Education Sector Licensing

The education sector (also known as an education system) refers to institutions involved in the provision of educational services for all ages between children and adults in a professional setting, examples range from nursery programs to postgraduate courses.

‍

Quick Facts

Setting up an educational institution or carrying out the provision of educational services usually requires one or more licenses. Due to the complexity of what can be taught, each type of license is issued by a different government authority. Examples include, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Education. Commonly, applications for licenses / permits can only take place after the company has successfully been incorporated. However, in some cases it is possible for applications for licenses / permits to be done simultaneously with the application for name approval from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), from which, ACRA will indicate whether another approving authority is required to grant licenses / permits.

‍

Types of Licenses  

As there are many different aspects to this sector, certain activities involve the necessary licenses to operate. Below are all the forms of education within the education sector, to learn more about the license and requirements specific to you, select the respective form of education listed below and fill out a brief survey to find out accordingly.

• Individuals Teaching Islam in Singapore

• Proprietor Conducting Islamic Education Centres / Providers
• Quality Assurance for Private Education Institutes
• Recruiting Foreign / International Students
• Setting Up an Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC)
• Setting Up a Kindergarten

• Setting Up a Private School / Education Institution / Commercial School

‍

Common Examples

How to Obtain an Early Childhood Development Centre License

If you are planning on setting up an Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC), it is a requirement to obtain a license under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act and Regulations. The cost of the application is S$400 and when approved, the cost of the license is S$100. The expected processing time for this application is 14 days.  

‍

When submitting an application for the following license, the supporting documents required are:

• Proof of legal entity which owns the ECDC
• Tenancy agreement for the ECDC
• Fire Safety Certificate and Temporary Fire Permit  

• Certificate of Statutory Completion / Temporary Occupation Permit
• Approval for change of use  
• Floor plan of the ECDC
• Declarations of Offences or Warnings
• Declaration of Financial capacity  

• Parents’ handbook

‍

How to Obtain a Asatizah Recognition Scheme

An Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) is one that is required for the conducting of religious or Quranic classes. ARS applies to all individuals teaching Islam within Singapore, this is inclusive of Singapore permanent residents, Employment Pass holders and those with Long-Term visit passes approved by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). The ARS is processed within 6 to 8 months time. The ARS is not applicable for foreign religious speakers as they are regulated under a different permit scheme being the Miscellaneous Work Pass (MWP) issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).  

When submitting an application for the following scheme alongside a registration form, the supporting documents required are:

• Copy of NRIC  
• Copy of Passport
• Work Permit
• Latest passport-sized photograph

• Relevant certifications of all religious qualifications

‍

Sprout With Us!

Sprout offers professional corporate services to help guide your company in the right direction with the help of our team of experts. Take a look at our budget-friendly corporate secretarial packages to allow us manage and store your corporate documents to ensure a seamless licensing process. Feel free to contact us with any of your queries, we’ll respond within 24 hours.