What is a CPF Nomination?
A Central Provident Fund (CPF) nomination allows you to decide who to distribute your CPF savings to when you pass away.
Your nominee(s) will receive your CPF savings in either cash or cheque. This is the default method unless you opt for a different payout method.
Making a CPF nomination is free and encouraged.
Your CPF savings, unused CPF Lifelong Income For the Elderly (LIFE) premiums, and discounted SingTel shares will be given to your nominees.
Source: CPF
Assets not covered under the CPF nomination scheme, such as investments and properties bought through CPF savings, are part of your estate instead. These have to be disbursed through a will.
Read more: How to plan your estate to protect your family
Why make a CPF Nomination?
CPF nominations allow your nominee(s) — your parents, spouse, children, and other close friends and family members — to receive your CPF savings quickly when you pass on.
It also allows you to indicate how you want your CPF savings to be distributed to your nominee(s).
Without a CPF nomination, your CPF savings will be transferred to the Public Trustee’s Office (PTO) and distributed according to the Intestacy or Muslim inheritance laws. the PTO charges an administrative fee to distribute your unnominated CPF savings.
3 simple steps to nominate your loved ones
You must be at least 16 years old and have a valid SingPass to make a CPF nomination online.
You need to have on hand the particulars of your nominee(s) and two witnesses who are not your nominees.
Witnesses’ Particulars
- NRIC/Foreign Identification (FIN) Card Number
- Full Name as per NRIC/FIN
- E-mail and/or Mobile Phone Number (Note: Singapore registered mobile numbers only – to receive an SMS notification when witnessing)
- Mailing Address (For non-Singaporeans/PRs)
Nominee(s)’ Particulars
- NRIC/foreign identification number (such as Passport or Foreign Identification Card Number)
- Full name as per NRIC/FIN
- Mailing address (Only for non-Singaporeans/PRs)
- Email address (optional)
Important Notes:
- Mailing Addresses are required for foreigners only. For Singaporeans and PRs, their mailing address will be based on the address registered with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
- To provide your nominee’s full name as indicated on his/her NRIC, including commas, hyphens, and spaces
Step 1
Go to the CPF website to make a nomination online. Use your SingPass to scan the QR code or you can use your username and password to login.
Please read through the important notes and click on the checkbox at the bottom before clicking on the “Next” button.
On the next screen, you are required to input your nominee(s) particulars as shown below. Then you click on the “Add this Nominee” button.
Source: CPF
Source: CPF
The list of nominee(s) added by you will appear like the screenshot above.
Once you have added all your nominee(s), you can click on the “Next” button.
Step 2
On this screen, you can authorise the CPF Board to disclose your CPF account and CPF nomination details to the person(s) specified in this step after you pass away.
However, you don’t need to specify any authorised person if you do not wish to.
Source: CPF
You can click on the “Next” button once you are done with this step.
Step 3
In this screen, you are required to input the witnesses’ particulars.
Source: CPF
Please repeat the same process for the second witness.
Lastly, on this screen, you can input the name of the person who recommended you to apply for the CPF nomination scheme.
Source: CPF
Once you are done, you can click on the “Next” button to finalise the CPF nomination submission.
Your witnesses have up to seven days to acknowledge the request and affirm your CPF nominations.
They will receive a link via SMS or e-mail to do so, and they will need to log in using their SingPass.
Your nomination details will not be shared with your witnesses.
Once your witnesses acknowledge your nominations, the CPF Board will take about four days to process your CPF nominations.
Some quick tips which may be useful for you
- You can nominate anyone to be your nominee(s). This includes non-CPF members and foreigners
- For parents with special needs children, you can consider setting aside your CPF savings for their long-term care by making a nomination under the Special Needs Savings Scheme. For more information, you can find out here
- When you get married, your existing CPF nomination will be revoked and you will be invited to make a new one. But if you get divorced, your existing CPF nominations will not be revoked. So you may want to review it
- For someone who loses his/her mental capacity, only the Courts can make or revoke his/her CPF nominations on their behalf
Now you know how easy and secure it is to make a CPF nomination, you should do it soon. It is never too early to plan for your loved ones’ future.
Even if your future plans change, you can always review your existing nominations whenever you like.
