- QUICK ANSWER
SkillsFuture Credit does not expire (aside from the 2020 top-up, which lapsed on 31 December 2025). Check your balance on MySkillsFuture, enrol in your course first, tell your provider you’re using credit before you pay anything, submit your claim within 60 days of the course start date with a complete invoice, and expect processing within 14 working days. Beyond the mechanics, spend it on a course that actually moves your career forward, not just one that fits your balance.
I have walked more than a few learners through their first SkillsFuture Credit claim at OOm Institute, and I have submitted claims myself.
The process is straightforward once you know the sequence, but the small details, like when to pay your training provider and what your invoice needs to show, are where most first-time claimants get stuck.
Here is exactly how I do it, plus the answers to the questions I get asked most.
What Is SkillsFuture Credit, Exactly?
SkillsFuture Credit is money the Singapore government sets aside for you to offset course fees for eligible skills training. It sits in your MySkillsFuture account, and you draw it down when you enrol in a qualifying course.
It is not cash you can withdraw. You use it to pay training providers directly through the claims system.
There are two tiers, and knowing which one applies to you determines which courses you can use it for.
Base Tier vs Mid-Career Tier: Which One Do I Have?
Base Tier: Opening SkillsFuture Credit ($500)
Every Singapore Citizen aged 25 and above has this. It does not expire. I use mine on courses listed on the MySkillsFuture portal, and the eligible range is wide: SWDA-subsidised courses, selected courses from MOE-funded institutions (ITE, polytechnics, autonomous universities, LASALLE, NAFA), SkillsFuture@PA courses, and National Silver Academy courses.
Mid-Career Tier: SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) ($4,000)
If you are a Singapore Citizen aged 40 and above, you have this on top of your Base Tier credit. It also does not expire, but it is ring-fenced for courses with stronger employability outcomes: full qualifications from Institutes of Higher Learning, SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes (SCTP), courses tied to Progressive Wage Model sectors, and Workplace Literacy and Numeracy courses.
- Pro Tip: One thing I clarify often:
If you were aged 40 to 60 as at 31 December 2020, you may remember an earlier $500 “Additional SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career Support)” top-up.
Any balance from that has since been merged into the $4,000 Mid-Career tier and no longer carries a separate expiry date.
So if you are in that age band, you do not need to track two pots. Check your MySkillsFuture account and it will show as one Mid-Career balance.
Do I Have Unused Credit That's About to Expire?
As of when I am writing this, both the Base Tier and Mid-Career Tier credit do not expire. The only tranche that ever expired was a one-off $500 top-up issued in 2020, which lapsed on 31 December 2025.
If you still have unused credit sitting in your account today, it is very likely non-expiring, but I still recommend logging in and checking your balance breakdown directly. Government schemes get revised, and your MySkillsFuture account is the only source that reflects real-time changes to your specific balance.
How Do I Check My SkillsFuture Credit Balance?
- Go to MySkillsFuture.gov.sg.
- Log in with Singpass.
3. Complete your profile if you haven’t done so already.
4. You will see the Credit Balance at the most right of your Profile.
How I Submitted My SkillsFuture Credit Claim, Step by Step
This is the part most people want, so here is the exact sequence, based on the current process on MySkillsFuture.
Before you touch the portal:
Enrol in an eligible course first. You cannot submit a claim before you have registered.
Tell your training provider upfront that you intend to pay using SkillsFuture Credit, fully or partially.
- I always flag this at enrolment:
- If you pay the provider the full amount before claiming, your claim can get rejected.
- Get your official invoice or receipt from the provider.
- It must show your name as per NRIC, the training provider’s name, the course title, the course fees paid in SGD, and the course start date.
- Keep the file under 4MB, in jpeg, png, or pdf format.
On the portal:
- Go to MySkillsFuture.gov.sg and log in with Singpass.
- Go to Profile and select “Claim SkillsFuture Credit” from the drop down.
3. Select “Submit a Claim” and search for your course by title, course reference number, or provider name.
Image Credit: SkillsFuture
4. If several results come up, I double-check the course ID and provider name before selecting.
Image Credit: SkillsFuture
5. Select the correct course run or start date.
Image Credit: SkillsFuture
6. If your course falls under the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP), you will see a declaration asking whether you want to use Mid-Career Credit. If you are 39 or younger, select “No” by default, since Mid-Career Credit only applies from age 40.
Image Credit: SkillsFuture
7. Enter the amount of credit you want to claim and the final course fee payable after subsidies. Upload your invoice or receipt. Click “Review”.
Image Credit: SkillsFuture
8. Check every field carefully. Read the SkillsFuture Credit Terms and Conditions, tick the box if you agree, and click “Submit”.
Image Credit: SkillsFuture
9. Read the final declaration and click “Agree and Submit”
Image Credit: SkillsFuture
That’s it.
The whole process takes me under ten minutes when my documents are ready in advance.
