School Vaccinations in Singapore: What Parents Need to Know
In Singapore, only two childhood vaccinations are compulsory by law: measles and diphtheria. Every other vaccine on the national schedule is recommended, not required. If your child is between 1.5 and 12, the practical steps are to bring complete records, check them against the national schedule, and catch up on any missed doses before or soon after school starts. This guide explains how that works for families who are new to Singapore and for those already here.
TL;DR
Measles and diphtheria vaccinations are compulsory under the Infectious Diseases Act for children aged 12 and below who live in Singapore.
Singapore’s National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS) recommends vaccines against 15 diseases. The rest are strongly recommended but not legally required.
Foreign children aged 12 and below must show proof of vaccination or immunity for measles and diphtheria before a long-term pass is processed.
Missed or overseas doses can be caught up through a family doctor or, at primary school, through the Health Promotion Board (HPB) school health team.
Keep your child’s booklet or certificate safe, and check records online with Singpass.
Table of Contents
What is compulsory and what is only recommended
Singapore draws a clear line. According to the Communicable Diseases Agency, vaccinations against measles and diphtheria are compulsory for children under the Infectious Diseases Act. The Ministry of Health’s 2026 update adds that this applies to children aged 12 and below who reside in Singapore.
The wider NCIS is the schedule Singapore recommends as the standard of care. The CDA lists 15 diseases it covers: tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza and COVID-19.
In plain terms:
Compulsory by law: measles and diphtheria.
Recommended on the national schedule: everything else above, given at set ages.
Set by individual schools: extra paperwork or timing, which varies from school to school.
Most parents find this reassuring. You are not facing a long list of legal hurdles. You are following a well-organized schedule that most Singapore families already follow.
The schedule from toddler years to Primary 6
For children aged 1.5 to 12, the schedule is easiest to read by age band. The exact doses and months are set by HPB and CDA, so use the official schedule and your child’s booklet as the final word. Here is how the ages generally break down, drawing on the vaccine list above and the school-age stages in the schedule.
Toddlers and preschoolers (1.5 to 6)
By the time a child turns 18 months, most of the early series should already be under way or complete: hepatitis B, the combined diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib vaccines, pneumococcal vaccine, and the first doses of measles, mumps and rubella and chickenpox. Boosters follow in the preschool years. If your child was born abroad, their original schedule may differ in timing or in the brand of combined vaccine used. That is normal and rarely a problem, but a doctor needs to map it against the Singapore schedule.
This is also the age at which preschools and childcare centres commonly ask to see records. The National Immunisation Registry notes that the Personal Health Booklet may be requested by childcare centres or schools as proof that immunisations are up to date.
Primary school years (7 to 12)
Primary school is when the school health service becomes part of the picture. HPB states that it provides MMR, Tdap and polio (IPV) vaccinations for students in primary schools. One published schedule summary places the Tdap-IPV booster at 10 to 11 years, in Primary 5, though your child’s own booklet and doctor will confirm timing for them.
If your child is moving into Singapore for Primary 1 and needs to confirm the age rules first, our guide to Singapore’s school start age walks through the cut-off dates.
Secondary school and HPV
Your child will probably not reach this stage within the 1.5 to 12 range, but it is worth knowing for planning. HPV vaccination is offered through school at secondary level and is not compulsory. HPB states that parental consent is required. The Ministry of Health has also announced that from 1 January 2027, the HPV9 vaccine is being added to the national schedules for eligible Singaporean and Permanent Resident females aged 9 to 26. HealthHub also says the NCIS and Child Health Booklet will be amended on 1 January 2027, so ask your doctor for the current version.
What the school health service does
The Health Promotion Board runs annual school health visits that provide free screening and immunisation. For Primary 1, the rule is specific. HPB explains that Primary 1 students receive the compulsory measles and diphtheria vaccinations (MMR and Tdap) if they have not already had the recommended doses under the NCIS. This is mandated by the Infectious Diseases Act.
Two practical points follow:
You can opt out by arranging it yourself. If you prefer another arrangement, such as your family doctor, you need to opt out through HPB’s Child Consent Portal. If HPB receives no opt-out, the team vaccinates a child who is missing the compulsory doses during the school visit.
Catch-up is built in. HPB’s Help Centre states that its team provides catch-up doses at school for missed childhood vaccines, covering Tdap, IPV and MMR at primary school. Parents who choose a CHAS GP clinic instead must indicate this in the consent portal.
These services are described for the national school system. Private and international schools organize things in their own way, so ask your school how health visits and records work. For students from other levels, HPB says vaccines may be given after the school health team reviews immunisation records, and parental consent is required.
Moving from overseas: records and immigration rules
This is the part expat families ask about most. There are two separate checkpoints: the immigration pass and the school.
The long-term pass
The Ministry of Health states that foreign students aged 12 and below must submit documented proof of vaccination or evidence of immunity for measles and diphtheria for verification before applying for long-term immigration passes. The rationale, set out in an earlier MOH notice, is to protect the child and the community from outbreaks of two highly communicable diseases.
If you are planning a move, gather these records early. Ask your current pediatrician for a printed, signed vaccination history that lists each vaccine, the date and, where possible, the brand. Where documents are missing, ask the doctor about evidence of immunity or a catch-up plan. Our school-first checklist for moving to Singapore places this step in the full timeline of a relocation.
