executors sometimes pay out to beneficiaries as soon as the grant arrives. If a debt, a tax bill or a family provision claim surfaces later, the executor may be personally exposed.
Hold a sensible reserve until creditors have had a fair chance to come forward and the time for dependants' claims has passed. Our guide to contesting a will explains the claims that can affect distribution.
Cross-border estates and foreign grants
A probate application in Singapore is often only one part of the picture. Many Singapore estates include a property in London, a bank account in Kuala Lumpur or family land in Bangladesh, and many executors live abroad. A Singapore grant generally covers assets in Singapore; foreign assets usually need a local process in the country where they sit.
Conversely, if the deceased died domiciled abroad and a probate court in a Commonwealth country or another jurisdiction designated under the Probate and Administration Act has already issued a grant, it may be possible to reseal that grant in Singapore rather than start afresh. Where the deceased was domiciled in Singapore, the court can also note that domicile on the grant, which some foreign institutions find helpful.
TRW & Co's offices in Singapore, London, Dubai and Dhaka allow us to coordinate parallel applications so that valuations, timing and distributions line up. Our cross-border estates guide covers this in more depth. Where Singapore court representation is required, we work alongside Singapore-qualified counsel.
Your checklist before filing
- Confirm you hold the deceased's last original will, and that it is signed and witnessed by two witnesses.
- List every asset and debt, and separate those that pass outside the will (CPF nominations, joint tenancies, nominated policies).
- Check whether the estate qualifies for the Public Trustee route or the Probate eService.
- Agree among executors who will apply, and arrange renunciations if needed.
- Diary the 14-day deadline for the Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath.
- Identify foreign beneficiaries of residential property and foreign assets early.
- Keep beneficiaries informed in writing at each stage.
If you are unsure about any step of a probate application in Singapore, or the estate has foreign or contentious elements, our wills and estate planning team and our estate and trust disputes team can help. You can contact us for an initial conversation, without obligation.
Frequently asked questions
01How long does it take to get probate in Singapore?
The Singapore Courts estimate approximately two to three months from filing for an uncomplicated case. The clock depends on how quickly you file the Supporting Affidavit and Administration Oath (due within 14 days of the application), whether the Schedule of Assets is complete, and whether the court raises queries about the will. Caveats, missing witnesses, foreign assets or valuation disputes can extend the timeline significantly. Collecting and distributing the assets after the grant is a separate stage that commonly takes several further months.
02Do I need a lawyer to apply for probate in Singapore?
No. The courts state that you do not need a lawyer to file for a Grant of Probate. A sole executor of a simple estate may use the Probate eService, and others can file through the Service Bureau. A lawyer is sensible where there are several executors, foreign assets, an irregular or missing will, a caveat, family disagreement or an estate above $5 million. Independent advice is also useful on distribution, which the grant does not resolve.
03Is there a deadline for applying for probate?
There is no absolute bar on applying late, but the courts' guide says the application should be filed within six months of the death, and if it is filed later you must state the reason for the delay. Practically, delay causes problems: bank accounts stay frozen, property outgoings accumulate and the five-year period for disposing of residential property inherited by a foreign beneficiary keeps running. Executors should start gathering documents as soon as they reasonably can.
04What does probate cost in Singapore?
Court filing fees for a straightforward Service Bureau filing are relatively modest: the courts' guide lists $210 to $240 for the Originating Application, depending on whether a printed grant is needed, plus small fees for each supporting document. You also pay Commissioner for Oaths fees, any valuation fees and, if you instruct one, a lawyer's professional fees, which vary with complexity. Estate duty does not apply to deaths on or after 15 February 2008.
05Can I apply for probate if I live outside Singapore?
Yes. An executor who lives abroad can apply, usually through a Singapore lawyer, although affidavits and oaths must be properly sworn and some steps, such as presenting the original will, require the document to be physically in Singapore. Alternatively, an overseas executor can renounce in favour of a co-executor in Singapore. If a grant has already been made by a court in a qualifying foreign jurisdiction, resealing that grant may be an option.
06What if I cannot find the original will?
The Probate and Administration Act allows the court to grant probate of a copy or draft, or of the reconstructed contents, where an original will has been lost or cannot be produced. This requires additional evidence explaining what happened to the original and showing the copy is accurate, so it is more involved than a standard application. Search thoroughly first, including with the deceased's lawyers and the Wills Registry, before concluding the original is lost.
Sources and official materials
- Apply for probate — Singapore Courts — Who can apply, assets outside a grant, Public Trustee route and foreign beneficiaries
- How to file for a Grant of Probate — Singapore Courts — Documents, fees, Service Bureau filing and original will verification
- Probate eService — Singapore Courts — Eligibility criteria for sole executors filing online
- File the supporting documents — Singapore Courts — Supporting Affidavit, Administration Oath and the 14-day deadline
- Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024, Part 24 — Non-contentious probate procedure and forms
- Probate and Administration Act 1934 — Grants of probate, lost wills, caveats and resealing
- Wills Registry transfer to SAL — Ministry of Law — Who manages the Wills Registry
General information only, current as at 20 October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Singapore law and regulatory practice change; check current official sources and take advice on the facts of your matter.
