Moving to Singapore
Things to know before moving to Singapore
Singapore is a city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula located in Southeast Asia. It consists of the diamond-shaped Singapore Island and some 60 small islets. Singapore is in the equatorial monsoon region of Southeast Asia, and its climate is characterized by uniformly high temperatures and nearly constant precipitation throughout the year
The city has a very good reputation for expat life. Indeed, in 2018 it was ranked the world’s best destination for expats by HSBC. Singapore can pride itself on several things such as the excellent sea, air, and telecommunication networks. Speaking about air telecommunication, Changi International Airport serves over 70 million travelers annually and is one of the world’s 20 busiest passenger airports.
Due to the strict regulations adopted over the years, Singapore is one of the most peaceful and cleanest cities to live in.
Its stable currency and multiculturalism make it appealing for expats moving to the country. However, lifestyle can be quite fast-paced.
Singapore has a deep multicultural soul. The overall population is about 5.7 million and comprises a majority of Chinese (76%), followed by Malays, Indians, and Eurasians.
The cosmopolitan soul of the city is also reflected in the many religions practiced: Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity just to mention a few.
Singapore’s schooling system is internationally recognized and has a laudable literacy rate of 96.5% in its population. Learning English is compulsory and it is the most commonly-used language in the country.
Why should you consider moving to Singapore?
- Singapore Provides Incredible Business Opportunities for Expatriates
- Singapore Has a Low Tax Rate. Singapore’s personal tax system is drastically simpler than much of the rest of the world and requires that individuals pay a nominal tax rate compared to many other countries.
- Minimal Crime Rates. The country was ranked 8th in the world for crime rates in 2015. This is largely due to their strict punishments for bribery, drug offenses, and less severe offenses like cheating on a partner, which can result in one year of imprisonment.
- An Outstanding Education System. With 20% of government spending going directly into education, Singapore is a great place for anyone interested in continuing their education. The National University of Singapore currently ranks 11th in the world for higher education. Graduate programs cost an average of $22,000 per year, but government grants have the potential to reduce that cost by up to 50% and are available to both domestic and international students.
- The healthcare system in Singapore is ranked among the best in the world.
- The country also serves as a hub for travel throughout Asia, with affordable flights regularly available for flying to Southeast Asia.
General tips
- Chewing gum, tobacco and alcohol are also high on the list of prohibited items.
- Because of its small size, Singapore has invested heavily in public transport infrastructure. The trains, in particular, are cheap and efficient. Delays are rare,
- Singapore has a hot tropical climate. With temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, winter clothing is unnecessary.
- Many people move to Singapore because their companies ask them to do so. But if yours did not and you are making the move on your own, it is important to have a job first.
Culture of Singapore
Despite being small-sized, the local customs and cultures of Singapore are a blend of multiple ethnic influences including Chinese, Malay, Indians, and others, the reason being the country’s history as a trading hub. This diversity is also reflected in terms of spoken languages which include English, Mandarin, Tamil, and Malay.
Singapore has its own set of rules and regulations, which heavily criminalizes many actions which are considered petty crimes or no-offense acts in most other countries. Singaporeans value discipline more than anything. They have no issue with standing in a queue for something that is good.
Sport
Just like in many other countries in the world, soccer is a popular sport in Singapore. It is also referred to as football, and the national teams in the country are very strong. Both the women’s and men’s national football teams are carefully selected and trained by experienced coaches.
Baseball and softball are also common sports that are played over the weekend. The main reason is that the association registers many teams in schools, colleges, and other organizations.
Singapore has some of the best private and public golf courses in the region. Whether you are looking for water features, trees, or just an open golf course, you will fall in love with what Singapore has to offer.
The list of popular sports activities in Singapore will not be complete without basketball. They have the best teams in the region both for women and men.
Public transport in Singapore
Singapore has the world’s second-best public transport system, as McKinsey&Company revealed in a study.
The MRT subway system is extensive, clean, efficient, inexpensive, and easy to understand.
Cost of public transport in Singapore
Maps are available at every station. Fares are based on the distance you travel and usually range from SG$1 to SG$2.50 (about $0.74/€ 0,66 to $1.85/€ 1,65). Instead of purchasing single fare tickets, consider purchasing an EZ-Link rechargeable card for SG$12 (about $ 9/€ 8) to save some extra coins and avoid ticket lines if you’re in Singapore for an extended period.
Buses ride across the entire country and can take you everywhere you need to go. The numerous bus routes may overwhelm or confuse first-time visitors. Fares are based on distance traveled, time of day as well as traveler type.
