Citizen Top-Up

The Citizen Top-Up is a $10,000 housing subsidy that is given to eligible Singapore Citizen/Singapore Permanent Resident (SC/SPR) households when a qualifying household member becomes a Singapore Citizen.

It is available to any of the following SC/SPR households who have:

Paid a premium of $10,000 for the purchase of an HDB flat direct from HDB
Taken a CPF Housing Grant for Family which was $10,000 lesser than an SC/SC household for the purchase of a resale HDB flat or a Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat or an Executive Condominium (EC).

It is only distributed to:

The original SC applicant/ owner, or
The SC spouse who was previously an SPR (if listed as an owner)

Eligibility conditions

An SC/SPR household will qualify for the Citizen Top-Up in any of these instances:

The SPR spouse originally listed in the flat application obtains Singapore Citizenship status
An SC child is born to the SC applicant/ owner and spouse originally listed in the flat application
The SPR parent/ child/ sibling* originally listed in the flat application obtains Singapore Citizenship status

* Conversion of sibling to SC to qualify for the Citizen Top-Up applies only to flats purchased under the Orphans Scheme and Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme.

Timeframe

You must submit your application within 6 months of being eligible for the Citizen Top-Up.

Application for Citizen Top-Up

You can apply for your Citizen Top-Up via this e-Service.

Important information

Please note that the Citizen Top-Up can only be used for approved purposes, and that there are further conditions that apply when it is distributed. You may also like to view our sample computations to see who receives the Citizen Top-Up in different scenarios.

The Citizen Top-Up of $10,000 is credited to your or your spouse's CPF Ordinary Account. It can only be used for the purposes detailed below:

If you are paying off a housing loan from HDB

You have to first pay any mortgage arrears due
The balance, if any, can then be used to make a lump sum repayment or full redemption of the mortgage loan

If you are paying off a housing loan from a bank

You have to first pay any mortgage arrears due
The balance, if any, can then be used for a lump sum repayment, monthly instalments, or full redemption of the mortgage loan

If you have no mortgage loan, or there is a balance amount after using the CPF Top-Up to make a full redemption of the mortgage loan

The unused Citizen Top-Up amount

Can only be used for buying another HDB flat in the future
Forms part of the CPF funds available for withdrawal under the CPF rules when the Citizen Top-Up recipient reaches 55 years of age

Please take note that these conditions will take effect after you or your spouse has received the Citizen Top-Up:

Refund of CPF money

Should you sell the flat/ EC, all the CPF money you have used (including the Citizen Top-Up) is to be returned to your or your spouse's CPF Ordinary Account according to the CPF Board's rules and regulations.

Parent/ Child/ Sibling occupier

The new SC parent/ child/ sibling who qualified you to receive the Citizen Top-Up will have to physically and continuously occupy the flat/ EC for the duration of the remaining Minimum Occupation Period (MOP)

Minimum Occupation Period

You will need to occupy the flat/ EC for a minimum period of 5 years (from the date of key collection for HDB flats, or from the date of issue of the Temporary Occupation Permit for ECs) before you are allowed to do any of the following:

Sell the flat/ EC in the open market
Invest in private residential property locally or overseas
Sublet the whole flat/ EC
Resale levy

Should you buy or take over the ownership of another subsidised flat, a Resale Levy is payable.

Example 1

Spouse A (SC) and Spouse B (SPR) are applicants/ owners. They previously paid a premium of $10,000 when they bought their flat from HDB. They apply for the Citizen Top-Up when Spouse B becomes an SC. The distribution will be as follows:

Family Nucleus	Citizenship	Citizen Top-Up
Spouse A (applicant/ owner)	SC	$0
Spouse B (applicant/ owner)	SC	$10,000

Example 2

Spouse A (SC) is the applicant/ owner while Spouse B (SPR) is the occupier of the flat. They received a CPF Housing Grant for Family which was $10,000 lesser than an SC/SC household when they bought their resale flat. They apply for the Citizen Top-Up when Spouse B becomes an SC. The distribution will be as follows:

Family Nucleus	Citizenship	Citizen Top-Up
Spouse A (applicant/ owner)	SC	$10,000
Spouse B (occupier)	SC	$0

Example 3

Spouse A (SC) is the applicant/ owner while Spouse B (Non-Citizen) is the occupier of the flat. Their SPR parent is listed as an occupier. They received a CPF Housing Grant for Family which was $10,000 lesser than an SC/SC household when they bought their resale flat. They apply for the Citizen Top-Up upon the birth of their SC child. The distribution will be as follows:

Family Nucleus	Citizenship	Citizen Top-Up
Spouse A (applicant/ owner)	SC	$10,000
Spouse B (occupier)	Non-Citizen	$0
Parent (occupier)	SPR	$0
Child (occupier)	SC	$0

Example 4

Spouse A (SC) and Spouse B (SPR) are the applicants/ owners. They received a CPF Housing Grant for Family which was $10,000 lesser than an SC/SC household when they bought their DBSS flat. They apply for the Citizen Top-Up when their SPR child becomes an SC. The distribution will be as follows:

Family Nucleus	Citizenship	Citizen Top-Up
Spouse A (applicant/ owner)	SC	$10,000
Spouse B (applicant/ owner)	SPR	$0
Child (occupier)	SC	$0

Housing & Development Board