Last Updated: 14 May 2025
How distance affects priority admission
Priority is given to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who live closer to the preferred school when there are more applicants than vacancies. Find out how it works.
If your chosen primary school has more applicants than vacancies, priority admission will be given based on your child's citizenship and the Home-School Distance (HSD) category, which is in turn based on the address used for registration.
Priority admission is given in this order:
MOE recognises that some families are unable to remain at the address used for registration for the entire duration of the child's primary school studies.鈥�
Even so, a child who gains priority admission through their distance category must reside at the address used for registration (which shall continue to be the registering parent’s NRIC address) for鈥�at least 30 months鈥痜rom the start of the P1 Registration Exercise,鈥痺hich is 1 July 2025 for the 2025 P1 Registration Exercise.
If a caregiver's address is successfully used for priority admission, you must continue with the same childcare arrangement at the same address for鈥痑t least 30 months鈥痜rom the start of P1 Registration Exercise.
Have questions?
Find answers in FAQs on home address and 30-month stay requirement.
Priority admission is given in this order:
- Singapore Citizens (SC) living within 1km of the school.
- SCs living between 1km and 2km of the school.
- SCs living outside 2km of the school.
- Permanent Residents (PR) living within 1km of the school.
- PRs living between 1km and 2km of the school.
- PRs living outside 2km of the school.
30-month stay requirement
The HSD category priority is given for the convenience and interest of the family and the child.鈥疶he family is expected to reside at the address for the duration of the child's primary school studies.MOE recognises that some families are unable to remain at the address used for registration for the entire duration of the child's primary school studies.鈥�
Even so, a child who gains priority admission through their distance category must reside at the address used for registration (which shall continue to be the registering parent’s NRIC address) for鈥�at least 30 months鈥痜rom the start of the P1 Registration Exercise,鈥痺hich is 1 July 2025 for the 2025 P1 Registration Exercise.
The start date of the 30-month stay requirement differs for families who have used an address of a new鈥痮r a鈥痳esale property鈥痜or P1 registration:
- New property address: From the time your family moves into your new property
- Resale property address: From the start of your child's P1 school term.
If a caregiver's address is successfully used for priority admission, you must continue with the same childcare arrangement at the same address for鈥痑t least 30 months鈥痜rom the start of P1 Registration Exercise.
In cases where the 30-month stay requirement is not met, or where parents are unable to provide evidence to the satisfaction of MOE that the condition is met, MOE will transfer the child to any school in its sole discretion and parents will have no say in the choice of such school.
Find answers in FAQs on home address and 30-month stay requirement.