Taxi
If you want to get somewhere in a hurry, take a cab. Taxis are reasonably priced: the meter starts between SG$3 to SG$5 (about $2.24/€2 to $3.75/€3,34) and around SG$0.22 (about $0.16/€0,14) per kilometer thereafter.
Renting in Singapore as a foreigner
In Singapore, the rental contract is usually full of terms not easy to understand, and if not careful, it may be the root of many rental nightmares. Be prepared for a whole set of acronyms.
With the price of housing continuing to increase and many finding it unaffordable to buy a property in the current market, renting is increasingly becoming a popular option.
Note that subletting an entire apartment requires permission from the Housing Development Board and that subletting a bedroom is only possible for 3-bedroom flats or larger ones. An entire unit would cost $2,500 (€ 2,230) to $3,500 (€ 3,120) per month on average to rent in Singapore, while a room can cost between $500 (€ 445) and $1,000 (€ 890).
Different types of properties available for rent
HDB Flats
You can rent either entire units or one bedroom. Usually, master bedrooms come with a bathroom en suite and therefore cost more than common rooms.
Serviced Apartments
These usually have gyms, cafes, business centers, and cleaning services. The monthly rental prices for these typically range from $2,500 (€ 2,230) to $6,000 (€ 5,340) for a one-bedroom apartment, and $5,000 (€ 4,450) to $10,000 (€ 8,910) for a two-bedroom apartment.
Condominiums
These are properties with facilities such as security, gyms, and pools. Smaller condominiums may not have as many facilities. Monthly rental costs for condominiums typically range between $2,500 (€ 2,230) and $10,000 (€ 8,910) for entire units.
Penthouses
Penthouses often have their own pools, rooftop gardens, and terraces. The topmost of the high-rise buildings in Singapore. Rental costs typically range from $10,000 (€ 8,910) to $30,000 (€ 26,720) monthly.
Landed Property
Depending on the location and the size of the house, rents for landed property can vary from $10,000 (€ 8,910) to $30,000 (€ 26,720) per month. Landed property can be split into three main types:
- Terrace Houses: These are houses that share common walls with neighbors on both sides, unless at the end of a row.
- Semi-detached Houses: These houses share one wall in common with a neighbor.
- Detached Houses/Bungalows: These houses do not share any walls with other houses.
Furnished or unfurnished apartments?
Rental apartments come fully furnished, partially furnished, or unfurnished.
- Fully furnished, means the apartment comes with a complete set of furniture, appliances (e.g. television, microwave oven), and white goods (e.g. refrigerator, washing machine).
- Partially furnished means the apartment comes with essential white goods, lights, and curtains, but or little furniture.
- Unfurnished means the house is renovated but bare, perhaps only with the lights fitted. Of course, you can always request for the landlord to add items – these can all be negotiated before you sign the tenancy agreement and can be incorporated into the rent.
Naturally, fully furnished units and rooms will cost more than unfurnished properties.
Requirements and documents to rent
Once you have found your dream property it is time to gather all the necessary documents to finally sign the contract.
Documents necessary to rent
-
Letter of Intent
The Letter of Intent states your intention to rent the place and your requirements to the landlord. If you need repairs done, or new fitments, add them to this Letter of Intent. After the landlord signs the Letter of Intent, he is legally obliged to provide what you asked for.
A letter of intent needs to include the following clauses:
– Diplomatic or Repatriate Clause
This applies to tenancy agreements with a tenure of over one year. If you are no longer employed or your workplace transfers you to another country, you can terminate the lease after 12 months, by giving two months’ notice. Your security deposit will be refunded to you. Most landlords will only include the diplomatic clause if the lease is more than a year.
– Good-faith Deposit or Booking Deposit
This is usually one month’s rent. When you find a place you like, both you and the landlord sign a “Letter of Intent” – and you may be asked to pay a “good-faith” deposit. After he’s signed the “Letter of Intent” and taken this deposit he cannot rent the property to anyone else. But you don’t lose this deposit money – it becomes part of your Security Deposit after the Tenancy Agreement is signed, or you can negotiate for it to be deducted from your first month’s rent.
– Security Deposit
The standard practice in Singapore is usually one month’s rent for every year of your lease. You only pay it after you sign the Tenancy Agreement. The landlord keeps this money and can use it at the end of your lease to pay for repairs to the property if you damage it, or costs and expenses arising from you breaking the lease. Assuming there are no costs, you get the full amount of the security deposit back after you leave the apartment.
