How to Check SkillsFuture Credit: Step-by-Step Guide

TL;DR: What will you learn

• Log in to the MySkillsFuture portal with your Singpass.
• View your credit summary to see your available balance at a glance.
• Understand the different credit types you may hold: Opening Credit, Additional SkillsFuture Credit, and SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career).
• Check for any expiry dates so you do not lose credit you are entitled to.
• Use your credit to offset the fees of an eligible course when you are ready to enrol.

Understanding What SkillsFuture Credit Is

Before you learn how to check SkillsFuture Credit, it helps to know exactly what sits inside that account.

The SkillsFuture Singapore Movement and Its Goals

SkillsFuture Credit is one piece of a much bigger picture. It sits under SWDA (the Skills and Workforce Development Agency), the statutory board formed in 2026 from the merger of SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore, as part of a national movement to get every Singaporean into the habit of learning throughout their working life, not just when they are fresh out of school.

The idea is simple. Industries change fast, and the government would rather help you reskill early than watch roles disappear.

Your credit is meant to nudge you towards that first course, whether that is a data analytics workshop, a digital marketing programme, or a hands-on design bootcamp.

Who Qualifies for SkillsFuture Credit

The core rule is straightforward. If you are a Singapore Citizen aged 25 and above, you received an opening credit of $500 when the scheme launched in 2015, and this base credit does not expire.

The different credit types and their specific rules are explained in the next section.

Credit Versus Cash: Common Misconceptions

Here is the misunderstanding I hear most often. People assume SkillsFuture Credit is money they can withdraw or spend on anything.

It is not. SkillsFuture Credit is a training subsidy, not cash. You cannot transfer it, withdraw it, or use it to pay for groceries, a laptop, or your child’s tuition.

It can only be used to offset course fees for programmes approved by SWDA. When you enrol in an eligible course, you claim your credit to reduce what you pay out of pocket.

To keep this clear in your head, remember these points:

• The credit stays in your account until you use it on an approved course.
• You claim it yourself as an individual, through your own account.
• It reduces your course fee. It never lands in your bank account as cash.

This is also different from the course fee subsidies that employers claim under SWDA-funded programmes. When a company sends staff for training, the business often draws down subsidies and grants on your behalf, and that funding flows through the employer rather than your personal credit.

So your SkillsFuture Credit is yours to control, but only within the rules. Knowing that upfront saves a lot of confusion when you finally log in to check your balance.

The Different Types of SkillsFuture Credit You Might Have

Before you even log in to check your balance, it helps to understand that the number you see is not always one single pot of money. Over the years, the government has issued SkillsFuture Credit in different tranches, and each one behaves differently.

Knowing how to check SkillsFuture Credit properly means knowing what each figure represents, because some credits expire and others do not.

Opening Credit of $500 (2015)

Every Singaporean aged 25 and above in 2015 received an opening credit of $500. This was the very first disbursement when the scheme launched.

The good news is that this base credit does not expire. If you have never touched it since 2015, it should still be sitting in your account today, ready to use.

One-Off Top-Ups and Additional Credit

Since then, the government has added several one-off top-ups. This is where people get confused, because not all of them stick around.

The $500 top-up issued in 2020 carried a use-by deadline of 31 Dec 2025. If you did not use it in time, it simply lapsed and disappeared from your balance.

A separate one-off Additional SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career Support) of $500 was given to Singaporeans aged 40 to 60 (as at 31 December 2020) to encourage reskilling. It originally shared the same 31 December 2025 deadline as the 2020 top-up above, but the government lifted that expiry in 2024, and any remaining balance was merged into the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up, so it no longer carries its own validity window. When you check your account, the portal will still break the balance down by type, so it’s worth glancing at the details rather than just the total.

SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) $4,000 Top-Up

Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above receive an additional $4,000 in SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career). Unlike the one-off $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up issued in 2020, the $4,000 Mid-Career Credit does not expire.

The Mid-Career Credit has a more focused list of eligible courses than the Opening SkillsFuture Credit. According to MySkillsFuture, it can currently be used for:

• Institute of Higher Learning full qualifications and shorter modules that stack towards a full qualification
• MOE-subsidised full qualifications from the University of the Arts Singapore and Arts Institutions
• SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes
• Courses aligned with training requirements in Progressive Wage Model sectors
• Workplace Literacy and Numeracy courses

You can check the current list of courses eligible for SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) before enrolling.

