A 37-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to four months and six weeks in jail after knowingly marrying a Vietnamese woman who was still legally married to another man at the time.
The case, which involved false declarations to Singapore authorities over several years, eventually led to immigration and citizenship issues that the court described as serious offences with wider implications for Singapore’s system.
According to reports, the couple got married in Singapore in October 2013 despite the woman’s existing marriage still being legally valid overseas.
Authorities later discovered that the woman only officially divorced her previous husband in 2021, many years after the Singapore marriage had already taken place, Zaobao reported.
False Information Submitted To ICA Over Several Years
Between 2014 and July 2015, the Singaporean man allegedly submitted multiple false declarations to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) regarding the woman’s marital status.
The false information was reportedly used in applications for long-term visit passes and permanent residency in Singapore.
The matter escalated further in 2023 when the woman successfully obtained Singapore citizenship. Court proceedings revealed that her previous marriage was allegedly concealed again during the citizenship application process, Zaobao reported.
The case only surfaced after the woman’s former husband applied for a student pass for his son towards the end of 2025. During checks, authorities uncovered records showing that the woman had still been legally married when she wed the Singaporean man.
The identities of both parties were not revealed in court documents.
Multiple Charges Linked To Marriage And Immigration Offences
The man faced several charges, including abetting bigamy, providing false information under immigration laws, and making false declarations during marriage registration procedures.
He also faced accusations of supplying false information connected to a citizenship application.
He eventually pleaded guilty to three charges, while the remaining offences were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The judge reportedly noted that this case was more severe than typical bigamy-related offences because it extended beyond the marriage itself and involved attempts to obtain immigration and citizenship benefits through false declarations.
The court also highlighted concerns that such incidents could result in stricter immigration screening measures in future, potentially affecting legitimate applicants.
Children May Face Administrative Complications
The judge also addressed the impact on the couple’s two children, aged seven and nine.
According to the court, the children may face administrative complications because they were born out of wedlock under Singapore law due to the invalid marriage status at the time.
Under Singapore’s Constitution, children born outside a legally recognised marriage only automatically qualify for citizenship if their mother is a Singapore citizen.
Although the woman had reportedly separated from her previous husband long before the divorce was finalised, the judge stated that this did not reduce the seriousness of the offences committed.
The Singaporean man has since begun serving his jail sentence.