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URA Change of Use Singapore (2026): Fees, Lodgment and Process

By ifix.sg by Trends Interior Design Pte Ltd (UEN 200408913Z) · Last updated 12 Nov 2026 · Sources cited below

Short answer: URA change of use in Singapore is a planning approval (or, in defined cases, a lodgment) when you want to use a property for a business use that is not already approved. As of URA’s pages last updated 6 November 2026, the application fee is S$500 (non-refundable; generally 10 working days) and the lodgment fee is S$150 (non-refundable once lodged; instant if conditions are met). Do not sign a tenancy or start works before the decision. A Land Betterment Charge may also be payable to SLA. This page is explanatory and is not legal advice.

What URA change of use is, and when it comes up

URA change of use is the planning process for using a property in Singapore for a business use that is not already approved for that unit. It comes up often when a shophouse, an office, a warehouse or an HDB commercial shop is taken for a different kind of business, for example an office occupying a shop, or a shop or F&B use moving into a unit approved for something else.

It is a planning decision about use, not a renovation permit. You may still need BCA, SCDF and landlord approvals for the works themselves.

This page is general information and is not legal, planning or tax advice. Fee figures below are taken from URA’s official pages as they stood when those pages were last updated on 6 November 2026. Recheck ura.gov.sg before you submit or pay, because fees and eligibility can change.

Official 2026 fees and processing times

The figures below are URA’s published fees, not ifix.sg charges. ifix.sg does not collect these fees.

Two points that are easy to miss:

• The S$500 and S$150 fees are for the URA process. They are not the cost of renovation, and they are not a Land Betterment Charge.
• “Generally 10 working days” is URA’s published guide for a standard application, not a guarantee for every case.

Application or lodgment: which path applies?

URA runs two different paths.

A planning application is the full change-of-use application, at the S$500 fee, with a published general processing time of 10 working days [1]. This is the path when the proposed use needs URA’s assessment and written planning permission.

Lodgment is a simpler path for proposals that meet URA’s published lodgment criteria. The fee is S$150, and URA describes a valid lodgment as instant [2]. If the proposal does not meet those criteria, lodgment is not a shortcut. You have to use the application path instead.

Eligibility depends on the property and the proposed use, and on the conditions URA lists on the lodgment page. Do not assume a shop, office or F&B use can be lodged just because a similar unit down the road was. Check the official criteria, or ask a qualified professional, before you pay the lodgment fee. Once lodged, that fee is not refundable [2].

Submissions are made through GoBusiness [3]. The property owner’s consent is required [1]. A tenant who files without it is likely to have the submission rejected or delayed.

URA’s lodgment scheme is narrower than it first looks. It applies only to pre-identified uses in selected commercial buildings, and on the first storey of shophouses on sites zoned Commercial, Commercial & Residential, Hotel or White, and only if every published condition is met [2]. Among those conditions: the premises must already be approved for commercial use or counted as commercial GFA, the change must not increase floor area, the site must not be under special planning controls, and the use must not already have started on the ground. Written owner consent is required before you lodge. If the proposal does not qualify, you have to use the S$500 application path instead.

A lodgment that is validly made is deemed approved on submission. URA says an acknowledgement slip is sent to your email the same day [2].

For a planning application, URA’s published document list includes a location plan (especially for a unit in a larger development), a floor plan of the proposed layout, the owner’s letter of consent, and any other agency clearances that apply [1]. A lodgment needs a location plan and the owner’s written consent [2]. Either path can be submitted by the business owner, the landlord, a consultant or a Qualified Person, through GoBusiness [1][2][3].

URA also notes that a standard application may take longer than the 10-working-day guide if the submission is incomplete, or if other agencies need to be consulted [1].

Do not commit the tenancy or the works first

URA’s own guidance is that you should not commit to a tenancy, and should not start works, before the change of use is decided [1]. That is the single most important practical point on this page.

If you sign first and the application is refused, or approved only with conditions you cannot meet, you can be left holding a unit you cannot operate as planned. And the URA fee is then the smallest part of the problem. Speak to a lawyer about the lease if you are already in that position; this article cannot unwind a tenancy.

The same caution applies to fit-out deposits, long lead-time joinery, and any reinstatement obligation you might be taking over from a previous tenant. Plan the commercial renovation or office / retail works so they start after the use is clear.

What else may apply besides the URA fee

Land Betterment Charge (LBC). A planning permission that increases the value of the land may attract an LBC, payable to the Singapore Land Authority [4]. SLA revised LBC rates with effect from 1 September 2026. This article does not publish LBC amounts, because they are computed for the site and the change in use or intensity. Use SLA’s current published rates or a professional adviser.

Building and fire-safety approvals. Change of use does not replace BCA plan submission or SCDF fire-safety approval where the works require them.

Landlord, MCST or HDB commercial rules. A planning approval does not override the lease, a mall handbook, or, for an HDB commercial shop, HDB’s own rules. For HDB shops specifically, see the HDB shop renovation cost guide. This site covers commercial units only, including HDB shops and shophouses, not flats.

Later reinstatement. If you take a unit and change its use, think about the make-good clause at the same time. A use that needs extra services or rooms can cost more to put back at the end of the lease. See the reinstatement clause guide.

A practical sequence

1. Confirm the approved use of the unit, and write down the use you actually want to operate.
2. Check URA’s current application and lodgment pages to see which path applies [1][2].
3. Obtain the owner’s written consent, and hold off on signing the lease or starting works [1].
4. Prepare the submission through GoBusiness, pay the published fee, and diary the 10-working-day guide (or treat lodgment as immediate only if it is validly made).
5. Ask early whether an LBC may be payable [4].
6. Only then finalise the tenancy and the fit-out programme, including BCA, SCDF and landlord submissions.

ifix.sg is a brand of Trends Interior Design Pte Ltd (UEN 200408913Z). We are a commercial renovation and reinstatement contractor. We do not submit URA applications, and we do not give planning advice. Once the proposed use is clear, we can quote the works. Fit-out prices are quote on request. WhatsApp +65 9863 5364.