If you previously received the separate $500 Additional SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career Support) for Singapore Citizens aged 40 to 60 as at 31 December 2020, any unused balance was merged into your SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career). The expiry date for that Additional Credit was removed, so the merged balance does not expire either.

For example, a 45-year-old who logs in to MySkillsFuture may see both an Opening SkillsFuture Credit balance and a separate Mid-Career Credit balance. The important distinction is not which one expires, because neither currently does, but which courses each credit tier can be used for.

Before enrolling, check the course listing on MySkillsFuture and confirm whether it is eligible for the Opening Credit, Mid-Career Credit, or both.

What You Need Before You Check Your Credit

Before I show you how to check SkillsFuture Credit, let me save you a common headache: most people who get stuck do not fail at the checking part; they fail at the login part.

So let us sort out the prerequisites first, so you sail straight through.

Singpass is non-negotiable

The MySkillsFuture portal does not have its own username and password. You log in entirely through Singpass, and that means you also need Singpass 2FA working on your device.

Singpass is the national digital identity managed by GovTech, and it is the same login you already use for IRAS to file taxes and for CPF to check your contributions. If you have done either of those recently, you almost certainly have a working Singpass.

The catch is the two-factor authentication. When you log in, Singpass will ask you to approve the request through the Singpass app on your phone or via an SMS one-time password, so have your phone within reach.

If you have forgotten your Singpass password

This trips up a lot of people, especially anyone who has not logged in for a while. Here is how to get back in:

Source: Singpass

1. Go to the Singpass website or open the Singpass app and tap “Forgot Password”.
2. Verify your identity, usually with your NRIC and a one-time password sent to your registered mobile number.
3. If your account has been locked or you have lost access to your registered number, use the “Reset password” flow, which may require Singpass Face Verification or a visit to a Singpass counter.

Set aside a bit of buffer time here, because if your registered mobile number is outdated, reactivation can take a little longer.

A Quick Real-World Scenario

In another separate scenario, say you are a Singaporean who has spent the last six years working overseas and has just moved home to retrain in a new field. You have not touched Singpass in years, your old password is long forgotten, and your registered mobile number is a defunct foreign SIM.

In that situation, you would reactivate Singpass first, update your mobile number, then re-enable 2FA before you ever reach MySkillsFuture. Handle Singpass one day, check your credit the next.

Who’s Actually Eligible

Finally, a reality check on who actually holds credit. SkillsFuture Credit is granted to Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above, not to Permanent Residents.

So if you are a PR, you can log in to MySkillsFuture and browse courses, but you will not find a SkillsFuture Credit balance to spend.

Step-by-Step: Checking Your SkillsFuture Credit on MySkillsFuture

Knowing how to check SkillsFuture credit takes less than five minutes once you know exactly where to click.

To make this easy to follow, I will walk you through it using a made-up user, Rachel, a 42-year-old marketing executive in Singapore who wants to see her balance before signing up for a course.

I have written this the same way we structure our beginner walkthrough of Google Analytics 4, one clear step at a time, so you never lose your place.

Step One: Go to the MySkillsFuture Portal

Source: MySkillsFuture

Open your browser and head to the official MySkillsFuture portal at myskillsfuture.gov.sg.

This is the government-run site managed by SWDA, so make sure you are on the correct domain and not a lookalike page.

Rachel lands on the homepage and looks for the login button in the top right corner, as shown above.

Always start from the official portal rather than a link in an email you did not expect, since credit balances are tied to your personal Singpass account.

Step Two: Log In With Singpass

Source: MySkillsFuture

Click Login, and you will be redirected to the Singpass login screen.

You can either scan the QR code with the Singpass mobile app or key in your Singpass ID and password directly.

Rachel uses the app on her phone, scans the code, and approves the login with her fingerprint. The screen shows both the QR option and the manual login fields, as shown above.

If you have forgotten your Singpass password, reset it first, because there is no way to view your credit without logging in through Singpass.

Once authenticated, you are taken back to your personal MySkillsFuture dashboard.

Step Three: Open Your SkillsFuture Credit Summary

From the dashboard, look for the menu labelled with your name or a section referencing SkillsFuture Credit, then click through to the credit summary page.