What's the Deadline to Submit My Claim?
Submit your claim within 60 days before your course start date.
The latest you can submit is the first day of the course itself. I do not recommend cutting it that close. If your invoice has an issue, you want buffer time to fix it before the window closes.
How Long Does the Claim Take to Process?
Up to 14 working days. You can track the status directly in your MySkillsFuture account, under your claim history.
What If My Course Fee Is More Than My Credit Balance?
SkillsFuture Credit offsets your fee. It does not have to cover it in full. You pay the difference out of pocket, or combine it with other subsidies you’re eligible for, such as course fee funding for self-sponsored individuals.
When I enter my claim, the portal asks for both the credit amount I want to apply and the final fee payable after subsidies, so partial use is built into the process, not an exception.
Can I Use SkillsFuture Credit for Online Platforms Like Coursera or Udemy?
Yes, if the specific course is listed on the MySkillsFuture portal. Not every course on those platforms qualifies automatically. I always search for the exact course title in MySkillsFuture first to confirm it appears before assuming my credit applies.
Common Reasons Claims Get Rejected (From What I've Seen)
- Paying the training provider in full before submitting the claim, rather than declaring intent to use credit at enrollment.
- Submitting outside the 60-day window, or after the course has already started.
- Uploading an invoice missing a required field, most often the course start date or the NRIC name.
- Selecting the wrong course run when multiple dates are listed under the same course title.
- Checking your invoice against the five required fields before you upload it solves most of these before they happen.
Choosing a Course That Actually Uses Your Credit Well
Once you know your balance and the mechanics of claiming, the real decision is which course to spend it on.
This is where I’d push back on a common habit: picking a course because the fee happens to match the leftover credit, rather than because it builds toward a specific outcome.
A few things I weigh before recommending a course to someone:
Does it lead to a recognised qualification, not just a certificate of attendance?
WSQ-certified courses, for instance, are pegged to a competency framework recognised across Singapore employers, which carries more weight on a resume than a generic completion certificate.
Is the training provider accredited, and are the trainers actually qualified in the subject?
OOm Institute’s trainers are Google-certified and ACLP & MOE-registered, which is the kind of credential worth checking for any provider you’re comparing, not just us.
Does the course match your Base Tier or Mid-Career eligibility?
If you’re 40 and above, it’s worth checking whether a course qualifies for Mid-Career Credit before defaulting to Base Tier, since Mid-Career courses are built around stronger employability outcomes.
Does the skill transfer to what you're actually trying to do next?
Credit makes a course cheaper, not more relevant. I’d rather see someone spend $500 on a course that changes their job prospects than stretch it across three unrelated ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is eligible to receive $500 SkillsFuture credit?
Every Singapore Citizen aged 25 and above receives this Base Tier credit. It does not expire, so if you haven’t touched it yet, it should still be sitting in your account.
2. Who is eligible for $4000 SkillsFuture credit?
Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above get the Mid-Career Tier on top of their Base Tier credit. It’s ring-fenced for courses with stronger employability outcomes, like full IHL qualifications, SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes, and Progressive Wage Model-aligned courses.
3. Can I use my SkillsFuture credit for next year's course?
Yes. Neither tier expires (the only tranche that ever expired was a one-off $500 top-up from 2020, which lapsed on 31 December 2025). I’d still check your balance on MySkillsFuture before enrolling, since scheme details can change.
4. Can I use another person’s SkillsFuture credit?
No. Credit is tied to your own NRIC and account. I get asked this a lot by people who want to help a parent or spouse who isn’t using theirs, but the government has kept this non-transferable even when asked to reconsider it for cases like elderly family members. Everyone eligible needs to claim and use their own credit.
5. Can I use SkillsFuture to pay for my degree?
Yes, if you have Mid-Career Credit and the degree is a full qualification (or stackable modules leading to one) from an Institute of Higher Learning listed on MySkillsFuture, such as NUS, NTU, SMU, or SUSS.
Base Tier credit can also apply to selected courses from MOE-funded institutions, but always confirm the specific programme’s listing on the portal first, since eligibility varies by course.
6. Is SkillsFuture credit refundable?
Only in specific situations. If you cancel your claim before the course starts, or if you don’t attend at all, the disbursed credit is returned to you through SSG. If you attended part of the course and then withdrew, the credit generally isn’t refunded. Once the course has started and credit has been paid out for attended sessions, don’t expect a refund.
7. Can I cash out SkillsFuture credit?
No. It cannot be withdrawn or paid out as cash under any circumstance. It only offsets course fees through the claims system.
8. Are foreign workers eligible for SkillsFuture Credit?
No. SkillsFuture Credit is for Singapore Citizens only. Permanent Residents and foreign workers on work passes don’t receive this credit, though PRs may still qualify for separate course fee subsidies through SkillsFuture Singapore. If that’s your situation, I’d check with the specific training provider on what subsidies apply to you.