– Term of Lease
In Singapore, the standard lease is more than one year, with or without an option to renew the lease. Most landlords won’t accept “short-term leases” for less than one year. After a year of renting a place, you can opt to renew a lease for another one to two years – but you need to give the landlord two or three months’ notice.
-
Tenancy Agreement
After the Letter of intent is signed the landlord prepares the Tenancy Agreement. You’ll pay any legal fees for this -they can range from nothing to a few hundred dollars. You need to prepare the rest of the security deposit and advance rental now. For a one-year lease – your security deposit will be one month’s deposit and one month’s advance rental. The Tenancy Agreement needs to include the following clauses:
– Details about Utilities, Telephone, and Cable Television bills
Installation charges (if any) and the monthly bills for these are usually the tenant’s responsibility, but you can sometimes negotiate to have some of these fixed bills to be included in your rental as part of a package.
– Who Pays for Repairs and Maintenance
You must maintain the apartment and do minor repairs at your own cost. In a standard agreement, this means you pay for repairs up to $100 (€89) or $150(€133).
Only major repairs and maintenance are the landlord’s responsibility provided the damage or malfunction of appliances is not caused by the tenant’s negligence.
– Check The Rent Amount is Accurate
Sometimes the landlord will divide the rent into the rent of premises, rent of furniture and fittings, and maintenance fees. Just make sure it adds up to the amount you agreed.
Rental process and rules
Once you are familiar with the options available, you can take the following steps to rent the property you are interested in.
- Decide on your budget. Having a budget in mind will help you decide the type of property to rent, as well as its location. Ensure that your budget is flexible enough to prevent situations where you are unable to find a house that is both within your budget as well as in a specific location of your preference.
- Decide on the type of property and the location. Factors to take into account when making this decision include the facilities you require, the public transport options, the age and number of family members, the distance to office or school districts and the amenities you would like, such as supermarkets and libraries.
- Gather a pool of specific options. First, examine property websites to come up with a list of potential properties that fit your choices on location, budget, and other factors.
- Arrange for property viewings. Visit the shortlisted properties and take photos and notes on each to help you make a decision later. It is helpful to visit at different times of the day to get an idea of the neighborhood.
- Sign the Letter of Intent. Once you decide on the home you want to rent you usually then sign a Letter of Intent (LOI), which states your intention to lease, as well as any requirements you have.
- Sign the Tenancy Agreement: After signing the LOI and putting down a deposit, you will then sign the Tenancy Agreement.
Rental contract and deposit
By convention (not law), the security deposit is one month’s rent for a one-year lease, or double that for a two-year lease. It will be refunded at the end of the lease, after deductions due to damages.
If there is any damage to the property the landlord can subtract the cost of damages from your security deposit. In general, the deposit is only used to cover damages for which you are directly responsible.
If there’s a premature termination of the lease your security deposit can be kept by the landlord.
Buying a property as a foreigner
In 1973, the Singapore Government-imposed restrictions on foreign ownership of all private residential property in Singapore. Such ownership is governed by the Residential Property Act. Foreigners are not restricted from acquiring:
- Properties approved as a condominium development under the Planning Act
- A flat in a building of 6 levels or more including the ground level and any level below the ground level including HUDC Phase I, Phase II flats, and privatized HUDC Phase III and IV flats
- A leasehold estate in restricted residential property for a term not exceeding 7 years including any further term which may be granted by way of an option for renewal.
What are the restricted residential properties?
Foreign persons (including natural persons, foreign companies, and societies) are restricted from purchasing:
- Vacant land
- Landed residential property, such as bungalows, terrace houses, semi-detached houses
- Residential property in a building of fewer than 6 levels
Requirements to buy a property in Singapore
To buy a flat directly from HDB, or a flat from the resale market, you must be a Singapore citizen, must include another Singapore citizen or Singapore permanent resident to form a family nucleus.
House prices in Singapore
The average cost of a home currently on the market in Singapore is S$2,080,533 ($1.520.968/€1.355.485). HDB properties are the cheapest forms of housing available, costing an average of S$532,768 ($388,430/€345,070).
- HDB Average S$532.768 ($389.430/€ 347,100)
- Condo Cost Overall S$1,780,051 ($ 130.115/€ 115,970)
- Landed S$5,063,507 ($ 370.124/€ 329,89)
Get a mortgage in Singapore
Foreigners can indeed apply for mortgages in Singapore. It’s worth noting that there are limits on the loan to value (LTV) ratio of your mortgage, as well as mandated minimum cash down payments.
