| Airport
Tax |
A Passenger Service Charge of SGD 15 should be incorporated in the air
ticket (including tickets issued outside of Singapore). If this has not
been done, you are not required to pay the SGD 15 during check-in. Your
airline will absorb the service charge.
Passengers who are in transit for less than 24 hours may leave the airport
without having to pay the service charge upon departure from Singapore.
|
| Baby-sitting |
| Baby-sitting services are provided in most hotels. |
| Banking |
The local currency is Singapore dollars and cents.
Notes come in denominations of SGD 2, SGD 5, SGD 10, SGD 20, SGD 50, SGD
100, SGD 500, SGD 1,000, and SGD 10,000.
Coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and SGD 1.
Banking hours are Monday to Friday: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Saturday:
9:30 am to 1:00 PM (some banks are open until 3:00 PM). Sunday, 9:30 am
to 3:00 PM (some banks in Orchard Road).
Most banks handle travellers' cheques and change foreign currencies. However,
some banks do not have foreign exchange dealings on Saturday.
Passports are required when cashing travellers' cheques. A nominal commission
may be charged. |
| |
| Credit/Charge
Cards |
Major cards are widely accepted by establishments in Singapore.
Should any shop insist on adding a surcharge, contact the respective card
company to report the errant shop-owner.
OUB Credit Card
Tel: 1 800 224 2000 (toll-free in Singapore only)
Standard
Chartered Visa
Tel: 1 800 747 7000 (toll-free in Singapore only)
UOB Card
Centre
Tel: 1 800 253 6888 (toll-free in Singapore only) |
| Currency |
| Other than the Singapore Dollar, the US and Australian
Dollars, Yen, Deutsch Mark and British Pound are also accepted in most
major shopping centres and big departmental stores. |
| Drinking
Water |
| It is perfectly safe to drink water straight from the tap in Singapore.
However, for those who prefer bottled mineral water, local supermarkets
and grocery always have ample stocks. |
| |
| Drug
Abuse |
Trafficking, manufacturing, importing or exporting more than 15g of
heroin, 30g of morphine, 30g of cocaine, 500g of cannabis, 200g of cannabis
resin and 1.2 kg of opium carries the death penalty if convicted. Possession
of such quantities is deemed as prima facie evidence of trafficking. Persons
convicted of unauthorised traffic in the following drugs in the respective
quantities face an imprisonment term of 20-30 years and 15 strokes of
the cane.
Opium
Not less than 800g and not more than 1200g
Heroin
Not less than 10g and not more than 15g
Cannabis
Not less than 330g and not more than 500g
Morphine &
Cocaine
Not less than 20g and not more than 30g
Cannabis Resin
Not less than 130g and not more than 200g
Ecstacy (MDMA)
and Ketamine
Illegal traffic, import and export
Unauthorised traffic in controlled drugs, other than those specified above,
carries a minimum sentence of 2 years' imprisonment and 2 strokes of the
cane and a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and 15 strokes of
the cane. For unauthorised possession and consumption of the above drugs,
there is a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment or fine of SGD 20,000 or
both. |
| Electricity |
| Singapore voltage is 220-240 volts AC, 50 cycles per
second. On request, most hotels will provide transformers to visitors
with electrical appliances of a different voltage, such as 110-120 volts,
60 cycles per second. When shopping for electrical appliances, do remember
to check the voltage of the item against the acceptable voltage in your
home country. |
| |
| Fireworks |
| Any individual found keeping, possessing, having under his control,
discharging or letting off dangerous fireworks (including firecrackers,
rocket fireworks, sandcrackers and such other fireworks) is liable to
a fine not exceeding SGD 5,000 or imprisonment for up to 2 years or both.
|
| Gambling |
| Charity draws, Toto and Singapore Sweep lotteries,
and on-course betting at the Singapore Turf Club on horse races are the
only authorised forms of gambling in Singapore. All other gambling activities
are illegal in Singapore. |
| Hair
salon |
| Most major hotels provide hairstylists offering a full range of services.