On this page, you will see your available balance displayed prominently near the top. For Rachel, this reads a combined figure made up of two separate amounts.

Below the total, the portal breaks the balance down by credit type. In Rachel’s case, the summary shows:

• $500 Opening Credit (the base top-up that most Singaporeans aged 25 and above received)
• $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) available to Singaporeans aged 40 and above

Each amount appears separately so you can distinguish your Opening Credit from your SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career).

This distinction matters mainly because the two credit tiers have different course eligibility rules. The Opening SkillsFuture Credit does not expire, and the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) also does not expire.

If your account previously included the 2020 one-off $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up, note that this separate tranche expired on 31 December 2025. The Additional SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career Support) issued in 2020 was treated differently: its expiry was removed and any remaining balance was merged into the current Mid-Career Credit.

Rachel therefore needs to check how much credit remains in each tier and whether the course she wants to take is eligible for that particular credit type, rather than planning around an expiry date. You can verify the current credit rules and eligible courses on MySkillsFuture.

That is the entire process: portal, Singpass, credit summary, three steps, and you have your full picture.

Checking Your SkillsFuture Credit on a Mobile Browser

You do not need a dedicated MySkillsFuture mobile app to check your credit.

On your phone, open your browser and go to the official MySkillsFuture portal.

Logging In With Singpass

Tap Login and authenticate using Singpass.

Depending on your device and Singpass settings, you may be able to approve the login using the Singpass app and your phone’s biometric authentication.

Once you are signed in, open your profile or SkillsFuture Credit section to view your available credit balance.

Viewing Your Balance on Mobile

The MySkillsFuture website is accessible through a mobile browser, so the information comes from the same account you use on desktop.

You can review your available SkillsFuture Credit, access the claim service and check the relevant course information directly from your phone.

For the most accurate balance, always rely on the information shown after you have logged in to your own MySkillsFuture account.

Making Sense of Your SkillsFuture Credit Balance

Once you know how to check SkillsFuture Credit, the next challenge is understanding what those numbers actually mean.

The credit summary looks simple at first glance, but the figures can trip you up if you do not know what each one represents.

Available Versus Reserved Credit

Your summary usually shows more than one figure, and this is where people get confused.

The available balance is the amount you can actually use to enrol in a new course right now.

The reserved amount, on the other hand, is credit that has been set aside for a claim you have already submitted but that has not yet been fully processed or completed.

Reserved credit is not lost; it is just committed to something you have already started. So if you signed up for a Google Ads workshop last month and the claim is still going through, that portion will show as reserved, not available.

Understanding Your Credit Types

As of 2026, the two current SkillsFuture Credit tiers do not expire.

The Opening SkillsFuture Credit for Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above has no expiry date. The $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) for Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above also has no expiry date.

The source of much of the confusion is the separate one-off $500 top-up introduced in 2020. That tranche expired on 31 December 2025. However, the separate Additional SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career Support) issued in 2020 had its expiry removed, and any unused balance was merged into the current Mid-Career Credit.

Instead of planning around expiry dates, focus on your available balance and the course eligibility rules attached to each credit tier.

For a fuller explanation of the different credit tranches, see Will my SkillsFuture Credit Expire? What Singaporeans Should Know.

Why Your Balance Might Look Different Than Expected

Here is a scenario I see all the time.

In another separate scenario, say you are a mid-career marketing executive who claimed credit for a data analytics course two weeks ago. You log back in to plan your next enrolment and the available balance looks lower than you remembered.

Do not panic, and please do not try to submit a fresh claim to make up the difference.

That drop almost always means your earlier claim is still pending, so the amount has moved from available into reserved while it is being processed.

Making a second claim to compensate can create a mess that takes time to unwind. Instead, check these three things first:

• Whether there is a reserved or pending figure shown separately
• The status of your most recent claim under your transaction history
• Any expiry dates attached to top-up credit

Give the pending claim a few working days to clear, then refresh the page before you plan anything new.

Example of an actual MySkillsFuture Credit Summary showing the total, available, and reserved credit balances in SGD notation.

How to Use Your SkillsFuture Credit for a Course

Checking your balance is only half the job. The real value comes when you actually put that credit to work, so let me walk you through how to use your SkillsFuture Credit for a course, from search to claim.

