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Relocation or Expansion of School

Private school operators are to read thoroughly the Step-by-Step Guide for application to update on the school’s relocation or expansion online as attached below (Guide is correct as at 30 June 2006):

Download the Guide for online updating of School's relocation or expansion (1.53mb .doc).

Private schools shall update through the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS) for its relocation or expansion. Please ensure the following items are carried out before logging on to the online application:

Premises and Facilities

Applicants are advised to exercise care when selecting and deciding on the premises to relocate/expand the school before entering into any firm commitment to purchase/lease/rent it. Things to look out for include prospects of the premises being granted the Written Permission for ‘Change of Use’ by the planning authorities (URA); that any alteration/renovation works planned are likely to be approved/cleared by the relevant authorities (e.g. FSSD etc).

Private schools ought to have premises of a certain minimum size, and in addition to having classroom(s) each with a floor area not smaller than 12 sq m and space for an office/administration area/reception-cum-waiting area for students/clients, etc.

Written Permission for ‘Change-of-Use’

Applicants are to apply for the Written Permission for ‘Change-of-Use’ of the premises to ‘school’ use at the:

Urban Redevelopment Authority
Development Control Division
45 Maxwell Road, The URA Centre
Singapore 069118

Applicants can also request for a search through past planning records for the existing approved use for the premises using URA’s DC25 search form.

Fire Safety & Shelter Department (FSSD)

As regard to alteration/renovation works to the proposed premises, applicants are to:

  1. submit building floor plans for alteration/renovation works to the FSSD (commercial buildings/complexes/HDB buildings).

    Fire Safety & Shelter Department
    91 Ubi Avenue 4, Civil Defence Complex
    Singapore 408827
    Housing Development Board
    Commercial Properties Department
    480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, HDB Hub
    Singapore 310480

    Note: With effect from 1 October 2005, applicants carrying out renovation works done in a HDB premise are required to seek fire safety clearance from the Fire Safety & Shelter Department (FSSD) directly.

  2. submit clearance obtained from FSSD (Fire Safety Certificate & Notice of Approval) for the alteration/renovation works carried out to MOE officers during site inspection.

Online Submission

Please select “Certificate of Registration of School – Private School – Relocation or Expansion” when seeking application via OBLS.

A complete application with all the necessary documents will be processed within 2 weeks. Incomplete or incorrect submissions will result in a delay of processing time.

Upon approval of the application in OBLS and the successful completion of all necessary administrative procedures (including payment of registration fees to OBLS), the relevant certificate(s) will be issued by MOE. Payment of registration fee to OBLS should be made within the grace period of 90 days upon approval. After 90 days, if no payment is received, your application will be deemed withdrawn voluntarily by you. You will then need to reapply.

For technical assistance in OBLS, you may contact OBLS Helpline at 6898 1595 or e-mail obls@spring.gov.sg.

Supporting Documents

Please prepare the following supporting documents prior to logging online:

  1. Approved Floor Plan by the Fire Safety & Shelter Department (FSSD) (to be submitted off-line only)
  2. Fire Safety Certificate and notice of approval
  3. Grant of Written Permission (URA)/HDB’s Tenancy Agreement
  4. Original Certificate of Registration of School and Classroom Accommodation Certificates (for relocation) (to be submitted off-line only)

If you have misplaced/lost the original school certificate, please provide us with a Statutory Declaration (SD) on the lost document. You may obtain the SD from a Commissioner of Oaths.

You may submit all the required documents to our MOE officer during the site inspection.

Alternatively, for supporting document number 2 and 3, you may either attach them online, mail or fax (6776 8604) them to us.

However, for supporting document number 1 and 4, please mail them to:

Ministry of Education
Private Schools Section
1 North Buona Vista Drive
Singapore 138675

If you are mailing or faxing to us, please indicate your school name, online application ID, date of submission and specify “Relocation or Expansion”.