LTVP After Divorce: Can You Stay in Singapore?

Last updated: 14 November 2026

Your marriage to a Singapore citizen is ending, and your Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP or LTVP+) depends on it, because your spouse is your sponsor. What happens to your LTVP after divorce in Singapore turns on your situation: whether you have Singaporean children in your care, another sponsor, or a job.

This page covers your immigration status only. For the divorce itself, custody or maintenance, speak to a family lawyer or the Family Justice Courts. If you need support through the separation, ICA has pointed foreign spouses to their nearest family service centre.

Quick Answer

• Your pass does not end when the divorce starts. Under ICA's LTVP terms, your spouse cannot ask ICA to cancel it without your consent. ICA can still cancel a pass at its own discretion.
• The harder part is renewal. A renewal needs a local sponsor. If your spouse will not sponsor it, you must tell ICA.
• With custody of Singaporean children, ICA generally renews. MHA said this in Parliament on 7 May 2024. "Generally" is not "always": each case is assessed on its facts.
• Without children, your position is narrower. Another Singapore citizen or PR can sponsor you, subject to ICA's approval, or you can qualify for a work pass of your own.
• Tell ICA. If you have a pending application, update it rather than waiting.

What Happens to Your LTVP When the Marriage Ends

The pass stays valid until it expires or is cancelled. ICA's LTVP terms and conditions (dated 7 September 2023) say the LTVP is issued "on the basis of your local sponsor". They also say your sponsor "cannot unilaterally request ICA to cancel the LTVP without your consent". ICA "will require both your consent and your local sponsor's consent to cancel the LTVP."

ICA keeps its own power to cancel. The same terms say your LTVP "may be cancelled at ICA's discretion". The consent rule limits your spouse, not ICA.

How a cancellation works. In a February 2021 media response, ICA said both spouses must attend an interview and "must acknowledge and sign the necessary documents" before it cancels. ICA's cancellation form can be sent by the pass holder or the sponsor, and ICA replies by email within 3 working days. Your spouse can submit the form, but under ICA's terms your spouse cannot have the pass cancelled without your consent. If you are in Singapore, a successful cancellation comes with a Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP); the form does not say how long it lasts.

Renewal is where the marriage matters. ICA's terms say that if your sponsor "intends to withdraw sponsorship of your LTVP renewals, you are required to notify ICA". The same clause says another Singapore citizen or PR may sponsor your LTVP, "subject to ICA's approval".

For how LTVP renewal works in general, see our LTVP guide.

Your Situation at a Glance

If You Have Singaporean Children in Your Care

MHA, 7 May 2024. In a written reply to Parliament, the Minister said: "Our policy is to generally allow divorced or widowed foreign spouses with custody of Singaporean children to remain in Singapore to care for and raise their children here." He added that ICA "generally renews their Long-Term Visit Pass".

MHA, 3 September 2019. An earlier reply said divorced or widowed foreign mothers "who have custody of their minor Singaporean children" would generally qualify for an LTVP or LTVP+, with "each case" assessed on its circumstances, including any adverse records. That reply spoke of mothers; the 2024 reply says "spouses".

ICA, February 2021. ICA said it "will generally also renew foreign spouses' LTVP after their divorce if they have custody of Singaporean children."

During the proceedings. In the same 2021 response, ICA said it will typically support "the renewal of their long-term visit passes (LTVP) until the end of their divorce proceedings if they have Singaporean children and a local sponsor supporting their application." Both conditions apply: Singaporean children and a local sponsor. If your spouse chooses not to renew, ICA "will consider whether there are mitigating factors" for you to stay. That 2021 page is still live on ICA's site.

Keep in mind:

• "Generally" is not a guarantee. ICA assesses each case.
• After the divorce, the word used is "custody". None of the post-divorce statements covers a parent with access but not custody. If that is you, ask ICA directly.
• If you cannot renew the usual way, ICA's spouse of a Singapore citizen page says a divorced or widowed spouse "unable to submit your LTVP renewal application due to unique circumstances" can ask for help through ICA's LTVP enquiry form.

If your family has mixed statuses, our article on a citizen child with a foreign parent covers the wider picture.

If You Have No Children Together

Every renewal statement above is tied to Singaporean children, so you have fewer options.

If your divorce proceedings are still under way in Singapore, ICA considers that. MHA's 3 March 2021 reply, quoted below, names undergoing divorce proceedings in Singapore as something ICA looks at when another sponsor applies, whether or not you have children.

These are the options open to you:

• Another sponsor. ICA's LTVP terms allow another Singapore citizen or PR to sponsor you, subject to ICA's approval. In a 3 March 2021 written reply, MHA said foreign spouses who cannot renew under their spouse "can seek sponsorship from other Singaporeans or PRs". ICA considers whether there are valid reasons to stay, such as "whether the foreign spouse has custody of Singaporean children or is undergoing divorce proceedings in Singapore."
• Why such requests fail. The same reply named the main reasons for rejection: no local family roots, adverse records, or a sponsor who cannot show they can support themselves and you.
• A work pass of your own. See the next section.

ICA's LTVP page names the sponsor required for each eligibility category, but none of its categories is a divorced former spouse. If nothing fits, use ICA's LTVP enquiry form to explain your circumstances.

If You Are Working on a Letter of Consent

Your Letter of Consent (LOC) ends with your pass. MOM's LOC page says the LOC "stops being valid when" your LTVP or LTVP+ is cancelled or expires, or when you leave the employer. The Pre-approved LOC page says the same of the PLOC.