Finding an eligible course

Start on the MySkillsFuture course directory. This is where every SkillsFuture Credit-eligible course lives, and it is the only reliable way to confirm whether a programme qualifies before you commit.

Use the search bar and filters to narrow things down by skill area, training provider, or funding type. Look specifically for courses tagged as “SkillsFuture Credit eligible” and, ideally, ones that are SWDA-accredited, since those are the ones your credit can offset.

A practical tip: search by the exact course title if you already have one in mind. For example, if you are eyeing a digital marketing programme with us at Equinet Academy, typing the course name will pull up the listing along with its eligibility status and course reference number.

Enrolling with a training provider

Once you have found a course, you do not claim credit inside MySkillsFuture first. You enrol directly with the training provider.

When you sign up with an approved training provider such as Equinet Academy, our team registers your enrolment and gives you the details you need for your claim, including the course run start date and the exact fees payable. Keep this information handy, because you will enter it into the portal.

Only Singapore Citizens can use SkillsFuture Credit, and the credit offsets your course fees rather than being paid to you directly. So if a course costs, say, more than your available balance, you pay the difference out of pocket.

Submitting Your SkillsFuture Credit Claim

Once you have selected an eligible course, register with the training provider before submitting your SkillsFuture Credit claim.

Tell the training provider that you intend to use SkillsFuture Credit to pay for part or all of the qualifying course fee.

The training provider should give you an invoice showing the relevant course fee and the amount of SkillsFuture Credit you intend to use. Your supporting documentation should clearly show details such as the course fee, government subsidy, net course fee payable including GST, and your name as it appears on your NRIC.

You can submit your claim during the 60 days before the course start date, including the course start date.

To submit the claim:

1. Log in to the MySkillsFuture portal using Singpass.
2. Open the SkillsFuture Credit claim service.
3. Check whether your training provider has already submitted your course enrolment information. If it appears, select the correct enrolment. If not, search using the course reference number, course title or training provider.
4. Confirm the correct course run or course start date.
5. Enter the amount of SkillsFuture Credit you want to use and the net course fee payable after applicable subsidies.
6. Upload your invoice and any other required supporting documents before submitting the claim.
7. Review the information carefully, accept the applicable terms and submit the claim.

Common Reasons a Claim May Be Delayed or Rejected

Avoid submitting the claim until the course and payment information is complete. Problems can arise when:

• you have not registered for the course before submitting the claim;
• the wrong course, course run or start date is selected;
• the amount claimed does not match the qualifying amount shown in the supporting documents;
• the invoice or other required supporting documents are missing or incomplete;
• the supporting document does not clearly show the course fee, subsidy, net fee payable and your name; or
• the claim is submitted outside the permitted claim period.

Check every field against your invoice before you submit.

Common Problems When Checking Your Credit and How to Fix Them

Even when you know how to check SkillsFuture credit, the process does not always go smoothly. Over the years, I have helped colleagues and course participants past the same handful of snags, so let me walk you through the ones that come up most often.

Singpass and Login Issues

The most common wall people hit is Singpass. If your login keeps failing, first check that you are not accidentally on an old bookmarked page, because the login screen and app get updated periodically.

Forgotten your Singpass password or 2FA device? You cannot reset that through SWDA. Singpass is run by GovTech, so their helpdesk is your fallback for password resets, account lockouts, and re-registering a new phone for face verification or SMS OTP.

I usually tell people to sort out Singpass separately before even opening the MySkillsFuture portal. It saves you from bouncing back and forth in frustration.

Seeing a Zero or Wrong Balance

This one causes the most panic. You log in, expecting credit to be sitting there, and the dashboard shows $0.

Before you assume the system is broken, check your eligibility. SkillsFuture Credit is for Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above. Here is a realistic scenario I have seen more than once: a Permanent Resident starts a new job, hears colleagues talk about using their credit, logs in, and sees nothing.

That is not a bug. PRs and Employment Pass holders are not eligible for the individual SkillsFuture Credit top-ups, so a zero balance is simply correct for them.