Hair salons are also found in shopping centres, offering standard haircuts
as well as more elaborate services like hair perms, facial treatment,
manicure and pedicure services. |
| Hotel
Phone Services |
| Most hotels offer in-room international direct dial (IDD) telephone
services. However, some hotels may charge a minimal 30 cents successful
call transaction surcharge. As there are different IDD service providers
in Singapore, rates and access codes are dependent on the service provider
used by the hotel. Generally, local calls are charged at 10 cents for
every 3 minutes. |
| Jaywalking |
| Pedestrians crossing a road within 50 metres of a pedestrian crossing
risk a SGD 50 fine. |
| |
| Laundry |
| Same-day laundry service is available in most hotels. Typically, it
costs SGD 5 for a laundered shirt, SGD 10 for a dress and SGD 14 for a
dry-cleaned suit. Independent dry-cleaners can be found in the Yellow
Pages of the Singapore Phone Book. |
| Littering |
| Any person convicted of littering faces a fine of up to SGD 1,000 for
the first offence. Repeat offenders may be fined SGD 2,000 including a
stint of a corrective work order cleaning public places. |
| Medical
Facilities |
Singapore's medical facilities are among the finest in the world, with
well-qualified doctors and dental surgeons.
Pharmaceuticals are available from numerous outlets, including supermarkets,
department stores, hotels and shopping centres. Registered pharmacists
work from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
The Traveller's Health and Vaccination Clinic at Tan Tock Seng Hospital
provides pre-and-post travel evaluation, advice and treatment of travel-related
illnesses as well as vaccination services.
Traveller's Health and Vaccination Clinic
Tan Tock Seng Hospital Medical Centre
Level B2, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng Singapore 308433
Tel: (65) 6357 2222 / 6352 5650Fax: (65) 6352 5661 |
Opening hours :
Mon - Fri : 08:00 - 13: 00 hrs.
Sat : 08:00 - 12:30 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 an ambulance, dial 995. Visitors could also consult doctors
at the following hospitals :
Singapore General Hospital,
Outram Road, Singapore 169608
Tel: (65) 6222 3322
Fax: (65) 6224 9221
Mount Elizabeth Hospital, 3
Mt. Elizabeth, Singapore 228510
Tel: (65) 6737 2666
Fax: (65) 6734 0518
Mount Alvernia Hospital, 820
Thomson Road, Singapore 574623
Tel: (65) 6347-6688
Fax: (65) 6255 6303
Gleneagles Hospital, 6A Napier
Road, Singapore 258500
Tel: (65) 6473 7222
Fax: (65) 6470 5616 |
| |
| Mobile
Phones |
| There are three mobile phone networks - CDMA, GSM900 and GSM 1800 -
and 3 mobile telephone service providers - SingTel, M1 and Starhub. For
SingTel, the access code is 001, for M1, the access code is 002 and for
Starhub, the access code is 008. |
| Money
Changers |
| Apart from banks and hotels, money can be changed wherever the sign
"Licensed Money Changer" is displayed. Most shopping complexes
have a licensed money changer. Visitors are discouraged from changing
money with unlicensed money changers. |
| Payphone
Services |
| Public payphones operated by credit card and/or stored-value phonecards
can be used to make both local and international calls. Public payphones
can be found in most shopping complexes and MRT stations. Local calls
are charged at 10 cents per 3 minutes. Stored-value phonecards in denominations
of SGD2, SGD5, SGD10, SGD20 and SGD50 can be purchased from post offices
and phonecard agents. To make an international call, dial the access code
followed by the country code, area code & telephone number. Different
telephone companies use different access codes - 001 for SingTel, 002
for M1 and 008 for Starhub. International Calling Cards in denominations
of SGD10, SGD20 and SGD50 are also available at all post offices including
Changi Airport, 7-Eleven stores and other retail outlets |
| |
| Postal
Services |
Singapore Post operates a network of more than 1,300
postal outlets conveniently located throughout the island. These outlets
offer a wide range of postal, telecommunication and agency services. Most
postal outlets are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
and until 1:00 pm on Saturday.
