Do the beneficiaries have to be in Singapore to collect their share of the estate if the assets are held in Singapore?

It depends on the Executor.

The application for the Grant of Probate, as well as the subsequent collation and distribution of the estate, are carried out by the Executor. Technically, beneficiaries may receive their entitlements without having to be physically present in Singapore.

In practice, however, it depends on the Executor(s), who is responsible for ensuring that the estate is distributed to the correct recipients. There is no fixed or perfect approach, as long as the Executor is able, in their judgement, to transfer the monies from the estate account (which they control) to the rightful parties.

This requires the Executor to correctly identify the beneficiaries, which may involve some form of verification (e.g. checking the beneficiaries’ identification documents), and to ensure that the funds are transferred to the appropriate bank accounts, and not to unauthorised third parties.

This verification could be done in person, via video conferencing, or by any other appropriate means. In some cases, verification may not be necessary at all, for example if the Executor is already personally familiar with the beneficiaries (e.g. where the beneficiaries are the Executor’s own parents).