Making a will in Punggol can be simple: you must be over 21 and of sound mind, and sign in front of two witnesses over 21 who are not beneficiaries or their spouses. Your CPF savings are not covered by a will, so make a separate CPF nomination as well.
It is easy to leave for another year. Yet a clear will is one of the most practical things you can leave your family, and it spares them guesswork at a hard time.
This page is part of eduKate Punggol’s When You Need Help in Punggol, our practical guides for life’s occasions, big and small. It covers making a will in practice: the ways to get one written, the rules that make it valid, where to record and store it, what it costs, Muslim wasiat, and how it fits with your CPF nomination.
Quick answer
- Who can make one: anyone over 21 and of sound mind.
- Signing: sign in front of two witnesses over 21, who both sign in your presence. They must not be beneficiaries or the spouses of beneficiaries.
- Ways to do it: write it yourself, use a will-writing service or a lawyer, or get help from Pro Bono SG or the Legal Aid Bureau if you qualify.
- Record it: the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) Wills Registry records where your original is kept. Digital copies can be deposited free through participating law firms until 31 Mar 2027.
- CPF: not covered by your will. Make a CPF nomination separately.
- Cost: official sources publish no price for will-writing. It depends on who drafts it, so get a written quote first.
Making a Will, Step by Step
The rules below come from MoneySense, the Government’s financial education programme, and the Ministry of Law (MinLaw).
- List what you own and who you want to provide for. Note that some things pass outside a will. Besides CPF, MoneySense says a flat owned as joint tenants goes 100% to the surviving owner whatever your will says, and an insurance trust nomination takes precedence over a will.
- Choose your executor. MinLaw suggests one or more people who are able and willing to carry out your wishes, or a professional executor such as a lawyer if necessary. After your death, the executor applies for a Grant of Probate.
- Decide who will write it. You can write it yourself or engage a third party. The options are in the table below.
- Find two independent witnesses. Both must be over 21. Neither can be a beneficiary or a beneficiary’s spouse.
- Sign it properly. Sign with both witnesses present, and have them both sign in your presence.
- Record where it is. Lodge the details with the SAL Wills Registry, and tell your executor where the original is kept.
- Make your CPF nomination. Our CPF explainer walks through nominations, so we will not repeat it here.
- Review it after big changes. MoneySense says a will can be altered at any time, a later will revokes an earlier one, and marriage or remarriage cancels it.
Where to Get Help
Most of these are online, so you can start from home in Punggol. For how a will differs from a Lasting Power of Attorney, see our LPA, ACP, wills and deputyship explainer.
| Who | Contact | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Legacy@LifeSG | mylegacy.life.gov.sg | Online | The Government’s legacy-planning guide, including steps for making a will. |
| SAL Wills Registry and Wills Repository Service | wills.sal.sg | Online. Digital copies are deposited through participating law firms. | Recording where your original will is kept, and storing a digital copy. |
| Pro Bono SG Community Legal Clinics and Community Law Centres | probono.sg; see our free legal clinics guide | Check with each clinic | Legal advice and help with wills. |
| Legal Aid Bureau | Legal Aid Bureau: do I qualify? | Means test applies | Help drafting a will for Singapore Citizens and PRs living in Singapore who pass the means test. |
| MUIS Islamic legacy planning | muis.gov.sg | Online | Wasiat and Faraid guidance for Muslim families. |
| A lawyer or will-writing service | Your own choice | By appointment; agree fees in writing | MinLaw suggests a lawyer if your will involves complicated arrangements. |
Checked October 2026 — confirm on the official page before you go: MoneySense: what is a will?, SAL Wills Repository announcement and MUIS on wasiat.
Which Situation Fits You
Your affairs are fairly simple
Writing it yourself or using a will-writing service can work, as long as you follow the signing rules. MinLaw has said that will-writing is not a regulated activity under the Legal Profession Act, so ask a service about its experience and what it does with your original.
Your wishes are more complicated
If your will involves complicated arrangements, MinLaw suggests engaging a lawyer. Bring your list of assets to the first meeting, and agree the fee in writing before work starts.
Money is tight
Pro Bono SG’s Community Legal Clinics and Community Law Centres offer legal advice and help with wills. The Legal Aid Bureau can draft a will for Singapore Citizens and PRs who pass its means test. From 1 October 2026, MinLaw raised the income and asset thresholds for civil legal aid, so it is worth checking again even if you did not qualify before.
