How to move to Singapore as an expat in 2026

If the thought of a city with immaculate public transport, clean streets, and short flights to most of Asia sounds tempting, moving to Singapore might be just what you’re looking for.

The city-state runs Asia's financial engine, hosts some of the world's tech giants, and consistently ranks among the safest, most livable cities globally.

That being said, Singapore's excellence has a price tag. Rents and school fees are steep, work passes are earned rather than granted, and the system expects you to bring your own healthcare cover.

The downsides are more than manageable, and knowing what to expect makes all the difference.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• What life in Singapore is like, and why so many expats keep choosing to move there
• How much it costs to live in Singapore comfortably, and what costs to factor in before the move
• How healthcare works, and the insurance you'll genuinely need on arrival
• Which work pass fits your plans, from employees to founders
• What to know about working, paying taxes, and finding a home once you arrive
• How to handle the logistics of the move itself (shipping, pets, and schools)

We’ll finish up with a few checklists to help guide you along the way, and leave you with everything you need to take the first steps in your move to Singapore.

With that said, let's get started!

What is life in Singapore like?

Daily life in Singapore is delightfully efficient and reliable. Trains arrive, queues move, and the whole city behaves like a well-run product.

It's also highly diverse, with four official languages and food from every corner of the continent at hawker prices.

The climate is hot, humid, and equatorial year-round, with air-conditioning in place in almost every building.

The major trade-offs, however, are that costs rank among the world's highest, rules are enforced with famous strictness, and the pace of work matches the pace of the city.

If you need a little more guidance, try weighing these key pros and cons:

Best neighborhoods for expats in Singapore

Although Singapore is only one city, neighborhoods differ greatly, and which you choose to set up shop in can make all the difference:

Cost of living in Singapore

What does it cost to move to Singapore?

Before even setting foot in Singapore, don’t forget to budget for these one-off costs:

• Flights: Changi connects everywhere, so the move itself is most often the easy part
• Housing setup: A security deposit (typically one month's rent per year of lease) plus agent fees can add up, and require planning
• School deposits: International schools usually ask for application and enrollment fees up front

Monthly budgets: what real life costs

Singapore is expensive by any global standard, and salaries, taxes, and quality of life are calibrated to match.

A single professional lives comfortably on S$4,500 - 6,000 per month in a central location, with everyday expenses beyond rent running about S$1,465.

A leaner path works on S$5,000 a month, including an HDB room at S$1,200 - 1,600 plus hawker eating and public transit. A family budgets mainly around housing and schools.

One silver lining is that vacancy rates have risen to around 7% in 2026, so the market has shifted in tenants' favor. With this in mind, we highly recommend negotiating.

Banking and money

Singapore banking is world-class and refreshingly quick, and your pass (i.e. visa) is the key. Here’s what you need to know:

• The document set: Passport, a valid pass (EP, S Pass, Dependant's Pass, or LTVP), and proof of your Singapore address
• The banks: DBS, OCBC, and UOB are the accessible majors, with online applications for pass holders
• The apps: PayNow transfers and contactless everything. Cash is purely optional

Accounts commonly open within days, and multi-currency accounts are standard fare in Asia's banking capital.

Healthcare in Singapore

Singapore runs some of the best healthcare on earth, and bills expats for every cent of it.

The system's famous subsidies belong to citizens and permanent residents, while foreigners pay sticker price.

How the system works

Here’s how the structure works in practice:

• Public hospitals deliver world-class care, but foreigners are billed at full, unsubsidized rates (much like private hospitals)
• Private hospitals and clinics offer faster access and hotel-grade comfort at Asia's highest prices

For expats the public-private distinction matters less than the insurance question, since both tiers expect someone to pay in full.

Public healthcare and MediShield

Singapore's national insurance layer, MediShield Life, automatically covers citizens and Permanent Residents.

It does not cover holders of Employment Passes, S Passes, or Dependant's Passes.

Foreigners also sit outside the CPF savings system that funds local healthcare, so there's no subsidized fallback.

Health insurance for expats: how to cover yourself

Here are the key points to consider when securing health coverage:

• Employers must insure Work Permit and S Pass holders, but EP holders and dependants have no mandated cover beyond what the package offers
• Premiums are rising fast: Singapore's medical inflation is projected around 14% for 2026, with expat plans commonly running S$250 - 600 per month
• Corporate cover ends with the job. This is a real gap in a market where every hospital bills in full, so it pays to be prepared

International health insurance fits Singapore especially well. It covers the whole family regardless of pass type, survives job changes, and travels across the region your life here will span.

Make sure to check your employment package carefully before moving, and keep in mind that "medical benefits" and real hospitalization cover are different things.

Visas and immigration

Which Singapore pass is right for you?

Singapore doesn't do lifestyle visas like some other expat hubs. Instead, every long stay runs through the pass system, earned on salary and skills.

Here are the main routes for expats:

• Visitor entry: Most nationalities arrive visa-free for short stays, which is enough for interviews and scouting.
• Employment Pass (EP): The professional work route. Requires a minimum salary of S$5,600 per month (S$6,200 in financial services), plus a pass mark on the COMPASS points framework.
• S Pass: The mid-skilled route at S$3,300+ per month (S$3,800 financial services), subject to employer quotas and levies.
• Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass: A five-year pass for top-tier earners and standout talent, with the freedom to switch employers.
• Dependant's Pass: Spouses and children of qualifying EP holders.
• Permanent Residence: Typically applied for after around two years of stable employment.

