22Oct
A hospital admission, a bank query, or a sudden decline can turn a parent’s paperwork into an urgent search. The papers are rarely where anyone expects them to be.
In short: store the original will. The Lasting Power of Attorney, Advance Medical Directive, advance care plan, and CPF nomination already sit on a government register. A photocopy does not replace the will. A printout of those other documents is only a reminder: the bank or hospital checks the register, not the paper.
The practical place for that will is a safe deposit box in Singapore the executor can reach outside bank hours.
The Will is the Document to Store
The will names the executor and says how the estate is distributed. Probate in Singapore is built around the signed original.
A copy is allowed only if the family proves the original was lost and was not destroyed on purpose. That means extra affidavits, more time, and higher legal cost.
The Wills Registry does not hold the will. It records where the will is kept, so a searcher can be pointed to it after death. Registration is not a substitute for the signed document.
A home drawer leaves the will exposed to fire, flooding, and misplacement. A bank safe deposit box is secure, but retrieval stops at branch hours, and the box may be sealed when the bank learns of the death.
Our guide on storing your will in Singapore explains why the original is the authoritative version. What happens to a safe deposit box when the owner dies covers access for the executor.
The Lasting Power of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows a person to appoint one or more trusted individuals to make decisions on their behalf if they later lose mental capacity. According to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG):
- Form 1 grants general powers with basic restrictions. Most people use this.
- Form 2 is for customised powers. A lawyer drafts it.
Once the LPA is registered, the donee does not need the paper. The donee logs in to the Office of the Public Guardian Online portal with Singpass and sends the current LPA to the bank or agency. This is done only after declaring that the donor has lost mental capacity. Banks prefer this copy, because a hardcopy may be out of date.
Banks prefer this copy, because a hardcopy may be out of date.A PDF printed from the portal is watermarked. It cannot be used for a transaction.
An older hardcopy, from before the portal, can still be accepted. The organisation will usually check it with the Office of the Public Guardian, so it is slower. Keep that older original if the family has one. Do not treat a printout as the instrument.
What the family needs on the day is simpler:
- A donee who can log in
- The parent’s NRIC
- The medical report of incapacity
A one-page note of the donee’s name and the certificate issuer is enough to store with the will.
Advance Medical Directive and Care Planning
Neither depends on a paper the family must produce.
Keep an accessible record of what is stored
- Advance Medical Directive (AMD): This is legal. It says the person does not want extraordinary life-sustaining treatment if they are terminally ill and unconscious. It is valid only after registration with the Registrar of Advance Medical Directives at the Ministry of Health. The doctor searches that register. Keep the acknowledgement, so someone can say an AMD exists. Do not lock away the only signed form before it has been sent for registration. The Ministry of Health registers the AMD, and there is no fee to make one.
- Advance Care Planning (ACP): This is not legally binding. It records care preferences for the family and the medical team. Generally healthy adults aged 21 and above, with no serious illness, can complete one free on myACP through MyLegacy@LifeSG. The plan is linked to the National Electronic Health Record, which the care team can view. The person names up to two Nominated Healthcare Spokespersons. A printout helps those spokespersons. No one has to sign it.
Identification and Personal Records
Banks, the CPF Board, insurers, and clinics still ask for identification.
NRIC and passport. Keep these in daily reach. A lost NRIC must be reported to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and a replacement applied for within 14 days. A police report is not required. A caregiver may report the loss if the holder cannot, for medical reasons. That needs a medical memo and, if the holder lacks mental capacity, an LPA or court order.
Birth and marriage certificates. Store these. Replacing several certificates at once, some of them foreign, takes time a crisis does not allow.
CPF nomination. CPF savings sit outside the will. They do not form part of the estate. They pass to the nominees named with the CPF Board. Adult nominees can then claim without an administration fee. Without a nomination, the Public Trustee’s Office identifies eligible family members, which can take up to six months, and charges a fee. The nomination stays with the Board. A note that one has been made is enough.
Where to keep the Original Will
The will is what the court expects. It is slow and costly to replace. The executor may need it at short notice. For that original, a safe deposit box in Singapore beats a home drawer.
| Home drawer or home safe | Bank safe deposit box | STARVAULT private safe deposit box | |
| Fire, flood, and loss | Exposed | Protected | Protected |
| When you can retrieve it | Any time, if you can find it | Branch hours | 24-hour vault access |
| After death | Whoever holds the keys | Often sealed pending probate | Released under the access instructions left with STARVAULT, including Form W |
| Best for | A photocopy, not the only original | Infrequent access | An original will the executor may need outside office hours |
Choosing where to keep valuable items is easier before an emergency forces it.
STARVAULT is a private automated safe deposit box provider at 506 Chai Chee Lane #01-01, Singapore 469026. Vault access is 24 hours, so a query outside bank hours is not blocked by branch closing. Storage is air-conditioned, which matters for a paper will in Singapore’s humidity. Access uses facial recognition, an access card, fingerprint verification, a PIN, and a physical key. Staff do not enter the vault during retrieval. Contracts start from one month. Phone +65 6681 6631. Email hello@starvault.com.sg .For families in Bedok, Siglap, Katong, East Coast, or Chai Chee, the address keeps the errand close to home.
Make sure the Executor can Collect it
A will that only the parent can open is only half stored. Name the executor, and decide who may access the box.
STARVAULT’s complimentary Will Custodian Service, Form W, lets the parent name the executors and set the conditions for release.
Keep one page in the box, next to the will:
- Where the will is, and who may collect it
- The donee’s name, and that the LPA is on the Office of the Public Guardian Online portal
- That an AMD is registered, if it is, and the names of the ACP spokespersons
- That a CPF nomination has been made
- Where the birth and marriage certificates sit
Families who split time between countries can use the same logic in our guide to safe deposit boxes for expats in Singapore.
Plan Ahead With STARVAULT
Store the one original that still matters. Write down which records live on a register.
STARVAULT can hold that will on a monthly safe deposit box, with 24-hour vault access, at 506 Chai Chee Lane #01-01, Singapore 469026. Contact STARVAULT to arrange a flexible monthly safe deposit box and keep your family's most important documents protected and within reach when they matter most.
Frequently asked questions
Does probate in Singapore need the original will?
Yes. The Family Justice Courts expect the signed original for a Grant of Probate. A copy can be used only if the original is lost, and the executor must show it was not revoked. The Wills Registry records the storage location. It does not store the will.
Does a donee need the original LPA?
No. The donee sends the registered LPA through the Office of the Public Guardian Online portal. A printout from the portal cannot be used for a transaction. An older paper original can still be accepted, but it is slower to verify.
Does a hospital need the AMD form?
No. An Advance Medical Directive is valid only once it is registered, and the doctor searches the register. Keep the acknowledgement, so the family knows to ask for that search.
Should the CPF nomination be stored with the will?
The nomination is held by the CPF Board, and CPF savings are not covered by the will. A note that a nomination exists is enough. The original to store is the will.
Can two family members access the same safe deposit box?
Yes, if both are authorised on the box. For a will, pair that access with written release conditions, such as Form W, so the executor knows how to collect it.