The loan to value ratio is typically 75% for a first home loan (but depending on your age, it can be as low as 55%). The cash down payment required is typically 5%.
Process and steps to buy a house in Singapore
Step 1: Check if you need to pay taxes
Foreigners are required to pay Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) when buying private property in Singapore.
SPRs buying their first residential property will need to pay an ABSD rate of 5% and 15% for their second and subsequent residential property.
Meanwhile, foreigners will need to pay an ABSD rate of 20% regardless of the number of residential properties purchased.
However, there is no need to pay ABSD for US nationals or nationals and Permanent Residents from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland.
You also need to pay a Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) and Mortgage Duty whether you are buying from the public or private housing markets.
Do also note you need to factor in legal fees and other administration fees.
Step 2: Hire an agent
An agent can help you scout for the best deals, do your financial calculations, settle your paperwork and other details. They will typically charge an agent fee of one percent.
Step 3: Apply for a bank loan
You can get up to 75% financing on the property’s purchase price for the first property and 55% for the second and subsequent property.
Bank loans are subjected to floating rates meaning their interest rate can go higher or lower.
You need to set aside at least 12 months of savings, just in case.
Step 4: Make an offer and seal the deal
Now that you have found your dream property in the HDB or private property market, it is time to seal the deal.
For HDB resale flats, you will need to log into the HDB Resale Portal with your SingPass.
You may refer to the resale procedure on the HDB website.
For condominiums, you will need to put down an option fee of 1% of the purchase price, secure financing, and pay the remaining option fee of 4% within a month.
After this, you will need to place a downpayment of 15% in cash and/or CPF for SPRs.
For foreigners, you will need to pay this in cash.
Subsequently, you need to pay the remaining 5% in cash while the rest will be loaned by the bank.
Guide to additional expenses when buying a home in Singapore
Before you even begin looking at the numbers, first off you need to prudently review your current financial status. Look at your existing debt obligations, ongoing loans, net monthly income, stability of work, and available savings. These are the following additional expenses to consider when buying a property in Singapore:
- The option fee is normally 1% of the property’s agreed price.
- The Offer to Purchase fee is 5% or 10% of the agreed purchase price.
- Down payments may range from 10-20% depending on the developer.
- Stamp Duty is a tax on documents relating to the purchase of a property
- The Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty or ABSD is another tax that needs to be paid when purchasing a property in Singapore.
- For securing mortgage documents, a tax rate of 0.4% needs to be paid to IRAS.
- Legal fees can cost anywhere from $2,500-3,000 (€2,230-2,670).
- Valuation Fee” and it can be anywhere from $350-500 (€311-445)
- Fire Insurance, This can range from $1.50 (€1,34) for a 1-room flat to $7.50 (€6,68) for an executive or multi-generation property; for five years
- Administrative Fees, a $10 (€8,91) non-refundable payment
- Service & Conservancy Charges, $55-95 (€49-85) per month
- Maintenance Fees, $200-300 (€178-267) per month
- Agent Fees, at least 1%
Utility companies: Electricity and gas
- Pacificlight Power (electricity)
- LYS Energy Solutions (electricity)
- RH Petrogas (gas)
- Powergas (gas)
One can expect to pay monthly bills of between $59-$120 (€52-107) if you live in an HDB flat, and between $120-$450 (€107- 400) if you live in a private property.
Utilities: Water
Water supply and sanitation in Singapore are characterized by a number of challenging environments that have been achieved in a relatively small country with geographical limitations. Access to water in Singapore is universal, affordable, efficient, and of high quality. Today, Singapore is internationally recognized as a model city for water management and an emerging Global Hydrohub. Singapore is home to over 70 local and international water companies and 23 research and development centers working on about 300 projects.
What you need to know
- The cost of healthcare has risen by 57.46% since 2000, and the average medical inflation rate was 2.3% per year.
- Note that in Singapore, there is a maximum loan you can take for your property, which is called the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio
- Transportation costs in Singapore can either be very affordable if you choose to use public transport or be a financial burden if you decide to own a car.
- All Singapore residents have to pay income tax. You have to pay $200 (€178) if you only earned $30,000 (€26,720) for the entire year) to $36,550 (€32,560) if you earned $280,000 (€249,400).
Languages of Singapore
The national language of Singapore is Malay while English, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil are the four official languages. English is the most widely spoken language (primarily by the population below the age of 50), and is largely used in school for teaching. English is also the language of business and government in Singapore.