The school
The National Immunisation Registry explains that when children enter the school system, the school checks immunisation certificates to see whether recommended immunisations are complete. For preschool and international schools, the exact paperwork can differ, which is why the next section matters.
How to find out what a particular school asks for
National rules are the floor. A school may also ask for a health form, a copy of the vaccination booklet, or a note about allergies and conditions. Here is a simple way to find out what applies to your child.
Read the admissions pack. Most schools list health documents next to the passport, birth certificate and previous report cards.
Ask admissions directly. Send one short email: which vaccination records do you need, in what format, and by when? Ask whether translations are needed if records are not in English.
Ask about health visits. Find out whether the school hosts HPB visits or expects families to manage vaccinations through a clinic.
Ask about illness policies. Exclusion periods for conditions such as chickenpox or hand, foot and mouth disease are usually in the parent handbook.
Book a doctor visit early. A pediatrician can review overseas records against the Singapore schedule in one appointment.
Families comparing several schools also find it useful to see how placement and entry work. Our Singapore school enrollment guide covers the process from application to first day, and the placement test guide covers assessment timing.
If your child has missed doses or was vaccinated overseas
Missed doses are common, especially after a move. There is no need to restart the whole series in most cases. A doctor reviews what was given and plans only what is still needed. The usual route has three parts:
Bring everything. Take the overseas booklet, any digital app records and your child’s passport.
Let the doctor map the schedule. Different countries schedule vaccines at different ages and use different combinations. The doctor works out which doses count toward the Singapore schedule.
Choose where to catch up. You can use a family doctor or a CHAS GP clinic, or, at primary school, the school health team provides catch-up doses as described above.
If your child has a medical condition, a previous reaction to a vaccine or a weakened immune system, speak to your pediatrician before any catch-up dose. That is a decision for a doctor who knows your child, not for a general guide.
Keeping and checking your child’s records
Good records save time at every transition: preschool, primary school, camps and visa renewals. Three habits help.
Keep the booklet. The National Immunisation Registry states that vaccination details are entered in the child’s Personal Health Booklet, and parents are advised to bring it to each vaccination visit. HealthHub adds that every child receives a Child Health Booklet at delivery, which stores immunisation records from well-baby visits.
Check online. Parents can view their child’s immunisation records by logging in with Singpass. The registry holds NCIS records for children born from 1996 onwards, for vaccines taken from birth to age 17. Families without Singpass yet can ask their clinic for a printed record.
Keep a digital copy. Photograph every page of the booklet and any overseas certificates. Store them with your passport scans so they are on hand for forms.
Our perspective
We meet many families in the middle of a move, with a to-do list that runs from housing to uniforms. Vaccination paperwork is one of the few items that can quietly hold everything else up, so we encourage parents to treat it as a first step rather than a last one. At Astor, we are a small school with small classes, and we know each child by name. That closeness shapes how we think about health too. When a teacher knows a child well, parents and staff can talk openly about a child’s needs, and families feel supported rather than processed. We believe the best learning happens when every child is truly seen and supported, and a child who is healthy, settled and protected is ready to be curious. Our advice is simple. Start with your pediatrician, gather your records in one folder, and ask any school you consider exactly what it needs. A good school will answer clearly and kindly. If you are weighing options for ages 1.5 to 12, we would be glad to talk through how our preschool and primary school welcome new arrivals. Elena
A gentle start at Astor
Once the health paperwork is in hand, the next question is usually where your child will thrive. Astor Education Network offers a preschool in the Holland area and an international school in Tanglin for children aged 5 to 12, with class sizes capped at 20 and averaging 15. Our approach is inquiry-based, supported by the International Primary Curriculum, with enrichment in arts, sports and languages.
You can see published tuition options, including Option A Flexi Fees at 17,580 SGD per year and Option B Fixed Fees at 23,650 SGD per year, on our fees page. For younger children, our Astor Preschool programme combines classroom learning with outdoor play. When you are ready, our admissions team will gladly answer questions about records and next steps on the Astor website.
Frequently asked questions
Are vaccinations compulsory for school in Singapore?
Two are: measles and diphtheria. The Communicable Diseases Agency states they are compulsory under the Infectious Diseases Act, and the Ministry of Health applies this to children aged 12 and below who live in Singapore. Other vaccines on the national schedule are recommended but not legally required.
Do expat children need vaccination records to enroll?
Yes, you should plan to provide them. Foreign children aged 12 and below need documented proof of vaccination or immunity for measles and diphtheria before a long-term pass is processed. Schools may also check immunisation certificates, so ask your chosen school what format it prefers.
What happens if my child missed vaccinations abroad?
A doctor reviews the records and plans catch-up doses against the Singapore schedule. At primary school, HPB’s school health team also provides catch-up doses for MMR, Tdap and IPV. Parents who prefer a clinic indicate this in the Child Consent Portal.
How can I check my child’s vaccination history?
Log in to the National Immunisation Registry with Singpass to view your child’s records. You can also look at the Child Health Booklet or Personal Health Booklet, where clinics write each dose. The registry holds records for children born from 1996 onwards.
Will the schedule change?
Parts of it will. HealthHub states that the NCIS and Child Health Booklet will be amended on 1 January 2027, and the Ministry of Health is adding the HPV9 vaccine from that date for eligible females. Ask your doctor for the latest schedule at your next visit.
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