Persons or organisations may apply for an exemption from provisions under the PDPA. For example:

 

Exemption from Transfer Limitation Obligation

• Organisations shall not transfer any personal data to a country or territory outside Singapore, except in accordance with requirements prescribed under the PDPA to ensure that organisations provide a standard of protection to personal data so transferred that is comparable to the protection under the PDPA.
• Exemption may be granted subject to conditions specified by the PDPC and may be revoked at any time.

Exemption From Any Provision Under the PDPA

• Any person or organisation (or any class of persons or organisations) may be granted exemption from all or any of the provisions of the PDPA with the approval of the Minister, by order published in the Gazette.

Before Applying for Exemption

Refer to Help for Organisations to see if your issue can be addressed by any of the resources available.

If you have queries concerning the interpretation and application of the PDPA, refer to the Advisory Guidelines and FAQs, or contact us through our Feedback Form.

Applying for Exemption

If your issue cannot be addressed using available resources, you may submit your application to corporate@pdpc.gov.sg with the following details:

• Provision(s) of the PDPA for which the exemption is sought;
• The period(s) for which the exemption is sought;
• Detailed reasons for seeking exemption, together with supporting evidence;
• Alternative courses of action that have been considered and the reasons why such alternatives are not feasible;
• Identity of the person(s) or organisation(s) seeking the exemption. For exemption from the Transfer Limitation Obligation, please include details of the type and volume of personal data to be transferred, and all relevant circumstances of the transfer; and
• Any other supporting information and documentation.

Exemption applications will only be processed if the above information is provided.