Singapore

Singapore — the guide for Indian travellers

Visa & entrySingapore

Type
e-Visa (via authorized agent)
Fee
₹3,100
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 + ₹1,000 fixed agent fee; non-refundable
  • 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

MoneySingapore

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.

CustomsSingapore

Into india
  • Duty-free allowance ₹50,000 (returning resident)
  • 1L alcohol duty-free; 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

LanguageSingapore

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)

Staying connected

Recommended
Type
eSIM
Partner
Airalo
Plan
Singapore 10GB / 15 days
Price
₹800
Alternatives
  • Singtel hi!Tourist — Local SIM · SGD 12 (100GB/14 days) · Changi arrivals, 7-Eleven — passport needed
  • StarHub Travel SIM — Local SIM · SGD 12 · Changi & Cheers stores
Whatsapp text
Works normally
Whatsapp calls
Works normally
Free wifi
  • Wireless@SG at malls/MRT (register)
  • Changi (excellent)
  • Most cafés

Airport to city

Options
  • MRT (East-West line) — ₹130 · 45 · SGD ~2 to City Hall; tap any contactless bank card — no ticket needed
  • Grab — ₹1,500 · 25 · SGD 22–30 to Marina Bay depending on hour
  • City taxi — ₹1,700 · 25 · Metered + airport surcharge SGD 6–8

Getting around

System
MRT — world-class, everywhere you need
Card
Name
Any contactless bank card
Note
SimplyGo: tap your Visa/Mastercard or forex card directly at gates; EZ-Link only if you want a souvenir
Ride hailing
  • Grab
  • Gojek
  • TADA
  • ComfortDelGro (taxi app)
Daily budget
₹600

Weather & packing

Best months
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • July
  • August
Monthly
  • All year — 31°C, humid, daily chance of a short thunderstorm
  • Nov–Jan — Northeast monsoon — wettest stretch
  • Jun–Aug — Slightly drier; Great Singapore Sale
What to pack
  • Light breathable clothes
  • Compact umbrella (always)
  • Light jacket — malls & MRT are freezing
  • Comfortable walking shoes

Food

Veg friendly
  • Little India is a pure-veg paradise
  • Hawker centres label veg stalls
  • Ananda Bhavan & Komala Vilas institutions
Indian restaurants
  • Komala Vilas — Little India · Since 1947 — dosa & thali, pure veg
  • Ananda Bhavan — Multiple · Oldest Indian veg chain, Jain options
  • MTR Singapore — Serangoon Rd · Bangalore's MTR, rava idli
Typical meal cost
₹500

Safety

Scams
  • Practically none — strictest enforcement in Asia
  • Watch fines instead: jaywalking, eating on MRT (SGD 500), littering (SGD 300+)
Areas to avoid
  • None
Emergency numbers
  • Police — 999
  • Ambulance/Fire — 995
  • Indian High Commission — +65-6737-6777

Culture & etiquette

Dress
Anything goes; smart-casual for rooftop bars. Cover shoulders/knees at temples & mosques on Arab St/Little India.
Tipping
Not practised — 10% service charge is already on bills.
Dos
  • Queue religiously
  • Stand left on escalators (walk right)
  • Return hawker trays (it's fined now!)
Donts
  • No eating/drinking on MRT
  • No chewing gum import
  • No jaywalking
  • Durian is banned on public transport (yes, really)

Top experiences

  • Gardens by the Bay — gardens-bay.jpg · Supertrees, Cloud Forest and the free 7:45pm light show · ₹2,000 · 4 · Klook · gardens-by-the-bay
  • Universal Studios Singapore — uss.jpg · Sentosa's movie park — Transformers to Minions · ₹5,200 · 8 · Klook · universal-studios-singapore
  • Marina Bay Sands SkyPark — mbs-skypark.jpg · 56 floors up — the postcard skyline view · ₹2,100 · 1.5 · marina-bay-sands-skypark
  • Night Safari — night-safari.jpg · World's first nocturnal zoo — tram through 7 zones · ₹3,400 · 4 · Klook · night-safari