Passport & Visa

Visitors to Singapore should have valid passports and visas to enter Singapore. Passport must have at least 6 months’ validity. Applications for visas can be made at the respective countries' high commissions or overseas missions. For more information, please visit here.

Essential Info

Currency
The currency is the Singapore dollar (S$). Singapore uses 1c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, and S$1 coins. Notes are in denominations of S$2, S$5, S$10, S$50, S$100, S$500, and S$1,000. The islands also has a S$10,000 note. Other than the Singapore Dollar, the US and Australian Dollars, Yen and British Pound are also accepted in most major shopping centres and big departmental stores.

Credit/Charge Cards
Major cards are widely accepted by establishments in Singapore.

Money Changers
Apart from the airport, banks, shopping centers and hotels, money can be changed wherever the sign "Licensed Money Changer" is displayed.

Tipping
Tipping is not a way of life in Singapore. It is prohibited at the airport and discouraged at hotels and restaurants where a 10% service charge is included in the bill. A tip should only be exercised when the bill does not include a service charge.

Electricity
Singapore's voltage is 220-240AC, 50 Hertz. Most hotels can provide a transformer to convert it to 110-120 AC, 60 Hertz.

Water
It is safe to drink water straight from the tap.

Telecommunication
Singapore's country code is 65. There is no city code for Singapore.

Useful number

Police	999 (toll-free)
Emergencies/ Ambulance/ Fire Brigade	995 (toll-free)
STB Touristline (24-hr automated tourist information system)	1800 736 2000 (toll-free in Singapore only)
CitySearch (operator-assisted Yellow Pages)	6777 7777 or 100
International Calls	104
Time of day	1711
Trunk Calls to Malaysia	Dial 109 for operator assistance
Toll-free lines	Dial 1800 followed by the toll-free line umber in Singapore only)
Weather	6542 7788
Citicab	6552 2222
SMRT Taxis	6555 8888
Premier Taxis	6363 6888
Smart Automobile	6485 7700
Silver Cab	6363 6888
Trans-Cab Service	6555 3333

Medical Facilities
Singapore's medical facilities are among the finest in the world, with well-qualified and experienced doctors and dental surgeons.

Pharmacies are found in supermarkets, department stores, hotels and shopping centres. Registered pharmacists generally work from 0900 hrs to 1800 hrs.

Most hotels have their own doctor on-call around the clock. Other doctors are listed under Medical Practitioners in the Yellow Pages of the Singapore Phone Book. For a listing of hospitals, click here.

Embassies
For a listing of embassies in Singapore, click here.

Laws & Fines

Singapore has earned the distinction of being one of the most crime-free countries in the world. Its laws may be severe enough to surprise most visitors. Trafficking in narcotics is punishable by death. The streets are usually quite safe at all times, even at nights.

Singapore is well known to be a fine country – with “fine” having a double meaning and both are true. To earn the reputation of being a fine city with low crime rate and a clean environment, Singapore stands its ground on stamping out frown-upon activities by slapping a hefty S$1,000 fine on any offender. Although it is rare that anybody gets fined that amount, the severity of the fine is enough to ensure compliance in most cases.

Smoking in a public place - buses, lifts, cinemas, restaurants, air-conditioned shopping centres, and government offices and eating, drinking and smoking on the MRT are all forbidden and would be slammed with a S$500 fine. Littering with a fine of up to S$1000 effectively makes Singapore such a clean city.

The sale and importation of chewing gun is banned although possession is not necessarily an offense. Jaywalking is a relatively minor crime - walk across the road within 50m of a designated crossing and it could cost you S$50.