Buying Guide

The HDB EIP and SPR Quota: How They Affect Buying and Selling a Resale Flat

Two quotas can stop an otherwise eligible resale transaction: the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP), which applies to everyone, and the Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) quota, which applies to non-Malaysian PR households. They are checked at block and neighbourhood level, and they change monthly, so a flat that was fine last month may not be this month.

What each quota does

• EIP. HDB says the policy preserves Singapore's multicultural identity and promotes racial integration by ensuring a balanced mix of ethnic communities in HDB towns. Limits are set for each block and each neighbourhood, based on the ethnic make-up of Singapore.
• SPR quota. Applies to non-Malaysian SPR households buying a resale flat: the household must fit within 8% of the block and 5% of the neighbourhood. Malaysian SPRs are excluded, which HDB attributes to close cultural and historical similarities with Singaporeans.

When you can buy

You may be eligible to buy a flat if either:

• You and the seller are of the same ethnic group and household citizenship; or
• After your purchase, the number of households of your ethnic group stays within the block and neighbourhood limits and, for non-Malaysian SPR households, the SPR households stay within the SPR quota.

The same logic applies to sellers: your sale must keep the block and neighbourhood within the limits, unless you and your buyer share ethnic group and household citizenship.

How your household's ethnicity is set

A household with members of different ethnic groups may classify the household under the ethnicity of any buyer or the spouse, according to the race on their NRIC. Once chosen, it stays the same when you later sell the flat on the open market. Think about this before you choose, since it affects who you can sell to.

When HDB checks

For a purchase, check compliance at each of these milestones:

1. The seller grants the Option to Purchase
2. You exercise the OTP
3. You and the seller submit your portions of the resale application

The quotas are updated on the 1st of every month and apply to complete resale applications submitted that month. A resale application is complete only when HDB has both parties' portions and all supporting documents. A quota that fills up between your OTP and your application can therefore catch you out, so submit the application promptly and see the timelines in the buying guide.

How to check

• Buyers: use HDB's quota checker, or read the prevailing EIP and SPR quota shown on each flat's listing on the HDB Flat Portal.
• Sellers: registering an Intent to Sell tells you the prevailing quota for your block. See selling an HDB flat.

If the quota blocks your sale

HDB says owners who face genuine difficulty selling at a reasonable price because quotas have been reached may write to HDB for assistance. HDB reviews each case and offers help where possible, including its buyback assistance. This is case-by-case, not a guaranteed remedy.

What this means for PRs

PR households face both quotas as well as other eligibility conditions. For the full picture, including how long you must have held PR status, see can a PR buy an HDB resale flat.

FAQ

Related guides

• Can a PR Buy an HDB Resale Flat? (2026 Rules)
• HDB Flats for Singles and Seniors: Eligibility
• Adding or Removing Occupiers in Your HDB Flat

Figures current as of October 2026, from HDB's pages. The EIP block and neighbourhood limits themselves are published monthly by HDB and are not reproduced here; check HDB's quota tool for the live figures for a specific block. This guide is general information only and is not a determination of anyone's eligibility.