What are the vaccination requirements for my child's Dependent Pass in Singapore?

Childhood vaccinations needed to apply for a visa in Singapore

In Singapore, there are both mandatory and recommended vaccinations the Health Promotion Board (HPB) in Singapore requires foreign-born children to declare.

It is compulsory by law for all children aged 12 years and below who first time applicants for a visa to submit proof of their vaccination for:

• Diphtheria

• Measles

The documents must be submitted to HPB for verification before they can proceed with their applications to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or Immigration Checkpoint authority (ICA) for their long term stay in Singapore.

Apart from the compulsory vaccines, there are also a number of recommended vaccines that foreign-born children should take for diseases such as:

• Tuberculosis

• Hepatitis B

• Polio

• Haemophilus Influenza Type B

• Human Papillomavirus

• Pneumococcal

Children over 12 can skip the process of submitting verification documents to HPB and proceed straight to MOM to apply for a visa.

Steps to apply for verification of children vaccinations

In order to apply for a visa for your child, meeting the vaccination requirements first is a must. It is vital that you follow the steps listed below to ensure a smooth verification process.

1. Get a doctor's endorsement

Download the Immunisation Registration Form from the HPB website and get a certified doctor to endorse your child's immunisation details.

2. Documents to submit

There are multiple documents to submit for both the child and parent/guardian. Check out the HPB website for the exact list of documents and other supporting documents to submit.

3. Submit application

Enter in your child's immunisation records and upload the necessary supporting documents for verification. A non-refundable application fee of SGD $35 is required, with payment through VISA or MasterCard only.

4. Check application status

After submitting the application, the applicant will receive an email confirmation. The outcome of the application will be announced through email, and will also be available on the HPB website for viewing.

(Note: The processing time for the verification of vaccination records by the HPB takes roughly around 10 working days.)

Validity period of the "Verification of vaccination requirements" document

The validity period of the "verification of vaccination requirements (for entry into Singapore)" document varies depending on your child's age. Below is a table listing the different validity periods.

What to do if my child has an immunisation record from our country of origin

You are required to submit your child's immunisation record from your country of origin as supporting documents along with the other necessary documents for verification. If the documents are not in English, you have to submit a copy of the original documents that has been translated to English. HPB accepts copies translated by an embassy, translation service provider or notary public.

What to do if my child is not yet due for Diphtheria and Measles vaccinations

Even if your child has not taken the compulsory vaccines yet, submitting the vaccination records to through the Vaccination Requirements eService website is still a required process. If your documents are approved by the HPB, you will be issued the "verification of vaccination requirements" document for your Dependent Pass application with MOM. You will be notified on the next steps of the required vaccinations once your child has arrived in Singapore.

What to do if my child is medically unfit for vaccinations

If your child is exempted from both the mandatory vaccinations, you will need to receive an exemption letter from a doctor to submit to HPB. Do note that the exemption will only be approved for valid medical reasons, and the letter will be verified by the HPB.

Rejection of application for child visa

The MOM website states several reasons for the rejection of an application for "verification of vaccination requirements" for your child to enter Singapore:

• The given vaccination failed to fulfil the requirements of Singapore

• The Immunisation Registration Form was not submitted or signed by a certified doctor

• The mandatory vaccination section of the form was not filled

• The copy of your child's vaccination record was not submitted

• The translated documents were not submitted or compliant with the rules stated by HPB

The cost of vaccinating your child for Diphtheria and Measles in Singapore

Vaccinating for diphtheria and measles is a must according to Singapore law. For more information, you can refer to Vaccine costs in Singapore to have a full guide on the costs and schedules of vaccines and vaccinations in Singapore.

In Singapore, vaccines can be quite expensive, especially if you are a non-resident of Singapore. Typically, both diphtheria and measles vaccines can cost around SGD $70. However, the costs can differ depending on the clinic or hospital you visit as different facilities have different charging fees for consultation and administration of the vaccine.

Managing the cost of child vaccinations in Singapore

To give you peace of mind while raising your family, a new child health check benefit is now also available and supplements our existing checkup and vaccinations benefits. This means that you may enjoy even higher benefit limits to monitor your children’s health as they grow up.

Both adult preventive health screening and child health screening benefits are fully covered for Elite members.

If you wish to find out more about the recent changes on MyHEALTH, or to learn more about the flexible range of coverage options available with a MyHEALTH Singapore plan get in touch with your preferred broker or with a member of our team!

If you'd like to explore our coverage options and pricing, you can use our online funnels to build your own plan for you and your family; selecting different benefits and coverage levels for individual family members and much more.