After the divorce, MOM's pages are silent. Both are written for a holder who is "married to" a Singaporean or PR, or "a spouse" of one. Neither says whether a former spouse whose LTVP is renewed on another basis can get a new one. Ask MOM before you count on it.

Switching to a Work Pass of Your Own

An employer applies for you, on your own merit. MOM's LTVP page says that without an LTVP, you can work only by qualifying for an Employment Pass, S Pass or Work Permit yourself.

Your LTVP ends when the work pass starts. MOM's FAQ says: "your LTVP/LTVP+ will be automatically cancelled once your new work pass gets issued." From then on, your right to stay depends on that job. No official page says whether you could later go back to an LTVP.

For salary floors and how assessment works, see our Employment Pass guide and S Pass guide. If you later lose the job, read what happens when you lose your job on a work pass.

If You Hold an LTVP+ With Time Left to Run

For how the LTVP+ differs from the standard LTVP, see our PR vs LTVP comparison.

No ICA page says what divorce does to the time left on an LTVP+. What the sources do say:

• ICA's published terms are titled for the LTVP; we found no separate LTVP+ terms. If those terms apply to your LTVP+, your sponsor cannot cancel the pass alone, but ICA can.
• Any LOC or PLOC follows the pass's validity.
• The sponsor question returns at renewal. ICA's spouse page says your Singaporean spouse must act as your local sponsor, and it describes the LTVP+ as a pass for foreign spouses of Singapore citizens.

The time left on your pass does not mean it will be renewed.

Pending PR or LTVP Applications: Tell ICA

If you have a PR application in progress, update ICA. Per ICA's PR page, log in to the e-Service through MyICA with Singpass, or with your application Reference ID if you do not have Singpass. On your case summary page, select "Update Marital Status" or "Update information".

For your LTVP, notify ICA if your sponsor will withdraw sponsorship, and use the LTVP enquiry form where the normal route does not fit.

ICA publishes no deadline for reporting a divorce during a pending application, and does not say what it then does with the application. Use the update function anyway.

Can You Apply for PR in Your Own Right?

MHA has said custody generally counts in your favour. In the 7 May 2024 reply, MHA said divorced or widowed foreign spouses with custody of Singaporean children "are generally considered more favourably for Permanent Residency, compared to those without family ties to Singaporeans."

ICA lists the factors it considers on its PR page: "family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, and length of residency".

ICA does not name a category for you. None of ICA's PR categories is for an LTVP holder or a divorced parent of a Singaporean child, and no official page says which route the 2024 MHA statement applies to. The categories that need no local sponsor are Employment Pass or S Pass holder, student, and foreign investor. For most readers, that means holding a work pass first.

The spouse routes in our family PR guide depend on a current marriage, so they will not fit once you are divorced.

If You Already Hold PR Through the Marriage

ICA has published no rule linking divorce to PR status or REP renewal, and that silence tells you nothing either way. ICA's Re-Entry Permit page lists no assessment factors at all and does not mention marital status; nor does MHA's September 2025 announcement of the REP changes. We found no ICA or MHA statement that PR granted through marriage is reviewed because of a divorce.

What ICA has said about REP renewal. ICA's REP FAQ (November 2025) says:

• "PRs are required to display a commitment to continue contributing to Singapore, in order to be issued an REP."
• You can apply to renew three months before your current REP expires.
• Applications are "subject to approval on a case-by-case basis".
• From 1 December 2025, if you are outside Singapore without a valid REP, you must apply within 180 days.
• If the application is unsuccessful, PR is lost "the day after the REP application outcome is sent to you".

Our REP renewal guide covers what to prepare.

FAQ

Can My Former Spouse Cancel My LTVP?

Not alone. ICA needs both your consent and your sponsor's, though ICA can still cancel a pass at its discretion.

Will ICA Renew My LTVP if I Have Custody of Our Singaporean Children?

Generally, yes, according to MHA on 7 May 2024. Each case is still assessed on its facts, so it is not guaranteed.

Who Else Can Sponsor Me?

Another Singapore citizen or PR, subject to ICA's approval. ICA's LTVP page names the sponsor for each eligibility category, but none of its categories is a divorced former spouse.

Can I Keep Working on My Letter of Consent?

MOM says the LOC stops being valid when your LTVP is cancelled or expires, or when you leave the employer. Its pages do not say what divorce itself does to an LOC, or whether a former spouse can get a new one, so ask MOM.

Can I Switch to an Employment Pass or S Pass?

Yes, if an employer applies and you qualify on your own merit. Your LTVP is cancelled when the work pass is issued.

Do I Need to Tell ICA About My Pending PR or LTVP Application?

Yes. Use "Update Marital Status" in ICA's e-Service for a PR application, and notify ICA if your sponsor will not support your LTVP renewal.

Can I Apply for PR Myself After the Divorce?

Possibly. MHA said in May 2024 that spouses with custody of Singaporean children are generally considered more favourably. ICA names no category for divorced parents; the Employment Pass and S Pass holder category is open if you hold one of those passes.

What Happens to My PR if I Divorce?

ICA has published no rule linking divorce to PR status or REP renewal, so its silence tells you nothing either way. At your next REP renewal, ICA looks for a commitment to keep contributing to Singapore, case by case.

Talk to Someone Who Knows ICA's Process

If ICA has refused your LTVP renewal, you can contact our appeal team to ask whether we can help with your case.