Primary 1 for international students: a separate registration, not AEIS

The short version

AEIS starts at Primary 2. A child who is entering Primary 1 takes no test and does not use AEIS. International students use MOE's Primary 1 (P1) registration instead. MOE describes it as the route for children who are not Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents and want a place in a mainstream primary school.

MOE states that admission is not guaranteed because vacancies are limited, and that priority goes to Singapore Citizen and Permanent Resident children. International students register in Phase 3 of the exercise, after places have been allocated to all citizens and permanent residents in the earlier phases.

Who is eligible in the 2026 exercise

The 2026 P1 Registration Exercise is for admission to Primary 1 in January 2027. MOE says a child can be registered in it if born between 2 January 2020 and 1 January 2021 (both dates inclusive). The groups run from 2 January to 1 January, the same line that the AEIS age checker uses.

The steps and dates, 2026 exercise

MOE lists three steps for international students.

1. Indicate your interest, 19 to 25 May 2026. Submit an online form from 9am on Tuesday 19 May to 4.30pm on Monday 25 May 2026. MOE says that if you miss the deadline it will not consider any appeals, and that those who do not submit the form by 25 May will not be able to register in Phase 3. An indication of interest is not registration. It is not first come, first served, and there is no option to choose a school.
2. Receive the outcome, by the end of October. MOE notifies parents by email whether the child is offered a place in a primary school. On 26 October 2026 MOE's page said that all parents had been notified.
3. Register at the designated school, if offered. The email, and then the school, give the registration details.

The national registration period for Primary 1 in 2027 ran from Tuesday 30 June 2026 to Friday 30 October 2026.

What the form asked for, and what the school asks for

For the interest form MOE listed the child's personal particulars and passport number or FIN, details of any pass, both parents' particulars, a valid email, a Singapore address where the child is or will be living, and details of an older sibling in a national school if there is one. Documents to upload were the birth certificate (with an English translation if in another language), the passport bio-data page, a Singaporean or permanent resident parent's NRIC, the marriage certificate where applicable, and an older sibling's student card or report book where applicable. Each file had to be in PDF or JPG format and under 1MB.

If a child is offered a place, MOE says the designated school gives the registration and reporting details and asks for documents by email: the birth certificate, the passport bio-data page, any Immigration Exemption Order, Dependant's Pass, Student's Pass or Long Term Visit Pass, both parents' passport and NRIC or entry or re-entry permit, both parents' Employment Pass, Work Permit or Long Term Visit Pass if any, and the child's immunisation records.

If the child is not offered a place

MOE suggests considering alternatives, such as private schools or taking part in the Admissions Exercise for International Students (AEIS) for admission to Primary 2.

Which AEIS test a child sits depends on the date of birth, so check it with MOE's own checker before planning. For admission in 2027, MOE's checker said "too young for admission in 2027 through AEIS or S-AEIS" when we entered 2 January 2020, the first day of the 2026 Primary 1 group (see the age bands). Primary applicants also need a Cambridge English score first (Cambridge page).

What we could not confirm

• The dates of the next Primary 1 exercise for international students. As of 18 October 2026 we found no announcement, and MOE has said it is reviewing the P1 Registration Framework.
• The number of Phase 3 places in any school.
• Which AEIS test applies to a child born in 2020 for admission after 2027. We ran the checker only for 2027.

More on the Primary 1 process: Primary 1 is not part of AEIS, and the 2026 registration changes.