CPF for Singapore PRs: Contributions and Account Rules

Singapore Permanent Residents employed in Singapore generally start CPF contributions from the date they obtain PR status. Your contribution amount depends on your age, wages, how long you have held PR status and any approved arrangement to pay higher rates. CPF is a savings system for retirement, housing and healthcare; it does not guarantee that every household’s costs will be covered.

When do CPF contributions start for a new PR?

For employees covered by CPF rules, contributions are payable on eligible wages from the date PR status is obtained. Give your employer the date shown on your Entry Permit so payroll can use the correct PR-year table. CPF obligations for self-employed people and platform workers follow separate rules.

• First year: from the date PR status is obtained until the last day of the month of the first anniversary.
• Second year: from the following month until the last day of the month of the second anniversary.
• Third year onwards: from the month after the second anniversary; the full-rate table applies.

First- and second-year PR employees normally use graduated rates. The employer and employee can jointly apply for higher-rate arrangements. Do not assume a single employer percentage applies to every PR. Source: CPF Board contribution rules.

A full-rate contribution example

For an employee aged 55 or below in the third year of PR status or later, earning S$6,000 in monthly Ordinary Wages, the full rates are 20% employee and 17% employer. Assuming no other wages or payroll adjustments:

The cash figure excludes tax and other deductions. Employer CPF is not added to your cash salary. Different rates apply to older employees, lower wage bands and graduated PR arrangements. Use the official contribution calculator for your payroll circumstances.

Ordinary Wages and bonuses have different ceilings

From 1 January 2026, the monthly Ordinary Wage ceiling is S$8,000. The annual salary ceiling remains S$102,000. Additional Wages, such as bonuses, have a separate annual ceiling calculation; the monthly ceiling is not a blanket limit for every payment.

CPF Board has announced senior contribution-rate changes effective 1 January 2027. Use the table for the actual payroll period when estimating future deductions. Source: CPF wage ceilings and current and announced contribution rules.

Where do CPF contributions go?

Before age 55, contributions are allocated between the Ordinary Account (OA), Special Account (SA) and MediSave Account (MA), according to the applicable allocation rules.

• OA: eligible housing, insurance, investment and education uses, subject to each scheme’s conditions.
• SA: retirement savings before age 55, with limited permitted uses.
• MA: approved healthcare expenses and insurance premiums, within applicable limits.
• RA: created on your 55th birthday to provide retirement payouts.

At 55, SA savings followed by OA savings are transferred to the RA up to the applicable Full Retirement Sum. The SA then closes and remaining SA savings move to the OA. Subsequent allocations follow age and retirement-sum rules. Read CPF Board’s age-55 guidance.

Interest rates and withdrawals need the right conditions

For October to December 2026, OA interest is 2.5% a year and Special, MediSave and Retirement savings earn 4% a year. CPF Board has extended the 4% floor for those long-term savings through 31 December 2027. Rates are reviewed quarterly.

Members below 55 receive an extra 1% on the first S$60,000 of combined balances. Members aged 55 or above receive an extra 2% on the first S$30,000 and 1% on the next S$30,000. In these calculations, OA savings are capped at S$20,000. These extra rates do not apply to the whole balance. Source: CPF interest guidance.

CPF is not simply locked until 55 and then fully released. Earlier uses are restricted to approved schemes; cash withdrawals from 55 depend on retirement-sum and other conditions. If you cease to be both a Singapore Citizen and a PR, CPF account-closure and transfer procedures apply. Living overseas while retaining PR status does not by itself meet that condition. See CPF account closure guidance.

Find guidance for your next question

• For tuition funding and repayment, read CPF education loans for PR families.
• For monthly retirement income, read CPF LIFE and SRS for Singapore PRs.
• For a change from PR to citizen, read CPF contributions and citizenship. A PR already on full rates does not receive a higher rate merely by becoming a citizen.

Applying for PR or citizenship?

TIP provides Singapore PR application support and citizenship application support. Contact our team about application preparation. TIP does not promise approval based on CPF contributions or provide personalised financial-product recommendations through these services.

Checked against official sources on 2 October 2026. Consult CPF Board for the rates and scheme rules applicable to your circumstances.