Summary

When a Singapore primary school has more Primary 1 (P1) applicants than places in a registration phase, the Ministry of Education (MOE) holds a ballot, and citizenship and distance from home set the order. Singapore Citizens (SC) living within 1km of the school come first, then those 1km to 2km away, then those beyond 2km. Permanent Residents (PR) follow in the same distance order. A child admitted through this home-school distance priority must live at the registered address for at least 30 months, counted from the start of the registration exercise.

From the 2027 P1 Registration Exercise, for children starting P1 in 2028, MOE will reserve 60 places in Phase 2C, the phase open to all children, up from 40. At 12 schools where public housing makes up less than 40% of homes within 2km, those places will be split equally between children living within 2km and those living farther away, with no distance priority inside either group, MOE said on 10 September 2026.

What this means for Singapore home buyers

How the distance is measured

MOE uses the parents' official residential address as shown on their NRICs. The home-school distance is the shortest distance from any point on the school's boundary to the building outline in the development's building plan, computed with the Singapore Land Authority's OneMap School Query service. MOE says a home's category can change from year to year as building plans or school boundaries change, and it advises parents to check it in the year they register.

When distance decides

Distance matters only when a phase is oversubscribed. MOE ballots when applicants exceed vacancies, which can happen from Phase 2A to Phase 2C Supplementary, in this order:

PriorityApplicant group
1Singapore Citizens living within 1km
2Singapore Citizens living 1km to 2km away
3Singapore Citizens living beyond 2km
4Permanent Residents living within 1km
5Permanent Residents living 1km to 2km away
6Permanent Residents living beyond 2km

Source: MOE, Understand how balloting works (updated 11 Sep 2026).

Most children are placed close to home: MOE told Parliament on 9 September 2026 that around 98% of SC and PR children obtain a place in their school of choice or within 2km of home.

The 30-month stay

For the 2026 exercise, the 30 months run from 30 June 2026. If the requirement is not met, MOE transfers the child to another school with vacancies, and parents have no say in the choice. Anyone found to have given false address information is referred to the police. MOE has cited cases of parents who rented a property solely to obtain priority while the child did not live there.

Buying a new or resale home

MOE says parents who have bought a new property, or are buying a resale one, may consider using that address if they meet its conditions, and that the 30 months start on a different date for new and resale homes. For a home still under construction, MOE does not accept a developer's expected Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) date. The vacant possession date must be within two years of the child's entry into P1, and the child must live there for at least 30 months, MOE said in its September 2026 parliamentary reply.

What changes from the 2027 exercise

  • Reserved Phase 2C places rise from 40 to 60, except at schools with a P1 intake of fewer than 180, which stay at 40. Phase 2B keeps its 20 reserved places.
  • The extra places come from the earlier phases, but families eligible for Phases 2A or 2B keep priority over Phase 2C applicants. Places left after Phase 2A will flow to Phases 2B and 2C in a ratio of 1:2.
  • MOE first reserved Phase 2C places in 2014, at 20 per school, and raised the number to 40 in 2022.

The Two-Track Scheme at 12 schools

The 12 schools are Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), CHIJ (Katong) Primary, Methodist Girls' School (Primary), Nanyang Primary School, Ngee Ann Primary School, Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School, Raffles Girls' Primary School, Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School, St. Margaret's School (Primary), Tanjong Katong Primary School and Tao Nan School.

At these schools, Phase 2C places will be divided equally between a track for children living within 2km and one for those beyond. Singapore Citizens in both tracks come before any PR applicant, and places one track cannot fill pass to SC applicants in the other. In MOE's example, 25 SC applicants from beyond 2km all get places in their 30-place track, and the five spare places move across, so 40 applicants living within 2km ballot for 35 places.

MOE said applying the current distance priority at these schools "may not substantially broaden access" for children from different socio-economic backgrounds. For buyers, the effect is specific: in Phase 2C at these 12 schools, a home within 1km will no longer rank ahead of one 1.5km away, and children within 2km will compete for half the places, plus any the other track leaves unfilled, rather than having first call on all of them. MOE will review the list periodically but does not expect frequent changes.

FAQ

Does living within 1km guarantee a P1 place? No. It gives priority only when a phase goes to ballot, and children eligible for earlier phases are admitted first.

Do the changes affect children starting P1 in 2027? No. They apply from the 2027 exercise, for children starting P1 in 2028.

Education only — not legal advice. MOE's rules for the year you register apply; check them before you commit to a purchase.

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