Who Can Buy at Skywaters Residences?

Published 18 October 2026 · Figures as at October 2026

Buying at Skywaters Residences in One Line

Anyone can buy. Skywaters Residences is a private residential development, so there is no income ceiling, no citizenship requirement and no minimum occupation period. Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, foreigners and companies may all buy a home in the tower.

What changes from buyer to buyer is the cost. Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty depends on residency and on the homes already owned, and the loan limits depend on the housing loans already outstanding. This article sets out who pays what, using the rates in force in October 2026.

The answer is the same for every home in the tower, from three-bedroom homes to five-bedroom homes of about 5,490 sq ft: the type of home does not change who may buy it, only how much stamp duty and financing it involves.

Why Skywaters Residences Is Open to All Buyers

The homes are strata apartments in The Skywaters, the 63-storey tower at 8 Shenton Way, with the residential address at 1 Prince Edward Road. Under the Residential Property Act, foreigners may buy apartments in a building of this kind without the approval that most landed homes require, which is why the development can be offered to buyers of any nationality.

Because the homes are private housing, none of the public-housing conditions apply. A buyer may own other property, need not form a family nucleus, and may let the home once it is completed, subject to the minimum rental period set by the URA and the by-laws of the management corporation.

Companies may buy as well, though they pay a higher rate of duty, and some buyers choose to hold a home through a trust. In each case the duty is set by IRAS according to the buyer’s profile, as below.

Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty at Skywaters Residences

ABSD is paid on top of Buyer’s Stamp Duty and is a single rate on the whole purchase price. Since 27 April 2023, a Singapore Citizen pays nothing on a first home, 20% on a second and 30% on a third or later. A Permanent Resident pays 5% on a first home, 30% on a second and 35% on a third. A foreigner pays 60% on any residential purchase, and an entity 65%.

A married couple buying jointly, where at least one spouse is a Singapore Citizen and neither owns other residential property, may apply to IRAS for remission. A couple buying a second home before selling the first may claim a refund if the first is sold within the period IRAS allows, subject to its conditions.

Where two buyers with different profiles buy together, IRAS applies the highest rate among them to the whole price, so the way a purchase is structured matters as much as who is buying. The stamp duty page sets out the full tables.

Free Trade Agreements and Skywaters Residences

Nationals of the United States, and nationals or permanent residents of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, are treated as Singapore Citizens for ABSD under Singapore’s free trade agreements. For a buyer in that position, a first home at Skywaters Residences attracts no ABSD at all.

The treatment applies to the individual’s own purchase. Buyers who believe they qualify should confirm it with IRAS before signing, since the paperwork is checked when the duty is assessed.

Loans for Skywaters Residences Buyers

The Monetary Authority of Singapore sets the loan-to-value limit by the number of housing loans a borrower already has: up to 75% with none, 45% with one and 35% with two or more, with lower limits of 55%, 25% and 15% when the tenure runs past 30 years or beyond the borrower’s 65th birthday. The Total Debt Servicing Ratio caps all monthly debt repayments at 55% of gross income, tested at a rate of at least 4%.

Foreign buyers can borrow from Singapore banks, but each bank sets its own terms for non-residents, so an in-principle approval is worth obtaining early. The housing loan page sets out the limits in full, and the TDSR calculator applies them to an income.

Which Buyers Look at Skywaters Residences

Eligibility is open, but the setting draws particular buyers. The tower connects underground to Tanjong Pagar MRT and has three more stations within a five-minute walk, so it suits those who work in the financial district or travel often. The fresh 99-year lease that began in October 2023 suits buyers thinking about the long term, and the Aman Singapore hotel and the services of an integrated tower suit those who want a home with hotel-style amenities close by.

Buyers looking for the largest homes usually ask first about the five-bedroom layouts of up to about 5,490 sq ft that the developer lists. The floor plan page explains how the layouts are shared.

Buying from Overseas at Skywaters Residences

Many buyers of a home in the city centre live abroad for part of the year or are relocating to Singapore. The purchase can be completed from overseas: the option to purchase and the sale and purchase agreement are signed with a Singapore conveyancing lawyer acting for the buyer, the booking fee and the later instalments are paid by bank transfer, and stamp duty is paid to IRAS within 14 days of signing.

Buyers who are not yet resident should check two things early. First, the ABSD rate that applies to their profile on the date of purchase, since a change in residency status before signing can change it. Second, the lending terms of the bank they plan to use, because each bank sets its own requirements for documents and income from abroad.

The Sales Concierge can arrange a viewing around a visit to Singapore, and send the plans, the price list and a payment schedule beforehand so that the decision can be prepared from wherever the buyer is.

Next Steps for Skywaters Residences Buyers

The stamp duty calculator works out BSD and ABSD for any profile on a price you enter. The Sales Concierge sends the current price list on request, so the figures can be run on a particular home, together with the homes still available.

Showflat viewings are arranged by appointment through the Sales Concierge.

This article is general information as at the date shown and is not financial, legal or tax advice. Statutory figures are from IRAS and MAS; particulars of Skywaters Residences are from the developer, Perennial Holdings and the URA, and dates from the developer, the LTA and published reports.