Citizenship does exist beyond permanent residency, but Singapore doesn't allow dual citizenship, so it’s very unpopular with expats.

How to apply

Here are the general steps you can expect to go through when applying for a work visa:

1. Your employer files: Passes are employer-sponsored applications through the Ministry of Manpower's portal
2. COMPASS scores the file: Salary, qualifications, workforce diversity, and the firm's local-hiring record must total 40 points (waived above S$22,500 per month)
3. In-principle approval arrives in weeks, and you complete formalities after landing
4. Collect your pass card to unlock banking, leases, and daily life

Government fees are trivial by Singapore standards. The real hurdles are the salary thresholds and the COMPASS scorecard.

Processing runs weeks rather than months, and renewals track the same criteria, meaning career progression can also be a visa strategy.

Working and paying taxes in Singapore

The job market

Singapore is one of the rare expat hubs where local employment is exceedingly common, and most expats arrive with a sponsored pass already in hand.

Here are the most active sectors:

• Finance: The sector employs over 170,000 professionals, anchoring Asia's wealth and banking hub
• Tech and regional HQs: Global giants run their Asia operations from Singapore, hiring senior international talent
• Professional services and logistics: Law, consulting, and the world's busiest transshipment ecosystem

Salary and taxes

Cross 183 days in a calendar year and you're taxed as a resident at progressive rates. Below that, employment income pays a flat 15% or resident rates (whichever is higher).

The resident ladder is famously gentle:

On top of this, there is no capital gains tax, and typical Employment Pass holders land at effective rates of just 10 - 18% after reliefs.

As always, US citizens also still file with the IRS on worldwide income. With no US–Singapore tax treaty, we recommend planning the credits carefully with a cross-border accountant.

Renting and buying property in Singapore

Renting

Renting is most definitely the way to go once you land in Singapore, and it’s what almost all expats do.

Here’s what to expect when looking for a rental:

• Condos are the expat default, with HDB rooms and flats possible within quota rules for a leaner budget
• Deposits run one month's rent per year of lease, with 1 - 2 year terms standard, and diplomatic clauses negotiable
• Where to look: PropertyGuru and 99.co dominate listings, and agents typically split fees by lease type
• Negotiate: With vacancy near 7%, landlords are a lot more flexible than they once were

Buying

Foreigners can buy private condos freely in Singapore, but pay a flat 60% Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty on top of the price (S$600,000 extra on a S$1 million unit).

US citizens (and a few FTA nationalities), however, are treated like Singapore citizens for ABSD.

Landed houses need government approval, and HDB flats are off-limits entirely.

Moving to Singapore: shipping, pets, and schooling

Shipping and pets

Condos come both furnished and unfurnished, and shipping into Singapore is efficient. Just remember to plan ahead if you’re looking to book a container.

The paperwork-heavy part of the move is the pet. Singapore sorts origin countries into schedules:

• UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland: No quarantine, no rabies blood test
• US, Canada, EU, Japan (Schedule II): A rabies antibody test, with possible 10-day quarantine
• Everywhere else: Blood test plus a 30-day quarantine

From April 2026, every arriving dog and cat needs an AVS-recognized pet agent handling clearance, and owners can no longer do it themselves.

Schools and education

Singapore runs one of the world's premier international-school markets, and the prices range accordingly.

Value schools run roughly S$13,000 - 30,000 per year, the mid-market S$30,000 - 45,000, and premium names such as Tanglin Trust, UWCSEA, and the Singapore American School, reach S$45,000 - 60,000.

You’ll also need to budget beyond tuition, to factor in registration, deposits, transport, and uniforms, which typically add 15 - 25% on top.

Your "Moving to Singapore" checklist

Now that we’ve covered all the most important elements of the move, let’s sum everything up into a few key checklists you can use to stay on track throughout the process.

Before you move

1. Confirm your pass strategy: EP salary thresholds and COMPASS scoring are the cornerstones of the move (see the "Visas and immigration" section above)
2. Apply to schools early: Waitlists at the top international schools move slower than any visa, so get onto it early
3. Read your employment package line by line: Housing allowance, schooling, and medical cover change the math entirely
4. Take out international health insurance: MediShield won't cover you like it does for permanent residents, hospitals bill in full, and dependants have no mandated cover
5. Let your employer file the pass: Degree certificates and references move the file fastest, so keep documents ready

After arriving in Singapore

1. Complete pass formalities: Fingerprints and card collection turn your in-principle approval into residency
2. Get a SIM and set up local payments: PayNow and contactless carry daily life
3. Open your bank account: Your pass card plus proof of address opens doors in days
4. Finalize your lease in a tenant's market: With vacancy near 7%, negotiate rent and diplomatic clauses before signing anything
5. Choose your clinic and hospital: Pick your GP and confirm how your insurer pays before you need either
6. Understand your tax year: Crossing 183 days makes you resident, which is usually the cheaper outcome worth planning for

Before you go...

All Singapore asks is that you meet its admittedly strict standards on salary, paperwork, and planning, and you’re rewarded with a city and a life that just works.

The key consideration to remember is healthcare. MediShield never covers pass holders, employer plans vary and end with the job, and medical costs are inflating fast.

International health insurance closes the one hole in an otherwise seamless system — for you and your dependants.

Hopefully this guide has given you the tools you need to decide if Singapore is the place for you, and take the first steps on your adventure.