Deferment for studies
Information on deferment for studies, when and how to apply.
Last updated 22 July 2025
Deferment eligibility criteria for further studies
Pre-enlistees may be deferred from full-time National Service (NS) to pursue full-time pre-university studies (such as GCE ‘O’, ’N’ or ‘A’ Level, polytechnic diploma, Higher NITEC, or NITEC) at a government-funded institution or selected courses at a privately-funded institution.
If you have already attained the above qualifications locally or overseas, you will not be granted deferment to pursue another equivalent or below qualification.
Deferment will not be granted for degree courses, even if you have already begun the course.
Please refer to the tables below on your deferment eligibility for courses commencing from 1 Jan 2023 onwards.
If you have just returned from an overseas course of study, please contact us to make arrangements to submit documentation of your overseas education. We will advise you on your eligibility for deferment from full-time NS for further studies.
Table of deferment eligibility for courses commencing from 1 Jan 2023 onwards
Table of deferment eligibility for courses commencing from 1 Jan 2023 onwards
Type of course you wish to pursue at government-funded institutions | School | Deferment Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
GCE ‘N’ or ‘O’ Level course |
| You will be granted deferment as long as you are pursuing full-time studies at pre-university government-funded institutions, and are pursuing a course for higher academic qualifications from what you had previously attained. |
GCE ‘A’ Level, NUS High School Diploma or International Baccalaureate Diploma course |
| |
Diploma course |
| |
National ITE Certificate (Nitec) course, Higher Nitec course, or ITE Traineeship Scheme |
| |
1 Inclusive of Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) followed by Diploma course 2 For Technical Engineer Diploma and Technical Diploma at ITE, deferment will be granted for the academic phase of the courses only. | ||
Table of deferment eligibility for courses at privately-funded institutions
Table of deferment eligibility for courses at privately-funded institutions
Type of course you wish to pursue at privately-funded institutions | School | Deferment cut-off age |
|---|---|---|
International Baccalaureate Diploma Other courses3 | International Schools Private Education Institution registered with the Committee for Private Education | 19 years old for Secondary 4 students
|
3 Deferment for other courses will be considered on a stage-by-stage basis (e.g. a Certificate course and a Diploma course, if packaged together, will be treated as separate courses for the purpose of granting deferment). A new application for deferment must be made to us before the commencement of a new stage of studies. | ||
Deferment for overseas studies
You may be granted deferment to pursue full-time overseas studies (up to the GCE 'A’ Level, polytechnic diploma or their equivalent qualifications) if you are younger than 19 years old (for Secondary 4 students) or 20 years old (for Secondary 5 and ITE students) as at 1 January of the year you commence your course.
You may be required to apply for an Exit Permit and furnish a bond. Please refer to our page on Exit Permit and bond for the requirements.
Documentary proof for deferment applications
If you are applying for deferment to pursue local studies, you may be required to submit a letter from your school certifying your enrolment, course of study, as well as your course commencement and completion dates.
If you are applying for deferment to pursue overseas studies, you must submit to us a letter from your school certifying your enrolment, course of study, as well as your course commencement and completion dates. Should you have any queries, please contact us. Should you need further information on deferment policies, please refer to our FAQ on deferment for studies.