For an enrolled university student, start with the university’s registrar or current-student leave-of-absence page. NUS’s official leave page and NTU’s matriculation and candidature page explain their respective routes. Students at another institution should use its own policy and student portal, because the approval process is university-specific.
Check your student category, programme, reason for leave and requested dates first. Short leave and a whole-semester pause may use different processes. Ask the responsible school or faculty about deadlines, supporting evidence and effects on your study plan before assuming that stopping attendance creates approved leave.
Did you know postponing the start of a degree and pausing an existing degree involve different records? If you have an offer but have not started, use the university admission-deferment guide. This page helps current students find the leave process and the questions to resolve before a break.
On this page: choose an official source · check your situation · plan your return · your next step
Official sources at a glance
| Question | Official starting point | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Where does an NUS student start? | NUS leave of absence | Student category, leave type, application instructions and return |
| Where does an NTU student start? | NTU matriculation and candidature | Short leave versus entire-semester leave and intranet route |
| Which rules govern my programme? | Your own faculty or school’s current instructions | Programme-specific requirements and approving office |
| I have not started my degree | Admission-deferment source guide | Offer conditions and admissions-office process |
Identify the right application before submitting
Write a brief timeline: the first affected day, the expected return and any assessments, placements or projects falling between them. Use that timeline when consulting the faculty. It helps the office distinguish a missed activity from an interruption that changes the semester.
At NUS, the official page routes most leave applications through EduRec but identifies exceptions, including certain fieldwork arrangements. Read the relevant category rather than copying another student’s portal steps. NUS also distinguishes examination-period emergencies from ordinary leave applications.
NTU separately describes short-term and whole-semester leave and directs students to the student intranet for detailed applications. Its published guidance also identifies restrictions for freshmen. If your situation falls outside the ordinary instructions, ask your school for review; another student’s approval does not establish yours.
Ask about the return as well as the break
Request a study-plan discussion with your academic adviser. Ask which courses would be available when you return, whether prerequisites affect the sequence and whether a project or placement needs a separate arrangement. These questions make the next learning step visible before the break begins.
Make separate enquiries about tuition and other fees, scholarship conditions and accommodation where relevant. Both linked universities identify timing-related fee consequences; check the current rule against your dates. An academic approval should not be treated as confirmation that every other account or entitlement is settled.
If medical leave applies, follow the university’s evidence and return requirements. NUS publishes a specific fitness-to-resume process for semester-long medical leave. For international students, ask the university about any Student’s Pass implications and follow the applicable official instructions; leave approval alone does not settle immigration status.
Keep the submitted application, outcome and any return conditions together. Confirm who must be notified and when to prepare for course registration. If an outcome is still pending, ask the responsible office what to do about imminent classes or assessments rather than assuming silence means approval.
For term planning, use the university academic-calendar guide and course-registration guide. They help you find the calendar and registration instructions without replacing your faculty’s leave decision.
For the wider distinction between a gap year, deferred admission and an enrolled-student pause, use Gap Years and University Deferment in Singapore. Keep that planning discussion separate from the leave application for your current programme.
Your next step
Locate the policy for your own institution and student category. Prepare your proposed dates and ask the responsible office which application and supporting documents apply. Then record the approval outcome and return conditions beside your academic plan.
Continue through the eduKate source guides
Singapore school pathways and education information directory
Where Can I Find Official School Uniform Supplier Information in Singapore? · Where Can I Find NUS Examination Results Review Information? · Where Can I Find NTU URECA Application Information?
Official sources reviewed: 10 October 2026. Recheck the current institution, school, programme and service instructions before acting.
