Know before you go: Singapore

Verified essentials for Singapore: connectivity, transport, tickets, money and etiquette — checked by humans, with dates.

Last verified: 2026-07-08

Before you book4

1. Check your passport and entry rules first.

   Before booking anything, check your passport's validity and the entry rules for your nationality — visa or visa-waiver, allowed stay, and any pre-registration your destination asks for. Rules differ by passport, not by airline.

   Documents

2. Sort travel insurance while flights are refundable. Travel insurance for this trip

   Medical care abroad is paid care — a short hospital visit can cost more than the trip. Buy a policy that covers medical treatment and trip interruption when you book, not the week you fly.

   Health

3. Singapore's famous rules are real — vapes above all.

   Vapes are flat-out illegal: Changi's X-ray machines find them, and possession means an on-the-spot fine of around S$700 (up to S$2,000 first offence) with no tourist exception. Chewing gum can't be brought in for sale, some medicines need prior approval, and drug offences carry penalties as severe as they come. Check before you pack — not at the border.

   DocumentsHealth

4. Watch the F1 weekend and Chinese New Year.

   The Formula 1 night race (usually September–October) doubles or triples hotel prices around Marina Bay for a week, and over Chinese New Year many hawker stalls and family shops close for days. Neither ruins a trip — but check the calendar before locking dates.

   TransportTickets

2–4 weeks before2

1. Set up an eSIM before you land. Get an eSIM before you land

   Install a travel eSIM at home over Wi-Fi and it activates when you land — no airport SIM counters, no roaming surprises. Keep your home SIM active for bank SMS codes.

   Connectivity

2. Book the big attractions as dated tickets. Tickets on Klook

   Universal Studios Singapore, Gardens by the Bay's conservatories and the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark all sell timed online tickets — buy ahead to skip queues and, for USS on busy dates, consider the Express add-on. Evening slots for the light shows are free but the domes around them sell out on weekends.

   TicketsFamilySingapore

A few days before4

1. Download offline maps and the language pack.

   Before you fly, download your destination's offline map area and the offline language pack in Google Translate or Apple Translate. The camera/Lens mode reads menus and signs instantly — it works best with the pack already on your phone.

   Apps

2. Prep your cards, skip the worst exchange rates.

   Tell your bank you're traveling, carry a second card in a different bag, and when a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, always choose the local currency — "dynamic currency conversion" is a built-in bad rate.

   Money

3. Submit the SG Arrival Card in the 3 days before you fly.

   Everyone entering Singapore must file the free SG Arrival Card (with health declaration) online — no earlier than 3 days before arrival (the system won't accept it), and skipping it can mean being turned away. Three minutes on the ICA site or MyICA app; never pay a third-party site for it.

   DocumentsApps

4. UK-style plugs at 230V.

   Singapore uses the British three-pin type-G socket at 230V. US, EU and Japanese plugs all need an adapter; modern chargers handle the voltage fine.

   Connectivity

On arrival2

1. Your bank card IS the transit card.

   Tap your own contactless Visa, Mastercard or Amex (or phone wallet) straight on MRT and bus readers — no ticket, no registration, no local card needed. A small S$0.60-per-day admin fee applies to foreign cards; heavy riders can grab a Tourist Pass instead, but for most trips tap-and-go wins.

   TransportMoney

2. Grab is the ride app — there's no Uber here.

   Uber left Southeast Asia years ago; Grab is what everyone uses (foreign cards work fine), with TADA and CDG Zig as backups. Street taxis exist and take cards too — the apps just save the negotiation of where to stand.

   TransportApps

Daily on the ground5

1. Hawker centres: carry a little cash, return your tray.

   Hawker food is Singapore's best eating and its best deal — but many stalls take only cash or local QR payments, so keep small notes. Locals "chope" (reserve) tables with a tissue packet; respect it. And return your tray afterwards — it's the law, not a courtesy.

   MoneyEtiquette

2. No eating or drinking on the MRT — really.

   Eating or drinking on trains and buses risks a S$500 fine (yes, water too, technically), durians are banned outright, and Singaporeans queue precisely at the marked door positions. The system is spotless because the rules are kept — join in.

   EtiquetteTransport

3. Claim 9% GST back at Changi's kiosks.

   Spend S$100 or more in a participating shop (you can combine up to three same-day receipts from the same retailer), show your passport at purchase, then scan it at an eTRS kiosk at Changi before checking your bags. Refund lands on your card — keep the goods unused and with you.

   Money

4. Alcohol has a curfew — and a price tag.

   Retail alcohol sales stop at 22:30 (supermarkets and convenience stores alike), and drinking in public places is banned from 22:30 to 07:00 — bars and restaurants are unaffected. Prices run high everywhere; treat drinks as a budget line, not an afterthought.

   MoneyEtiquette

5. Dress for a thunderstorm and a fridge.

   Singapore is 30°C+ and humid every single day, with short violent afternoon downpours — carry a compact umbrella and plan indoor pauses. Then every mall, museum and bus is air-conditioned to a chill, so a light layer earns its place in the daypack. Tap water is safe to drink; refill freely.

   HealthFamily

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