LPA and Advance Medical Directive for PR and foreigners in Singapore

Lasting Power of Attorney fees for PRs and foreigners from May 2026, Form 1 vs Form 2, deputyship risk without an LPA, and how AMD differs from LPA and wills.

NextLiving3 min readLast reviewed 15 September 2026

r/askSingapore “final days / hospital bills / bank freeze” threads keep rediscovering the same split: a will moves assets after death; a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) lets a chosen donee act while you are alive but lack mental capacity. Without an LPA, families often face a slow deputyship court path. Expats and new PRs under-plan this because home-country powers of attorney do not automatically unlock Singapore banks or CPF.

This is orientation, not legal advice. Make documents while capacity is clear.

LPA in one table

Idea	Reality
Who can be a donor	Age 21+, with capacity to make the LPA
What a donee can cover	Personal welfare and/or property & affairs (as granted)
When it bites	Only when the donor lacks capacity (or the donee reasonably believes so) — not a general day-to-day POA for convenience
Form 1	General powers with basic restrictions — most people
Form 2	Customised powers — solicitor-drafted clauses
Without an LPA	Deputyship via the Family Justice Courts — months, not days

Fees: citizens vs PR vs foreigners (from 1 May 2026)

OPG application fees (verify live; Certificate Issuer professional fees are extra):

Donor	Form 1	Form 2
Singapore citizen	Free (Form 1 path as published)	Reduced fee path — check live table
Singapore PR	S$30	S$30
Foreigner (neither SC nor PR)	S$160	S$160

The Mental Capacity (Public Guardian Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 set the PR S$30 and foreigner S$160 application fees with effect from 1 May 2026. OPG’s fees PDF is the citizen-facing summary — no refund after submission even if rejected. Form chooser + fee table companion: LPA Form 1 vs Form 2 fees.

EP/S Pass households with Singapore bank accounts, SRS, or property interests should not wait for PR “because LPA is for locals.” Foreigners can make an LPA; they just pay the foreigner fee band.

Practical sequence most people skip

Decide who the donee(s) are and whether they need welfare, property, or both
Book an LPA Certificate Issuer (doctor / lawyer / psychiatrist on OPG’s list) — their fee is separate
Complete Form 1 on OPGO (Form 2 via solicitor)
Pay OPG application fee when billed
Store access instructions for banks / insurers with the will and CPF nomination map — wills & CPF

Activation later usually needs a medical report confirming lack of capacity before banks will act. Reddit’s “just use Singpass” shortcuts fail when the donor cannot authenticate.

Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a different document

An AMD tells doctors that if you are terminally ill and unconscious, you do not want extraordinary life-sustaining treatment used only to prolong life. It is not an LPA and not a will.

Age 21+, not mentally disordered
Made through a doctor; two witnesses at the same sitting (one must be the doctor)
Valid only after registration with the Registrar of Advance Medical Directives at MOH

Pair AMD with Advance Care Planning conversations and your insurer’s hospital LOG habits — healthcare triage. After a death, next of kin still need certificates / NEA / repatriation.

Sources & citations

Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.

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