Post Restante service
is also available at :
Singapore Post, Robinson Road Branch, 71 Robinson Road # 01-00, Singapore
068895
Open: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm (Mon - Fri), 8:30 am - 2:00 pm (Sat)
Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays
Tel: (65) 6222 8899
Fax: (65) 6225 7785 |
| Safety |
| Although Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, tourists
are advised to be careful with their belongings and to exercise the usual
precautions. Police posts and stations throughout the island contribute
towards maintaining the peace of the nation. |
| Smoking |
| Smoking is not permitted in public service vehicles, museums, libraries,
lifts, theatres, cinemas, air-conditioned restaurants, hair salons, supermarkets,
department stores and government offices. Offenders can be fined up to
SGD 1,000. While it is an offence to smoke in air-conditioned eating places,
smoking is permitted in air-conditioned pubs, discos, karaoke bars and
nightspots. |
| Spitting |
| Spitting in public places is an offence and subject to SGD 1,000 for
the first offence and SGD 2,000 for repeat offenders. |
| |
| Time Differences
(Singapore : GMT/UTC+8) |
| City |
Hours Behind/
Ahead of Singapore |
City |
Hours Behind/
Ahead of Singapore |
| Amsterdam |
-7 |
Madrid |
-7 |
| Athens |
-6 |
Manila |
none |
| Auckland |
+4 |
Melbourne |
+2 |
Bahrain
|
-5 |
Montreal |
-13 |
| Bandar Seri Begawan |
none |
Moscow |
-5 |
| Bangkok (Thailand) |
-1 |
Mumbai |
-2.5 |
| Beijing |
none |
Nairobi |
-5 |
| Beirut |
-6 |
New Delhi |
-2.5 |
| Brisbane |
+2 |
New York |
-13 |
| Brussels |
-7 |
Osaka |
+1 |
| Cairo |
-6 |
Oslo |
-7 |
| Calcutta |
-2.5 |
Paris |
-6 |
| Chicago |
-14 |
Perth |
none |
| Colombo |
-2.5 |
Prague |
-7 |
| Copenhagen |
-7 |
Rio de Janeiro |
-11 |
| Darwin |
+1.5 |
Rome |
-6 |
| Dublin |
-8 |
San Francisco |
-16 |
| Frankfurt |
-7 |
Seoul |
+1 |
| Geneva |
-7 |
Stockholm |
-7 |
| Hanoi |
-1 |
Sydney |
+2 |
| Helsinki |
-6 |
Taipei |
none |
| Hong Kong |
none |
Tehran |
-4.5 |
| Honolulu |
-18 |
Tel Aviv |
-6 |
| Jakarta |
-1 |
Tokyo |
+1 |
| Johannesburg |
-6 |
Toronto |
-13 |
| Karachi |
-3 |
Vancouver |
-16 |
| Kuala Lumpur |
none |
Vienna |
-7 |
| Lisbon |
-8 |
Yangon |
-1.5 |
| London |
-7 |
Zurich |
-7 |
| Los Angeles |
-16 |
|
|
|
| |
| Tipping |
| Tipping is not encouraged as most hotels and restaurants in Singapore
already levy a 10% service charge on customers' bills. Tipping is not
a way of life in Singapore and is prohibited at the airport.
|
| Transit Passengers |
| Passengers who are in transit for less than 24 hours and holding valid
travel documents may leave the airport without having to pay the passenger
service charge of SGD 15 upon departure from Singapore. |
| Toilets |
| It is an offence not to flush public toilets after use. Those convicted
face a fine of up to SGD 150 for a first offence, SGD 500 for a second
offence and SGD 1,000 for subsequent offences. |
| Trishaws |
| An interesting way to tour the streets of Singapore is to take a trishaw
ride. We recommend that you avoid hailing a trishaw off the road. If you
do, make sure that you agree on the fare to your destination before the
trip commences. However, there are many trishaw tours that you can join
that are run by some of the major tour operators. |
| |
| Useful Telephone Numbers |
Here is a list of useful telephone numbers.
| 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)
|
(65) 1900 777 7777 |
| International Calls |
104 |
| Time of day |
1711 |
| Trunk Calls to Malaysia |
Dial 109 for
operator assistance or
02 for direct dial |
| Toll-free lines |
Dial 1800 followed by the toll-free
line number (in Singapore only) |
| Weather |
(65) 6542 7788 |
|
| What to Wear |
| Singapore has a warm and humid climate throughout the
year with a daily average temperature range of 23 degrees Celsius to 31
degrees Celsius. Light and summer clothing made from natural fabrics like
cotton is best for everyday wear. Casual dress is acceptable for most
situations and occasions but some establishments may require a more formal
dress code. It is always advisable to check beforehand on dress regulations,
if any. |
| When to go |
| Go anytime. Climate is not a major consideration, as Singapore
gets fairly steady annual rainfall. You may like to co-ordinate your visit
with various festivals and events: Thaipusam is one of the most spectacular
festivals, occurring around February. If shopping and eating are your
major concerns, July is a good month as the Singapore
Food Festival and Great Singapore Sale are held then. |
| |