Another language spoken in Singapore is Singlish. It is primarily the colloquial form of English, having a distinct accent, and ignoring the basic standards of English grammar. Having so much local slang and expressions of various languages and dialects of Singapore, speaking in Singlish is seen as a mark of being truly local.
Interestingly, all the schools in the city teach the language of the child’s parentage, along with English, to ensure the child stays in touch with the traditional roots.
Here are some basic words translated from English to Malay:
No – Teedak
Hello – Apakabar
Thank you – Terimakasih
Good bye – se la mat jalan
Do you speak English? – Ta-hoo-kah ber -da ha sa Ingris?
Same – Sama Sama
I don’t understand – Sa-ya tee dak fa-ham
Help! – To-long!
Language Percentage
The standardized version of the Malay language in Singapore is Bahasa Melayu, spoken by nearly 13% of the Singaporean population. One of the official languages, Malay was once the national language of Singapore before the advent of the British in 1819. The national anthem of Singapore – ‘Majulah Singapura’, or Onward Singapore – is also written in Malay. Let’s have a look at the language percentage:
- English 37%
- Mandarin 35%
- Chinese Dialects 13%
- Malay 10%
- Tamil 3%
- Others 2%
Minimum wage and average wage
Singapore’s Minimum Wage is the lowest amount a worker can be legally paid for his work.
Singapore has no minimum wage laws or regulations. However, two exceptions were made recently: cleaner jobs to have a minimum wage of $1,000 (€890) per month effective January 2014, and Security guards have a minimum wage of $1,100 (€979) per month effective September 2016.
In 2021, the average salary in Singapore is about S$8,450 ($6,220/ €5,540) per month.
Minimum salary
Without a minimum wage law, there’s no mandatory minimum income for workers in the country.
However, the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore has brought in a ‘progressive wage model’ in which cleaners and security guards will receive S$1,000 ($730/€980) and S$1,100 ($804/€716) respectively.
What is a good salary in Singapore?
As of January 2021, the average salary in Singapore is $5,877 (€ 5,238) per month, inclusive of the employer’s CPF contribution
Average annual salary
The average monthly salary in Singapore depends on an employee’s experience level, field of work, job title, and education level.
It also varies drastically across sectors like IT (Information Technology), healthcare, banking, and work type (full-time or part-time).
Considering all these points, an employee working in Singapore earns a gross monthly income of S$8,450 ($6,220/€5,540).
Occupation Average salary in euros Average salary in USD:
- Nurse: $21,930 – € 19,560
- Primary teacher: $68,314 – € 60,940
- Architect: $ 85,644 – € 76,400
- Software Engineer: $57,096 – € 50,930
- UX Designer: $ 55,200 – € 49,240
- Web Developer: $36,040 – € 32,150
- Product manager: $50,880 – € 45,390
The most demanded jobs and their remuneration
Based on insight from GrabJobs, one of the leading job portals, the most in-demand jobs in Singapore in 2021 are, in one way or the other, technology-related.
Occupation Average salary in euros Average salary in USD
- AI Specialist $ 62,136 – € 55,420
- Backend Developer $ 86,880 – € 77,490
- E-Commerce Specialist $ 36,960 – € 32,970
- Human Resource Professional $ 50,200 – € 44,780
- Creative Copywriter $ 48,000 – € 42,810
- Helpdesk Agent $ 47,520 – € 42,390
The work culture of Singapore
Singapore is a cosmopolitan melting pot of cultures where the east meets the west. This aspect is also reflected in its work culture which is made up of a unique mix of Asian and Western cultural influences.
- With Chinese making up 74.3% of Singapore’s population, it is not uncommon to see most local firms being significantly influenced by traditional Chinese values. When it comes to relationships though, this translates into a culture of hierarchy, where people in the lower level of the hierarchy system would accept their subordinate status, and respect formal hierarchical authority
- The majority of Singaporeans and local firms practice group-centredness, that is, the traditional value of cooperation amongst group members to maintain group harmony.
- The majority of the local firms don’t actually want too many employees running around with too many crazy ideas,
- Many companies in Singapore have moved from 6 days to 5 days per week schedule. This is especially true for MNCs and companies engaged in white-collar work. Normal working hours are 40-45 hours per week.
Singaporean Work Culture: Dress Code
Although casual wear is popular, most employers still prefer smart and business casual and professional styles. As for the gentlemen, button-up shirts worn under a cardigan and paired with slacks or the classic suit and tie will never go wrong with leather shoes. As for the ladies, the usual skirts and pantsuits are always the best choice paired with collared dress shirts and heeled shoes or leather pumps.
