How to file for bankruptcy for yourself (from 1 April 2022)

Refer to the downloaded form and complete the relevant paragraph as follows.

Paragraph 1

State which of the following is applicable to you:

• You are domiciled in Singapore. This means you treat Singapore as your permanent home.
• You have property in Singapore.
• You have been ordinarily resident or had a place of residence in Singapore at any time within the period of 1 year before the date of the application.  
• You have carried on business in Singapore at any time within 1 year before the date of the application.

You must also state that you owe at least $15,000 and are unable to repay the amount.

Paragraph 4

There are 2 versions of the text. Select the version that applies to you based on whether you believe the Debt Repayment Scheme applies to you.

Read paragraphs 4(a) to 4(j) of both versions carefully and delete the fields that do not apply to you.

Paragraph 6

State whether the Official Assignee or a licensed insolvency practitioner has consented to being appointed as the trustee of your bankruptcy estate. 

If a licensed insolvency practitioner’ is being as the trustee, you must attach a copy of their licence granted under section 53 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act. 

You need to place a bankruptcy deposit of $1,850 with the Official Assignee.

Make the payment through the Ministry of Law's eCollection Portal.

Bankruptcy cases are to be handled by private trustees in bankruptcy, except where the Official Assignee considers that there is public interest and consents to be appointed as the trustee in bankruptcy.

The court hearing a bankruptcy application will not make a bankruptcy order if neither a licensed insolvency practitioner nor the Official Assignee has consented to act as the trustee in bankruptcy.

Before filing the bankruptcy application, obtain the written unqualified consent of a licensed insolvency practitioner. The consent must state that the licensed insolvency practitioner consents to act as the trustee of the bankrupt's estate pursuant to Section 318A(a) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act.

Find out more about applying for bankruptcy on the Ministry of Law website, which links to the list of insolvency practitioners who can be trustees in bankruptcy.

Visit the Service Bureau (Supreme Court, Level 1) to file the following documents via eLitigation:

• All the forms that you have prepared for your application.
• The receipt for your deposit payment.
• The licensed insolvency practitioner’s written consent.
• A copy of the licensed insolvency practitioner’s licence granted under Section 53 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act.

The Service Bureau will notify you by email or text message whether the court has accepted your application documents.

If the court accepts your application documents, the Service Bureau will ask you to return to collect an endorsed and sealed copy. The endorsed copy will state the date and time of the hearing you must attend.

• The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act, particularly Parts 13 to 22.
• The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Personal Insolvency) Rules.
• The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Debt Repayment Scheme) Regulations.
  
• The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution (Voluntary Arrangements) Regulations.

If you are filing a bankruptcy application against your firm, you can generally follow the same steps provided that the application is made by all the partners in the firm or a majority of such partners who are residing in Singapore at the time of the application

However, you need to submit all of the following statements together with your application:

• A statement containing the particulars of your firm’s assets, creditors, debts and other liabilities as may be prescribed.
• A Statement of Affairs of each of the firm's partners who are making the bankruptcy application. Each document should contain the particulars of each partner’s assets, creditors, debts and other liabilities as may be prescribed.
• A statement containing such other information as may be prescribed.

Note: A firm and a company are different legal entities. For information on insolvency cases for companies, find out more about company winding up.

The deposit of $1,850 will not be refunded to bankrupts who have applied for their own bankruptcy.

If the bankruptcy application is dismissed by the court or if it is withdrawn, the Official Assignee will retain $50 as preliminary administration costs and refund $1,800 to the applicant who has filed the bankruptcy application. Refer to the Ministry of Law's website for more information.

You can choose whether to inform your creditors. The law does not require you to do so.

No. Filing a bankruptcy application does not stop other court actions. However, if your application is approved and you are declared bankrupt, court actions against you cannot continue unless the court gives permission, subject to any terms it imposes. Find out more in Section 327 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act.