Quran classes, home-based religious lessons and online Islamic courses that teach 10 or more people in Singapore must now register with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) as Muslim Religious Schools, under rules that took effect on Friday 2 October 2026.
Providers that now fall under the rules have until 31 March 2027 to apply, and they can keep teaching while their applications are processed.
Which classes now need to register
The test is regular teaching. Any person, organisation or place that provides Islamic instruction at least once a month to 10 or more people must register as a Muslim Religious School, or MRS. The rule applies to classes held in a mosque or centre, at home, or online.
Classes that must register include:
- Full-time and part-time madrasahs
- Quranic classes, including Iqra, Tajwid, Tarannum and Tahfiz
- Tuition classes that cover Islamic instruction
- Arabic classes that teach Islamic content, as opposed to conversational Arabic
- Student care centres that offer Islamic instruction
- Madrasah Entrance Test preparatory classes that offer Islamic instruction
- Umrah and Hajj preparatory classes run by travel agencies
- Online Islamic classes conducted from Singapore
- Higher learning classes offering certificate, diploma or degree programmes that cover Islamic instruction
- Ruqyah and funeral service providers that run workshops or classes teaching Islamic recitation or memorisation
Teachers who run religious lessons from their own homes and meet the 10-person, once-a-month test must register themselves as an MRS.
Who is exempt
Teaching Islam only to family members is exempt. So is the personal sharing of religious views with family and friends.
Religious services that do not involve teaching are also outside the rules. These include ruqyah, funeral services, tahnik, tahlil, korban and badal umrah. Ruqyah and funeral providers that run classes do need to register. Online classes run from outside Singapore are not covered.
Madrasahs and centres that are already registered do not need to re-register, and can continue under their current registration.
What registration means for parents
Registered schools may only use teachers recognised under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS), and the Islamic curricula they use must be verified by MUIS. MUIS officers are also empowered to inspect registered schools, including sitting in on lessons in person or online.
The ARS directory lists recognised asatizah, and the MRS directory lists registered providers. Both are public on the MUIS website.
Mandatory MRS registration began in 2017. Since then, the number of registered religious schools and Islamic education centres has risen from 303 to 475 in 2025, and the number of ARS-recognised teachers from 4,744 to 5,205.
Tighter rules for religious teachers
Changes to the Asatizah Recognition Scheme also took effect on 2 October.
New applicants for Tier 1 recognition must hold at least a degree in Islamic Studies. Existing Tier 1 asatizah are not affected, including those whose recognition is due for renewal.
Applicants who are unsuccessful, and asatizah whose recognition is cancelled or not renewed, must now wait one year before reapplying. Teachers who cancel their own recognition because they no longer plan to teach are not barred. MUIS also has more room to extend a suspension while an investigation is under way.
The legal basis and how to apply
The changes come under the Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Act 2024, which Parliament passed in February 2024, together with amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law (Muslim Religious Schools) Rules 2016.
Registration is online through the MRS registration website. Providers who need help can book a clinic session at MUIS through go.gov.sg/mrsclinics, call 6359 1199 or email [email protected]. Answers to common questions are on ask.gov.sg/muis.
