South-Eastern Asia · UN member
Singapore: Travel Guide & Requirements
Republic of Singapore · Republik Singapura · சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு
Singapore is a country in South-Eastern Asia with its capital in Singapore. It has a population of 6.1 million (#113 in the world) and covers 719 km². The official languages are English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese. The currency is the Singapore dollar (SGD, $).
Where is Singapore? Map of Singapore
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia
- Coordinates
- 1.3667° N, 103.8° E
- Neighbours
- none (no land borders)
- Coastline
- 193 km
- Singapore
- Capital
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Singapore
- Passport
ICA says all travellers, except Singapore passport holders, must ensure their passport has a minimum validity of 6 months; its visa pages ask for a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Sing…
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 163 need no visa, 35 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Singapore entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
ICA says short-term travellers should have proof of onward travel (tickets, visas).
- Proof of funds
ICA says short-term travellers should have sufficient cash.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement. The UK Foreign Office says to check before you travel that you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation.
- Vaccinations
ICA says all travellers who have been in a country with risk of yellow fever transmission in the six days before arriving in Singapore must produce a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate on arrival, including thos…
- Arrival card
ICA says all travellers must submit the SG Arrival Card with electronic health declaration within three days, including the day of arrival, before arriving, except those transiting without seeking immigration clearance …
- Customs allowance
ICA says that if you enter or leave Singapore carrying physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments with a total value exceeding S$20,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency), you are required by law to make…
- Travel advice
Safe to visit — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
9 things to know before you travel to Singapore
- Safety: Yes — Singapore is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Singapore Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
- Best time to go: February — when daytime highs in Singapore are around 29°C.
- Money: the Singapore dollar (SGD) — 1 US dollar is about 1.2781 SGD.
- Plugs: type C, G and M, 230 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 999, Ambulance 995, Fire 995.
- Language: English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese are official.
- Driving: on the left — speed limits are 70 km/h in built-up areas and 50 km/h outside built-up areas.
- Time zone: UTC+8 in Singapore.
- Capital: Singapore. About 6.1 million people live in Singapore.
Key facts
Singapore at a glance
Languages spoken: English (official) 48.3%, Mandarin (official) 29.9%, other Chinese dialects (includes Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka) 8.7%, Malay (official) 9.2%, Tamil (official) 2.5%, other 1.4% (2020 est.)
Geography & history
About Singapore
A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries and was eventually burned in the 17th century, falling into obscurity. In 1819, the British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the same site and granted it full internal self-government for all matters except defense and foreign affairs in 1959. Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading links and per capita GDP among the highest globally. The Peopl…
Read the full history
A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries and was eventually burned in the 17th century, falling into obscurity. In 1819, the British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the same site and granted it full internal self-government for all matters except defense and foreign affairs in 1959. Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading links and per capita GDP among the highest globally. The People's Action Party has won every general election in Singapore since the end of the British colonial era, aided by its success in delivering consistent economic growth, as well as the city-state's fragmented opposition and electoral procedures that strongly favor the ruling party.
Location
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Climate
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - northeastern monsoon (December to March) and southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms
Terrain
lowlying, gently undulating central plateau
Highest point
Bukit Timah 166 m
Natural resources
fish, deepwater ports
Natural hazards
flash floods
National symbols
lion, merlion (mythical half-lion, half-fish creature), orchid
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Singapore
The default speed limits in Singapore are 70 km/h in built-up areas and 50 km/h outside built-up areas. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is 0.8‰. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 7070 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and citiesWHO data (2017)
- 5050 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roads
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1949 GenevaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the leftOvertake on the right
- Alcohol limit0.8‰ blood alcohol (0.08% BAC)
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsRequired by law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)1.9 per 100,000 peopleSafer than most countries (median 12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0) and WHO. Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Singapore safe to visit?
Yes — Singapore is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Singapore Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Updated information about global travel impacts due to escalation in the Middle East (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
Updated 19 Mar 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Singapore
The best time to visit Singapore is February, when daytime highs in Singapore are around 29°C. March and June to September are also a good time to go. April is the warmest month (30°C by day), February the coldest (24°C at night), and December the wettest with about 300 mm of rain.
- Jan28°C24°C
- Feb29°C24°C
- Mar30°C24°C
- Apr30°C26°C
- May30°C26°C
- Jun30°C26°C
- Jul29°C25°C
- Aug29°C25°C
- Sep29°C25°C
- Oct29°C25°C
- Nov29°C25°C
- Dec28°C24°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Singapore
Plugs & sockets
- Type C (Europlug)two round pins
- Type Gthree rectangular pins in a triangle
- Type Mthree large round pins in a triangle
230 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Emergency numbers
Save the local numbers before you travel — 112 or 911 may not connect here. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Currency · 26 October 2026
Singapore dollar exchange rates today
Singapore uses the Singapore dollar (SGD, $). One US dollar buys 1.2781 SGD; over the last 30 days the SGD has lost 0.0% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in SGD
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Singapore ranks
How Singapore compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Singapore
10 airports and airfields — 1 large, 5 medium and 3 small, plus 1 heliports. 2 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
No land borders
Singapore has no land borders with other countries. Coastline: 193 km.
Military
Singapore armed forces
Singapore ranks #29 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $17.4 billion (2025).
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Singapore (6.1 million)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, biomedical products, scientific instruments, telecommunication equipment, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platf…
Export partners
Hong Kong 13%, China 11%, USA 10%, Malaysia 9%, S. Korea 6% (2023)
Top exports
integrated circuits, refined petroleum, machinery, vaccines, gold (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Singapore
Next public holiday
Deepavali — Monday, 9 November 2026. Then Christmas Day (25 Dec).
Singapore passport
Ranked #1: 130 countries visa-free, 27 with visa on arrival, 9 with an eTA and 16 with an eVisa.
Singapore passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Singapore's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Singapore
Dial +65 before the local number. Internet domain .sg.
Climate footprint
53.9 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 9.25 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Singapore: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Singapore
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Frequently asked questions about Singapore
What do I need to travel to Singapore?
How long must my passport be valid for Singapore?
Where is Singapore?
What is the capital of Singapore?
What language is spoken in Singapore?
What currency does Singapore use?
What is the calling code of Singapore?
Does Singapore have land borders?
How strong is the Singapore passport?
What is the speed limit in Singapore?
Is Singapore safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Singapore?
What plug type does Singapore use?
How many airports does Singapore have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.