If you are a citizen and still see the wrong figure, check these first:

• Whether part of your balance is reserved for an existing claim
• The status of your most recent claim or transaction
• Whether you are looking at your Opening Credit or Mid-Career Credit balance

When to Contact SWDA

If you have confirmed your eligibility, refreshed at a quieter time, and the balance still looks wrong, that is when to escalate.

Head to the official SWDA website and use their listed contact channels, either the online enquiry form or their hotline, for any balance disputes or claim issues. Keep your Singpass details and any transaction references handy so they can trace your account quickly.

Smart Tips to Maximise Your SkillsFuture Credit

Knowing how to check SkillsFuture Credit is only half the battle. The real win comes from spending it wisely so you get maximum skills for minimum out-of-pocket cost.

Here is how I approach it after helping learners plan their upskilling journeys.

Check Which Credit Tier the Course Accepts

Your Opening SkillsFuture Credit and SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) do not expire, so there is no need to rush into a course simply to avoid losing either balance.

Instead, check which credit tier applies to the course you want to take.

The Opening Credit can be used for a wider range of courses listed on MySkillsFuture, while the Mid-Career Credit is restricted to selected programmes with stronger employability outcomes.

Before enrolling, check the exact course listing on MySkillsFuture and confirm which SkillsFuture Credit tier it accepts.

Stack Your Credit With Other Subsidies

SkillsFuture Credit is separate from government course fee subsidies, and eligible learners can use their SkillsFuture Credit to offset the remaining nett fee after applicable subsidies have been applied.

However, do not assume that the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) can be used for every SkillsFuture-funded short course.

The Mid-Career Credit has a narrower list of eligible programmes. Many shorter professional courses may still accept the Opening SkillsFuture Credit while not being eligible for the $4,000 Mid-Career Credit.

Always check the individual course listing on MySkillsFuture before deciding which credit balance you can use.

Worked Example: Equinet Academy Digital Advertising Strategy Course

Here is a real example using the current fees published for Equinet Academy’s [WSQ Digital Advertising Strategy Course]. WSQ Digital Advertising Strategy Course

For an eligible Singapore Citizen aged 40 and above:

Full course fee: S$975.00
Nett fee after applicable SSG/SWDA subsidy: S$292.50
Opening SkillsFuture Credit applied: S$292.50
Remaining out-of-pocket course fee: S$0.00

This example assumes the learner has at least S$292.50 of Opening SkillsFuture Credit available.

It deliberately does not assume that the $4,000 Mid-Career Credit can be used for this short course. Always check the current MySkillsFuture listing for the specific course and course run before enrolling.

Choose Industry-Relevant, SkillsFuture-Funded Courses

Treat your SkillsFuture Credit as an investment in skills that support your career goals, not simply as a discount voucher.

Compare the course content, practical outcomes, funding eligibility and how the skill fits your work before committing your credit.

If you are still comparing options, our guide to the 7 Best SkillsFuture Courses in Singapore for Career Growth can help you build a shortlist.

Other Funding Options to Check

If you are a Singaporean aged 30 or below, you may also have a Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) balance that can be used for eligible education and SkillsFuture-supported training expenses. Check your eligibility and the applicable course requirements before relying on PSEA for payment.

For employers, the current SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) ends on 30 November 2026. Enterprise Singapore states that eligible employers must submit final claims for supportable programmes by that date.

A redesigned SFEC takes effect from 1 December 2026, so employers planning training after that date should check the latest terms before calculating their funding.

Conclusion

Checking your SkillsFuture Credit takes only a few minutes. Log in to MySkillsFuture with Singpass, open your credit information and review how much you have available under each credit tier.

The most important thing to understand is that the Opening SkillsFuture Credit and the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) do not expire. What differs is the range of courses each credit tier can be used for.

Before enrolling, confirm that the course is listed on MySkillsFuture, check which SkillsFuture Credit tier it accepts, and review the nett fee after any applicable course subsidy.

If you decide to make a claim, tell the training provider that you intend to use SkillsFuture Credit, obtain the appropriate invoice and upload your supporting documents before submitting the claim.

You can learn more about the different credit tranches in Will my SkillsFuture Credit Expire? What Singaporeans Should Know and explore training options in our guide to the 7 Best SkillsFuture Courses in Singapore for Career Growth.

Used carefully, SkillsFuture Credit can reduce the amount you pay personally while helping you build skills that are relevant to your work and longer-term career goals.