Quick Read
- Singapore will permanently waive the S$70 application fee for Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Form 1 for citizens.
- The waiver takes effect from April 1, 2026, and was announced by Minister of State Goh Pei Ming.
- The policy aims to encourage more citizens to engage in early end-of-life planning due to an aging population.
- As of February 20, 2026, approximately 404,000 Singaporeans (1 in 7) had registered an LPA.
- Applicants must still pay separate certification fees to accredited doctors, lawyers, or psychiatrists.
SINGAPORE (Azat TV) – Singapore has announced a permanent waiver of the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Form 1 application fees for all its citizens, effective April 1, 2026. This significant policy shift, announced by Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming in Parliament on March 5, 2026, aims to encourage more Singaporeans to engage in early end-of-life planning and safeguard their interests as the nation’s population ages.
The move transitions a previous temporary fee waiver into a long-term policy, removing the S$70 application fee for the standard LPA Form 1. This form allows individuals, known as donors, to appoint trusted persons, or donees, to manage their personal welfare and financial matters should they lose mental capacity in the future.
Singapore Waives LPA Form 1 Fees Permanently
The permanent fee waiver specifically applies to the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Form 1, which accounts for 98 percent of all LPA applications made by Singaporean citizens. Minister Goh Pei Ming stated that this decision directly addresses financial barriers that may deter individuals from completing the crucial legal document. While the application fee for citizens will become zero, permanent residents and foreigners will still be required to pay S$90 and S$230 respectively for their applications.
It is important to note that while the government application fee is waived, applicants must still cover separate mandatory certification fees. These fees are paid to professional Certificate Issuers, such as accredited doctors, lawyers, or registered psychiatrists, who formalize the LPA document. According to data from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) as of June 2025, fees charged by the 10 most visited doctors ranged from S$24 to S$60, while lawyers and psychiatrists often charged significantly higher amounts depending on the complexity of the case, as reported by The Straits Times.
Encouraging Future Planning Amidst Aging Population
The government’s decision is a direct response to Singapore’s rapidly aging population and the increasing need for proactive end-of-life planning. As of February 20, 2026, approximately 404,000 Singapore citizens, or roughly one in seven, had registered an LPA. This figure includes about 197,000 citizens aged 65 and above, representing a higher participation rate of one in four seniors, according to data shared by Minister Goh Pei Ming.
Despite a ‘healthy uptake’ following recent awareness campaigns and the launch of the Office of the Public Guardian’s online portal, Minister Goh emphasized that ‘many still have not made an LPA.’ The MSF had previously set a target in 2023 to have 240,000 citizens aged 50 and above complete their LPAs by the end of 2025. The permanent waiver is intended to further accelerate this uptake, ensuring more citizens are prepared for potential future mental incapacitation.
Addressing Accessibility and Engagement for LPA
During the parliamentary session, Member of Parliament Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang SMC) raised concerns regarding the complexity of legal and medical terminology in the LPA process, particularly for seniors. He questioned whether the Ministry of Social and Family Development would provide more multilingual resources to simplify the application journey and enhance accessibility for all segments of the community.
In response, Minister Goh confirmed that MSF is actively working to simplify the messaging surrounding the LPA process. This includes efforts to translate complex terms into various languages, ensuring that the application remains understandable and accessible to a broader demographic. Goh reiterated his call for Singaporeans to register their LPA while they are still healthy and fit, stressing that it provides families with invaluable peace of mind and legal authority during difficult medical transitions, a sentiment echoed across multiple news outlets including The Online Citizen and AsiaOne.
The permanent nature of this fee waiver represents a strategic commitment by the Singaporean government to public welfare, recognizing the growing demographic challenge of an aging society and proactively lowering barriers to essential legal planning.