Free Singapore guide: which of your assets your will actually controls
Free guide for British expats in Singapore
Your CPF savings sit outside your estate, and only a nomination directs them.
A 17 page guide written for British expats in Singapore. It covers how Singapore law treats a will, the fixed intestacy shares under the Intestate Succession Act, the assets that pass outside your will (CPF above all), and the UK inheritance tax rules that follow you here. It also walks through the probate steps your family would take at the Family Justice Courts.
- 17 pages
- Updated August 2026
- No payment details
- Why CPF cannot be left in your will
- Intestacy shares under the Intestate Succession Act
- Insurance nominations, joint accounts and UK pensions
- Will validity, revocation and UK inheritance tax
Twenty minutes of reading that could save your family months at the Public Trustee.
What happens to your estate
With a valid will
For non-Muslims, the Wills Act 1838 gives near complete freedom to decide who inherits: no forced shares for children, no fixed portion for a spouse. The named executor applies to the Family Justice Courts for a Grant of Probate, and the courts indicate processing of roughly two to three months, with filing fees of roughly S$290 to S$410. The formalities matter, including section 10, under which a gift to an attesting witness or that witness's spouse is void.
Without a will
Section 7 of the Intestate Succession Act 1967 applies a fixed order. A spouse with children takes half the estate and the children share the other half, and an unmarried partner takes nothing however long the relationship. There is also no executor, so a beneficiary must apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration, with formal renunciations needed from anyone with a better right to apply.
Outside your will entirely
CPF savings sit outside your estate, and the CPF Board says plainly that they cannot be included in your will. Only a CPF nomination directs them, it is free to make online with Singpass, and marriage revokes any existing nomination while divorce does not. With no nomination the money goes to the Public Trustee's Office, is distributed under intestacy law minus a tiered fee, and the process can take up to six months. Insurance nominations, joint tenancies and UK pensions follow their own rules too.
With a valid will
Without a valid will
Assets outside the will
Key facts
- Half the estate Under section 7 of the Intestate Succession Act, a spouse who dies leaving children passes half the estate to the surviving spouse, with the children sharing the other half. England uses a different formula again, so an expat estate can be split by both at once.
- Up to six months Where there is no CPF nomination, the savings go to the Public Trustee's Office to be distributed under the Intestate Succession Act, minus a fee on a sliding scale. The guide notes the process can take up to six months, and that a nomination takes minutes.
- 40% Singapore removed estate duty for deaths on and after 15 February 2008, but UK inheritance tax still runs at 40% above the £325,000 nil rate band. There is no UK inheritance tax treaty with Singapore, so where UK inheritance tax applies it applies in full.
- Half the estate Why it matters. A spouse who survives with children takes half, and England uses a different formula, so one estate can be split by both.
- Up to six months Why it matters. With no CPF nomination the savings go to the Public Trustee and can take up to six months, while a nomination takes minutes.
- 40% Why it matters. Singapore has no estate duty, but UK inheritance tax still runs at 40% above the nil rate band, with no treaty to soften it.
What is inside the guide
Wills and estate planning for British expats in Singapore How Singapore law treats your will, why CPF sits outside it, and where UK inheritance tax still reaches a British expat's estate. Free download · 2026 edition · 17 pages
Common questions
Can I leave my CPF savings in my will?
No. The CPF Board states that CPF savings cannot be included in your will because they do not form your estate. A CPF nomination is the only document that directs them, it is free and made online with Singpass, and it needs two witnesses. Marriage revokes an existing nomination, so the guide suggests refreshing it after a wedding.
Can I leave my CPF savings in my will?
No. The CPF Board states that CPF savings cannot be included in your will because they do not form your estate. A CPF nomination is the only document that directs them, it is free, made online with Singpass, and witnessed by two people. Marriage revokes an existing nomination, so refresh it after a wedding.
Is it really free?
Yes. No payment details, no trial, no catch. The guide shows you how we think before you decide whether to use us for anything.
Will you fill my inbox?
We send the guide, and nothing else unless you tick the box for the email series. Every email in it has an unsubscribe link that works first time.
Is this legal advice?
No. The guide is general information for British expats, written in plain English. Expat Legacy is a will writing service rather than a law firm.
About the author
Jamie Lee, founder of Expat Legacy, has drafted more than 2,000 wills for British expats. He has lived the expat life himself since 2004.
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