| 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. |
|
|
