A lasting power of attorney in Singapore is one of the most useful documents an ageing parent can make, and one of the most often put off. It lets your mother or father choose, while they are still well, the people who will make decisions for them if they later lose mental capacity. This guide explains what an LPA does, how Form 1 and Form 2 differ, who can certify it, what it costs and how to apply through the Office of the Public Guardian.
We are a helper agency, not lawyers, and nothing here is legal advice. What we do see is the moment a family realises nobody has authority to pay a parent’s bills or agree a care arrangement, because the LPA conversation never happened.
That moment usually arrives after a stroke, a fall or a dementia diagnosis, when it can be too late, because making an LPA requires mental capacity. The rules below come from the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), part of the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and we link to its pages throughout.
What a lasting power of attorney in Singapore actually does
According to the OPG’s Lasting Power of Attorney page, an LPA is a legal document that allows a person aged 21 or older, called the donor, to voluntarily appoint one or more people, called donees, to make decisions and act on their behalf if they lose mental capacity in the future.
The key word is “lasting”. The OPG’s guide explains that an ordinary power of attorney generally stops when the donor loses capacity, whereas an LPA works the other way round. The donee’s authority only becomes effective when the donor lacks capacity to make the decision in question. Until then, your parent remains fully in charge of their own life.
An LPA can cover two broad areas, and your parent can choose one or both:
- Personal welfare, including healthcare matters, such as where the donor lives and day-to-day care decisions.
- Property and affairs, including financial matters, such as bank accounts, household bills, tax and property.
For families planning home care, the two often meet. Choosing between a nursing home and live-in help is a welfare decision that also needs access to the donor’s money, so separate donees must work together.
Why it matters before mental capacity is lost
The OPG describes mental capacity as the ability to make a specific decision at a particular time, assessed case by case and never assumed from age or a diagnosis alone. A parent with early memory problems may still make an LPA; one with advanced dementia may not.
If someone loses capacity without an LPA, the OPG notes that loved ones need to apply for a Deputyship order instead. That is a court process, and the OPG says an LPA spares families the stress and difficulty of it. A deputy is appointed by the court; an LPA donee is chosen by your parent.
If you are arranging a live-in caregiver for an elderly parent, an LPA means someone can keep paying for that care and make welfare decisions in a crisis without waiting.
Choosing donees and how they will act
The OPG’s guide says a donee should be someone trustworthy, reliable and competent, and sets these rules:
- A donee must be at least 21 years old.
- A personal welfare donee must be an individual.
- A property and affairs donee may be an individual who is not a bankrupt, or a licensed trust company.
- The donor also must not be a bankrupt if appointing a donee for property and affairs.
If there is more than one donee for the same matters, your parent decides whether they act jointly, meaning they must agree on every decision, or jointly and severally, meaning they can act together or separately. If this is left unspecified, the law assumes they act jointly. Joint acting can stall if siblings disagree or one lives overseas, so talk it through as a family.
Your parent can also name a replacement donee, who steps in if a donee disclaims, dies or can no longer act. Families with no suitable relative can look at the OPG’s Professional Deputies and Donees scheme.
LPA Form 1 or Form 2: which one suits your parent
There are two prescribed forms. The OPG states that Form 1 is for donors who want to give their donees general, wide-ranging powers with basic restrictions. It can be completed by the donor online without a lawyer, although the OPG suggests consulting one if you are unsure what granting such wide powers means. According to the OPG, 98% of Singapore Citizens who have made an LPA used Form 1.
Form 2 is for donors who want customised or specific powers. It can only be drafted by a Singapore lawyer, who may also act as the certificate issuer. Form 1 also limits how many donees and replacement donees can be appointed, so check the current limit with the OPG; a parent who wants more than Form 1 allows will need Form 2.
Limits that apply whichever form you use
The OPG’s guide lists restrictions that families are often surprised by. A donee may not:
- make a decision for your parent if they know or reasonably believe your parent can make it themselves;
- consent to or refuse healthcare treatment unless the LPA expressly authorises this;
- consent to or refuse life-sustaining treatment, or other treatment needed to prevent a serious deterioration;
- make or revoke a CPF or insurance nomination;
- give away your parent’s property unless the LPA expressly allows gifts.
Being a donee does not make someone executor of your parent’s will. For wishes about future medical care, the OPG encourages pairing an LPA with an Advance Care Plan through AIC, where the donee can also be named as Nominated Healthcare Spokesperson.
Certificate issuers: who they are and what they check
Every LPA must be certified by a certificate issuer (CI). The OPG’s guide explains that the CI acts as a safeguard, confirming that your parent understands the purpose and scope of the LPA, and that no fraud or undue pressure is involved.