You are Muslim
MUIS says a wasiat can leave up to one-third of your assets, and only to people who would not inherit under Faraid. You must be Muslim, 21 or older, of sound mind and acting voluntarily. It is written on paper and signed at the foot, before two Muslim male witnesses aged 21 or over who are not Faraid or wasiat beneficiaries, or their spouses. MUIS suggests reviewing it at least every five years, and a new wasiat should expressly revoke old ones.
You have just married, or are about to
Marriage or remarriage cancels an existing will, and MUIS says the same of a wasiat. Put a new will on your list after the solemnisation. Our marriage registration explainer covers the rest of the paperwork.
You are helping an elderly parent
The will must reflect your parent’s own wishes, made while they are of sound mind. It helps to give them time with the lawyer or helper on their own. If you worry that someone is pressuring an older relative, the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) is on 1800 777 0000, 24 hours.
Costs and Rules for Making a Will
- Drafting: MoneySense and MinLaw publish no price. What you pay depends on who drafts the will, so ask for a written quote before you start.
- Digital copy deposit: SAL’s Wills Repository Service launched on 9 September 2026. Deposits through participating law firms are complimentary until 31 Mar 2027. SAL has not said what it will cost after that.
- What the digital copy does: only people you nominate can access it, and it is kept for up to 120 years from your date of birth. SAL says it does not replace the original signed paper will or decide whether the will is valid.
- Wills Registry: it records whether a will exists, who prepared it and where the original is kept. It does not store the will itself, and your will is valid whether or not you register it. MUIS notes that charges apply; check the current fee with SAL.
- Legal aid: for Singapore Citizens and PRs living in Singapore, subject to a means test.
- Without a will: your assets are shared under intestacy laws, which MoneySense warns may not match your wishes. Our guide to probate and estates shows how that works.
Neighbour’s Tips
- Ask witnesses who gain nothing. A colleague or a neighbour who is not named in the will is ideal. Never a beneficiary or their husband or wife.
- Use the free deposit window. If you are seeing a participating law firm anyway, a digital copy costs nothing until 31 Mar 2027.
- Tell your executor where the original is. The executor needs the original, not a photocopy, to apply for probate.
- Do the CPF nomination on the same day. It is a separate step, and easy to forget once the will feels done.
- Check how your flat is held. Joint tenancy or tenancy in common changes what your will can do with it.
- Diary a review. After a marriage, a birth, a divorce or a big purchase, read your will again.
- Keep the original safe and dry. A digital copy is helpful, but it does not replace the signed paper will.
If Someone Is Being Pressured
Making a will is not an emergency. But if you believe an older person is being pressured or exploited over their money or their will, call NAVH on 1800 777 0000 at any hour, or 999 if someone is in immediate danger.
Be wary of unexpected calls about wills or estates asking for money or bank details. The ScamShield Helpline is 1799, 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I write my own will?
Yes. MinLaw says you can write it yourself or engage a third party. It must meet the signing and witness rules to be valid.
Does my will cover my CPF savings?
No. MoneySense says CPF savings are not covered by a will and are not part of your estate. Make a CPF nomination instead.
Do I have to register my will?
No. A will’s validity does not depend on registration. The SAL Wills Registry simply helps your family find out that a will exists and where the original is.
Can my daughter witness my will?
Not if she, or her spouse, is a beneficiary. Choose two adults over 21 who receive nothing under the will.
Does getting married cancel my will?
Yes. MoneySense says a will is cancelled when you marry or remarry, so make a new one afterwards.
How much can a Muslim leave by wasiat?
Up to one-third of your assets, and only to people who would not inherit under Faraid, according to MUIS.
More Help on eduKate Punggol
- CPF retirement, CPF LIFE, housing refunds and nominations
- CPF housing, retirement savings, CPF LIFE and nominations
- CPF housing, retirement sums and nominations in 2026
- Lasting Power of Attorney, Advance Care Planning, wills and deputyship
- Free legal clinics and legal aid in Punggol
- Commissioners for Oaths and notary publics near Punggol
- When someone dies in Punggol
- Official: MoneySense on wills · MinLaw on help with wills · MUIS on wasiat
One Afternoon, Years of Peace of Mind
Most of the work is thinking, not paperwork. Make your list, pick your executor, find two witnesses and set aside an afternoon. Then tell your family it is done, and where to find it.
And if your family is also looking for calm, small-group English, Mathematics or Science, eduKate Punggol teaches classes of three in Punggol. Come find out more: Book a consultation · Chat on WhatsApp
eduKate Punggol
Small-group English, Mathematics and Science
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By appointment · +65 8823 1234
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Checked October 2026. Addresses, opening hours, fees and rules change, so please confirm with the official source before you go.
