Singapore travel guide for Indians

1 city guide — visa, money, customs and language · reviewed 12 October 2026

City guides

Singapore

Singapore

Before you go

Visa & entry

Type
e-Visa (via authorized agent)
Fee
₹3,400
Validity days
30
Processing days
3–5 (7–10 in peak season)
Documents
  • Passport (6 months validity)
  • Passport-size photo (white background, 35x45mm)
  • Form 14A (agent provides)
  • Confirmed return ticket + hotel booking
  • Bank statement (last 3 months, healthy balance)
  • Covering letter / leave letter for employed applicants
Steps
  • Indians CANNOT apply directly to ICA — use an authorized agent (VFS Global, registered travel agents) or a Singapore local sponsor
  • ₹2,100 government fee + ₹1,300 fixed agent fee; non-refundable, no extra charge for urgent applications
  • e-Visa arrives by email; most tourists get MULTIPLE-ENTRY validity up to 2 years
  • Fill the SG Arrival Card (free, online) within 3 days before arrival — separate from the visa
Alternatives
  • 96-hour Visa-Free Transit (VFTF) — ₹0 · Only when transiting to/from a third country with a valid visa for AU/CA/DE/JP/NZ/CH/UK/US — strict conditions, check eligibility

✓ Verified

Money

Currency
SGD (Singapore Dollar)
Forex cards
  • Niyo Global — Zero forex markup; SGD ATMs everywhere
  • Scapia — No markup; tap-to-pay works on MRT gates too
  • Amex/Visa credit — Cards accepted practically everywhere — Singapore is near-cashless
Upi supported
Yes
Upi note
UPI works at thousands of merchants via the UPI–PayNow linkage and NETS QR at hawker stalls — genuinely usable, but keep a card as primary.
Cash vs card
Near-cashless city. Keep ~SGD 50 cash for older hawker stalls; everything else is card/contactless.

Customs

Into india
  • Duty-free allowance ₹75,000 (returning resident, Baggage Rules 2026); one new laptop is duty-free on top
  • 2L alcohol duty-free (Baggage Rules 2016) + 100 cigarettes; gold above free allowance must be declared
Into destination
  • NO duty-free cigarettes — every stick must be declared and taxed; SGD 200+ fines per pack undeclared
  • Chewing gum is banned (import), except therapeutic gum
  • 1L spirits + 1L wine duty-free ONLY if arriving from outside Malaysia; e-cigarettes are illegal
  • SGD 20,000+ cash (or equivalent) must be declared

Language

Official
  • English
  • Mandarin
  • Malay
  • Tamil
English prevalence
Universal — English is the working language. Tamil is an official language; signage often includes it.
Key phrases
  • Can / Cannot — Yes it's possible / not possible (Singlish staple)
  • Makan — Eat / food (Malay, used by everyone)
  • Chope — Reserve a seat (tissue packet on a hawker table = taken)