Per the OPG’s page on where to find a certificate issuer, a CI must be one of the following:
- a medical practitioner accredited by the Public Guardian;
- a practising Singapore lawyer;
- a registered psychiatrist.
To avoid conflicts of interest, the CI cannot be a family member of the donor, a donee or replacement donee, or a relative of a donee. Owners, managers and employees of a care facility where your parent lives are also excluded.
Your parent must see the CI in person, bringing the mobile phone listed in the LPA with the Singpass app installed, because both sign digitally. If they tire easily, book a time of day when they are at their best.
Fees: what you will pay
There are two separate costs. The first is the OPG application fee. According to the OPG’s current LPA fee table:
- Form 1: free for Singapore Citizens, $30 for Permanent Residents, $160 for foreigners.
- Form 2: $30 for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, $160 for foreigners.
The second cost is the CI’s professional fee, which everyone pays. The OPG does not set these fees. Its published snapshot of the 20 most visited CIs, as at June 2025, showed a median of $47.50 for accredited doctors, $104.50 for lawyers and $350 for psychiatrists for Form 1 certification, excluding consultation and GST. Form 2 also involves a lawyer’s drafting fee.
How to apply through the Office of the Public Guardian
For Form 1, the OPG sets out three main steps, followed by registration:
- Make the LPA online. Your parent logs in to OPG Online (OPGO) with Singpass, appoints donees, chooses their powers and how they will act. You can help with the screens, but the choices must be theirs.
- Donees accept. The draft is routed to each donee and replacement donee, who log in with their own Singpass to review and accept. If a donee rejects the appointment, the LPA has to be redrafted.
- Get it certified. Once everyone has accepted, your parent visits a CI in person. CIs can be searched on OPGO, and appointments can be booked through the government’s health appointment system.
- Submission and registration. The CI submits the LPA to the OPG. Any fee due is paid online. The OPG registers the LPA after a mandatory three-week waiting period if no valid objections are received, and sends updates by SMS or email.
Once registered, your parent and the donees can view the LPA on OPGO. The OPG suggests telling your parent’s doctor, bank, CPF Board and insurers that it exists. If help is needed, the OPG hotline is 1800 111 2222, and ServiceSG centres can assist in person.
If your parent later changes their mind, they can revoke the LPA at any time while they still have capacity, and must notify the OPG and the donees. The OPG lists a $28 fee for cancelling the registration of an LPA.
Where an LPA fits in day-to-day elderly care
An LPA does not change who does the caring. A helper still handles meals, medication reminders and routines. What changes is who can approve a care arrangement or manage the money that pays for it. When families apply for the Home Caregiving Grant or plan care after a hospital discharge, a registered LPA makes dealing with organisations smoother.
If your parent has early memory changes, our guide to dementia care routines for helpers may help. Raise the LPA early, on a good day, framed as your parent choosing who they trust.
Related guides: Home Caregiver Singapore: When an Elderly Parent Needs Help and Maid for Elderly Care Singapore: How Agencies Screen Helpers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my parent make an LPA if they already have dementia?
Possibly, depending on their capacity at the time. The OPG says capacity is assessed decision by decision and cannot be assumed from a diagnosis alone, and the certificate issuer must be satisfied your parent understands the LPA. If they no longer have capacity, the family will need to apply for a Deputyship order instead.
Is LPA Form 1 free?
For Singapore Citizens, the OPG application fee for Form 1 is currently free. Permanent Residents pay $30 and foreigners $160, according to the OPG fee table. Everyone still pays the certificate issuer’s professional fee, which varies by issuer.
Can a family member who is a doctor or lawyer certify the LPA?
No. The OPG excludes the donor’s family members, the donees and their relatives from acting as certificate issuer, even if they are otherwise qualified, to avoid conflicts of interest.
Does an LPA let the donee make end-of-life medical decisions?
No. The OPG states that a donee cannot consent to or refuse life-sustaining treatment. For future care preferences, the OPG encourages an Advance Care Plan through AIC alongside the LPA.
How long does registration take?
The OPG registers an LPA after a mandatory three-week waiting period, plus processing time, if no valid objections are received. Updates come by SMS or email.
Conclusion
An LPA is a short process with a long reach: choose donees and powers, see a certificate issuer, and the OPG registers it after a three-week wait. For most citizens using Form 1, the only cost is the certificate issuer’s fee. The real risk is waiting until capacity is in doubt.
This is not legal advice. Confirm current rules with the OPG, and speak to a lawyer if your parent’s wishes are complex.
If you are planning day-to-day care for an ageing parent, we can help. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your family’s needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like.
The Femme5 Team
Maid placement specialists, Femme5 Maid Agency
Our consultants work with Singaporean and expatriate families on helper matching, contracts and MOM compliance, and we verify the regulatory guidance in our articles directly against the Ministry of Manpower’s published requirements.