Moving to Singapore
Customs regulations and permits for Singapore
For third-country nationals / moving from outside the EU
All goods imported into Singapore are regulated under the Customs Act, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, and the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act.
Imported goods are subject to GST and/or duty payment. A customs permit is required to account for the import and tax payment of the goods.
Dutiable goods, which incur both GST and duty, are:
- Intoxicating liquors
- Tobacco products
- Motor vehicles
- Petroleum products
Prohibited and restricted items in Singapore
You cannot enter the following items in Singapore
- Chewing gum (excluding Health Sciences Authority approved oral dental and medicinal chewing gum)
- Pistol or revolver-shaped cigarette lighters
- Firecrackers
- Rhinoceros horn (worked, unworked, or prepared and any part, power, or waste of such horn)
- Endangered species of wildlife and products derived from the body of such animals
- Scanning receivers
- Military communication equipment
- Chewing tobacco (loose leaf chewing tobacco, plug chewing tobacco, twist chewing tobacco, tobacco bits intended for chewing)
- Imitation tobacco products (electronic cigarettes, vaporizers) and components of imitation tobacco products
- Shisha
- Smokeless cigars, smokeless cigarillos, or smokeless cigarettes
- Dissolvable tobacco or nicotine
- Any solution or substance, of which tobacco or nicotine is a constituent, that is intended to be used with an electronic nicotine delivery system or vaporizers
- Nasal snuff
- Oral snuff
Visa Permits – Singapore
Singapore has become the ideal business and commercial hub in Southeast Asia, partly due to its creative immigration policies designed to attract seasoned entrepreneurs and working professionals from around the world
Work permits and employment-based visas
The Employment Pass (EP) is the main type of work permit meant for company owners or skilled employees who will be working in Singapore. Your fixed monthly salary must be more than S$3,600 ($2,630/€2,350). There is no official quota system limiting the number of EPs that can be issued.
- Validity: an EP is initially issued for 1-2 years (at the discretion of authorities) and renewable as long as the applicant continues to be employed by the company.
- Eligibility: company owners and professional staff with tertiary education and relevant experience.
- Quota System: there is no official quota system for EPs.
- Permanent Residence Eligibility: employment Pass holders are eligible to apply for PR in due course.
What documents do you need?
- An EP Application Form 8, duly endorsed by the employing Singapore company
- A copy of your latest resume and relevant educational certificates
- References/testimonials from previous employers
- A passport-size photograph of yourself, taken within the past three months
- A copy of the personal particulars page of your passport
- A copy of the business profile of the employing Singapore company
- A detailed description of your job duties
- A detailed description of the activities and/or products of the employing Singapore company
Singapore work permit application form
- If this is the first time your company is applying for a Work Permit, you need to declare your business activity. You should also refer to the Work Permit requirements.
- The Work Permit duration is usually 2 years, but it may be shorter depending on:
- Validity of the worker’s passport: Work Permit validity will be 1 month before the passport expires
- Duration of the security bond: Work Permit validity will be 2 months before the security bond expires
Do you need a residence permit in Singapore
As a foreigner, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence if you are a/an:
- Spouse of a Singapore citizen (SC) or Singapore permanent resident (PR)
- Unmarried child aged below 21 born within the context of legal marriage to, or have been legally adopted by, an SC or PR
- Aged parent of an SC
- Holder of an Employment Pass or S Pass
- Students studying in Singapore
- Foreign investor in Singapore.
Long-term visa for Singapore
You can apply for a Long Term Visit Pass for your family if you meet these requirements:
- Hold an Employment Pass or S Pass.
- Earn a minimum fixed monthly salary of $6,000 (€ 5,350). This is based on your salary, and not based on your combined household income.
- Are sponsored by an established, Singapore-registered company (usually your employer).
You can get a pass for the following family members:
- Common-law spouse.
- Unmarried handicapped children above 21 years old.
- Unmarried step-children under 21 years old.
- Parents – only for those earning a fixed monthly salary of at least $12,000 (€10,710).
Work visa requirements in Singapore
When it comes to Singapore, there is nothing called a Singapore Work Visa. The authorities in lieu of the work visa issue something called a work permit or work pass which enables foreigners to take up temporary or permanent work in the country. As per the rules of the work permit, the employers who engage foreign workers in Singapore need to provide them with a salary for their service, maintain a security bond as well as provide them with health insurance.
