PR Stamp Duty Singapore: Buying a Condo as a Permanent Resident

PR stamp duty in Singapore is the question most permanent residents ask first when they look at a condo, and for good reason. A PR pays Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty from the very first home, and far more on a second. This guide sets out the rates, how CPF can be used, the HDB rule that applies to PR flat owners, and how the figures look at LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), the integrated condo planned above Hougang MRT (NE14).

What a PR can buy

• Condos and private apartments: yes, without approval.
• Landed homes: only with Singapore Land Authority approval. For the Residential Property Act, a PR is a “foreign person”; SLA generally looks for at least five years as a PR and an exceptional economic contribution.
• HDB resale flats: yes, subject to HDB rules. A household with no Singapore Citizen applicant needs all applicants and core occupiers to have been PRs for at least three years.
• New HDB flats and new ECs: these need a Singapore Citizen applicant.

PR stamp duty rates

PR buying	ABSD	Plus
1st residential property	5%	BSD on the tiered scale (1% up to 6%)
2nd residential property	30%
3rd and subsequent	35%

Source: IRAS ABSD page. Rates apply to the higher of price or market value.

Rules that shift the rate

• Your status on the purchase date counts. IRAS applies the profile you hold on the date you exercise the option or sign the agreement. If citizenship is granted a week later, the PR rate still applies.
• Every share counts. Part of an HDB flat, or a share of a parent’s home, is a property.
• A sale in progress can drop out of the count. IRAS excludes a property once your buyer has exercised the option to buy it. Selling first can turn a 30% purchase into a 5% one.
• FTA nationals: PRs who are nationals or PRs of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, or nationals of the United States, are charged as Singapore Citizens.

The HDB rule for PR flat owners

Singapore Citizen households can keep their flat after the Minimum Occupation Period and buy a condo. PR-only households cannot. HDB’s page on acquiring private property says that where all flat owners are PRs, they must tell HDB before exercising the option, and sell the flat within six months of acquiring the private home. For an uncompleted project, that is six months from TOP or CSC, whichever is earlier. Our HDB resale process guide shows how long a flat sale takes.

The ABSD point is separate and often missed. Because the flat still counts on the day you buy the condo, the condo is your second property and attracts 30%. And because a PR-only couple does not qualify for the married-couple refund, selling the flat later does not bring that 30% back.

Mixed couples: one citizen, one PR

A couple with at least one Singapore Citizen is treated more generously:

• First home together: full ABSD remission if both own no residential property and buy in their two names only.
• Second home: ABSD is paid upfront at the higher rate among them, then refunded if the first home is sold within the IRAS timeline. Our married-couple remission guide sets out the conditions.

Using CPF as a PR

PRs build CPF savings like citizens and can use the Ordinary Account for a private home:

• the down payment above the minimum 5% cash;
• stamp duty (for property under construction, CPF can pay it directly);
• monthly instalments.

Use is capped by the Valuation Limit and Withdrawal Limit, and full use needs the remaining lease to cover the youngest buyer to age 95. When the home is sold, the CPF used plus accrued interest goes back to your CPF account. Our guide to using CPF for private property has the detail.

Worked example at LinkTown Residences price points

Scenario (indicative 2-bedroom, 678 sq ft, S$1,695,000)	BSD	ABSD	Total stamp duty
PR couple, no other property	S$54,350	S$84,750 (5%)	S$139,100
PR couple who still own an HDB flat	S$54,350	S$508,500 (30%)	S$562,850
Citizen and PR couple, no other property	S$54,350	Nil, if remission conditions are met	S$54,350

The second row is the expensive one: the PR couple must still sell the flat under HDB rules, but the 30% stays paid. If they sell the flat first, so that their buyer has exercised the option before they buy, the same unit is charged at 5%. Timing, not price, drives most of the difference. Test your own figures here:

For buyers who are not yet PRs, our guide on whether foreigners can buy property covers the 60% rate. Chinese readers can see our 外国人与永久居民买公寓指南.

Register to get LinkTown Residences prices as soon as they’re released, so you can work out PR stamp duty on the unit you want.

Frequently asked questions

How much ABSD does a Singapore PR pay?

5% on a first residential property, 30% on a second and 35% on a third and subsequent property, on the higher of price or market value. These rates have applied since 27 April 2023. BSD is payable on top.

Can a PR use CPF to buy a condo?

Yes. PRs with CPF Ordinary Account savings can use them for the part of the down payment beyond the 5% cash minimum, for monthly instalments and for stamp duty, within CPF Board’s Valuation and Withdrawal Limits.

Can a PR keep an HDB flat and buy a condo?

Not if all the flat owners are PRs. HDB requires PR-only households to notify it before buying and to sell the flat within six months of acquiring the private property. For an uncompleted condo, the six months run from TOP or CSC, whichever is earlier.

Do PRs get the married-couple ABSD refund?

Only if the couple includes a Singapore Citizen. A couple where both spouses are PRs does not qualify for the refund on a second property.