Capital:
Time zone: GMT + 8
Telephone services: Country Code: 65
Outgoing Code: 005
Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 999
Tourist information: Singapore Tourism Promotion Board, 1st Floor, Carrington House, 126 – 130 Regent Street, London W1R 5FE Tel: (020) 7437 0033 Fax: (020) 7734 2191.
Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Passport should be valid for at least six months even for those in transit to neigbouring countries. Return ticket required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the Embassy before departure.
Visa information: Visa Required only by the following: Nationals of Afghanistan, Algeria, Cambodia, China, CIS, India, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Yemen. All other visitors require a 14-day social visit pass which is issued on arrival providing they have a valid passport and return tickets and sufficient funds to cover their expenses during their stay. This may be extended to 3 months on application to the Singapore immigration department at their discretion. For stays of 2 week or longer the passport must be valid for 6 months after departure from Singapore. Visitors from Thailand and the Philippines require a visa if their stay is longer than 14 days.
Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended, There may be a risk of Typhoid
Other Health Risks: Cholera, Hepatitis A, B and E, Dengue fever.
Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food
Currency: Singapore Dollar (Sing $) = 100 cents The currency of Brunei is also legal tender.
All credit cards are widely accepted. Travellers cheques are accepted, US dollars are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Over 1000 locations
Cost of living: Much more expensive than other S E Asian countries. Hotels range from the new high-class to international standard. Prices start at US$ 100. Singapore is known as the shopping capital, where all types of luxury items can be purchased inexpensively.
Languages: Chinese (Mandarin). English, Malay and Tamil
Weather: Warm and humid throughout the year. No particularly wet or dry seasons. Most rain falls during the Northeast monsoon (Nov – Jan) and showers can be sudden and heavy.
Electricity: 220/240 Volts AC 50 Hz. Plugs are flat 3 pin.
Post: Up to 1 week.
Transport: SEA: Ferry runs frequent service. ROAD: DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required. BUS: Cheap and efficient. TAXI: Numerous and cheap. METRO: Cheap and efficient.
Special information: Singapore has a very low crime rate and very severe penalties for those who break the law. Smoking is widely discouraged and is illegal in public places. The death penalty is applied to some drug offences.