Decide who acts in Singapore

Someone needs to be able to open the door. That might be a relative, a family friend, a neighbour, or a professional, but it should be one named person with a set of keys and clear written instructions from you, so nobody else is left guessing what they’re allowed to do.

If you’re the executor, or you’re applying to be the administrator, living abroad doesn’t stop you. The grant comes from the Family Justice Courts, and a Singapore lawyer can tell you what the application needs from you and how documents can be signed from where you live. Plan your trip around the things that genuinely need you in person.

Make one trip count

One trip is often enough if it’s planned around the things that genuinely need someone present:

  1. Before you fly, book the appointments

    The lawyer, the bank and any other institution that needs to see you in person. Ask each one what to bring, so you don’t lose a day to a missing document.

  2. Early in the trip, do the search

    Go through the home for the will, papers and valuables before anything else. Our checklist of what to find before anything is thrown out covers where to look.

  3. Mid-trip, let the family choose

    Walk through with whoever can come, and share photos with those who can’t. Mark what’s staying with tape or sticky notes, and arrange for it to be collected or shipped.

  4. Before you leave, set up the clearing

    Get a quote while you can still show someone round, agree in writing what goes and what stays, and hand the keys to the person acting for you. The clearing doesn’t have to happen while you’re there.

Keep the home safe while it’s empty

An empty home still needs looking after. Keep the electricity on for the clearing, stop deliveries and newspapers, and arrange for the mail to be collected, because letters about the estate will keep arriving there.

When the home is empty, close or transfer the utilities. SP Group lets next of kin close a deceased person’s account with the death certificate and proof of their relationship, and asks for at least three business days’ notice. My Legacy’s page on closing accounts covers the other accounts and subscriptions to stop.

Ask the person acting for you to visit every week or two, run the taps, and check for leaks, pests and anything left in the fridge.

Clearing without being there

Once the family has taken what it wants, the rest can be cleared without you. Agree the scope in writing: what’s to be removed, what’s to be kept and where it’s going, and anything that mustn’t be touched. Ask for photos or a video of each room before the work starts and again when it’s done, and for the keys to go back to your named person rather than into the letterbox.

If there’s anything the clearance company can’t take, such as paint or chemicals, find out in advance, so it can be dealt with separately rather than left behind.

What to take home, and what to let go

Much of what matters from a parent’s home fits in a suitcase: photographs, letters, documents, jewellery and a few small keepsakes. Take those with you, or send them by courier. Larger pieces are a harder call, because sending furniture abroad is costly and slow. Before deciding, ask whether a relative in Singapore could keep a piece for the family, and weigh the cost honestly against what it means to you.

Questions people ask

Do I have to be in Singapore for the clearing?

No. What usually needs you in person is the search, the family’s choosing, and any appointments with a lawyer or bank. The clearing can happen afterwards, as long as someone you trust has the keys and the scope is agreed in writing.

How do we stop things we want from being cleared by mistake?

Take them out of the home before the clearing if you can. If not, put them in one room, label it clearly, and tell the clearance company in writing that the room isn’t to be touched.

What if nobody in the family can go to Singapore at all?

Then the search and the choosing have to be done by someone you trust, working from your instructions: a relative, a friend, or the lawyer handling the estate. Ask them to video-call you from the home, photograph documents as they find them, and courier anything of value to you. The clearing can follow once you’ve agreed what the family is keeping.

Can I search the Wills Registry without Singpass?

Yes. The Singapore Academy of Law’s Wills Registry lets people without Singpass log in with an SAL ID instead, so family members abroad can run the search themselves.

Official sources

Rules, fees and timelines change. These are the bodies that set them, so check the current position with them before you act on anything here.

Last reviewed 28 September 2026. This is general information about how things usually work in Singapore, not legal advice on your situation. If something here is out of date, please tell us at hello@swyftclear.com.