Settling Down in Singapore

1) Condo: Rent from owner. Has shared facilities such as pool and gym.

2) HDB Flat: Public housing managed by Housing and Development Board. Make sure you have approval to move in or you may find yourself homeless even with a lease.

3) Landed Housing: Free standing single family homes.

4) Roommate Sharing: Share a home with another person(s) and split all rent and all utilities.

5) Semi-detached Houses: A house that is attached to another house.

6) Service Apartments: Rent from the managing company. Sometimes has a pool and gym.

7) Room for rent: Rent a room in someone’s home. Usually with a family.

8) Cluster House: Like a town house, a house with condo facilities.

9) Conservation Houses: A house or shophouse that is marked for conservation.

When you rent a home, you will need most of these items:

• One month’s deposit

• One month’s rent

• Passport

• Employment Pass

• Letter of Intent (LOI) - make sure to include if rental is fully or partially furnished

Note:

1. Most tenancy agreements are one year. Make sure to add the diplomatic clause (escape clause) which allows you to get out of your lease early if you need to move out of SG before your lease is over, but you will lose your LOI deposit.

2. Make sure your tenancy agreement is stamped by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to be validated.

Singapore power has a mobile application which allows you to view & pay bills, track usage, submit meter readings and manage consumptions. You can download it via IOS, Google Play or here!

Note: If you change mobile phone (or residential address), you would have to update MOM within 5 days of change. Click here for more details. This can be done through Singpass as well (see topic 6).

Required documents (This may vary depending on the bank you choose):

• Copy of your valid passport

• Employment proof - Employment pass, S pass, Work permit is required. Certain banks may require the pass to be valid for at least 6 months before your card is issued. IPA document may be required in some cases.

• Residential Address proof - Utility bills, Phone bills or Bank statements

• Pay-slips or Financial asset documents proving your minimum income requirement eligibility.

Note: Singapore requires foreigners to have a minimum annual income of $S40,000. Some banks may opt for a minimum annual income of S$45,000 to S$60,000. The cardholder is at least 21 years or older.

1) Singapore is referred to as the Lion City.

2) Has four national languages: Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, English.

3) Punctuality is valued at work.

4) Chewing gum can land you in jail.

5) Tipping isn’t customary in Singapore, but if you are really happy with the service you can tip according to your budget.

6) Don’t put your hand on your hips when talking, it signifies anger.

7) Cover your mouth when you yawn.

8) The sole of the foot should never be pointed out or inadvertently shown to other people.