This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information under Safety and Security: Civil Unrest/Political Tension (update), Crime (rental scams), Local Travel (Youth Olympic Games 14-26 August) and Local Laws (update on drug possession, offences against ‘modesty’). The overall level of the advice has not changed.

Summary

Safety and Security

Terrorism

Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.

We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Singapore, because of the risk of terrorist attack.

There is a risk of terrorist attacks against Western interests in Singapore. Possible terrorist targets include commercial and public areas known to be frequented by foreigners such as hotels, clubs, restaurants, bars, schools, markets, places of worship, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas. Premises and symbols associated with the Singaporean Government are also possible targets.

Singapore authorities have strict security measures in place which include strong border controls, security and police surveillance and restrictions on access to some public venues.

Civil Unrest/Political Tension

Unauthorised public demonstrations are illegal in Singapore. A police permit is required for a gathering of more than four people and anyone in breach of this law is liable to be prosecuted. If you are travelling as a group of five or more people, you should not obstruct others or prevent their right of way.

A police permit is also required for an assembly (of one or more people) or procession of two or more people in a public place to which members of the public are invited. More information can be obtained from the Singapore Police Force.

Public demonstrations are permitted only at Speakers’ Corner. Foreigners who are not permanent residents require a permit to participate in any activity at Speakers’ Corner. Organisers of illegal demonstrations face hefty fines, imprisonment and deportation. Participants can be fined.

Crime

Violent crimes against tourists are rare.

Petty crime such as pickpocketing and street theft occurs at the airport, tourist destinations, hotels and on public transport.

Expatriates, including Australians, have been targeted by property rental scams. Con artists have posed as landlords on property rental websites offering fake rental properties. You should avoid making large payments in cash, ensure that you use only accredited agents, and request that all parties (including landlords and agents) are present when signing tenancy documents. Details of a rental property, including the owner, may be obtained from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore or the Singapore Land Authority.

Local Travel

For advice on road safety, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.

Piracy occurs in the coastal areas of Singapore. Mariners should take appropriate precautions. You should also read our travel advice on travelling by sea. The International Maritime Bureau issues weekly piracy reports on its website.

Pilots must seek permission before flying into Singapore's airspace.

The Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for 14 to 26 August 2010, may lead to a high demand for accommodation. Travellers are advised to book travel and accommodation well in advance.

Airline Safety

Airline passengers who make flippant remarks or jokes about security or terrorism in the presence of airline or airport staff, either in the air or on the ground, may be arrested and charged with criminal intimidation or terrorism-related offences. Penalties can include hefty fines and/or imprisonment.

Airline passengers who become intoxicated, behave badly or use offensive language during a flight may be arrested on arrival in Singapore. Penalties include a fine and/or imprisonment.

For further information, please refer to our Aviation Safety and Security travel bulletin.

Natural Disasters, Severe Weather and Climate

Tremors emanating from earthquakes in the region can affect Singapore.

All oceanic regions of the world can experience tsunamis. In the Indian and Pacific oceans, there is a more frequent occurrence of large, destructive tsunamis because of the many large earthquakes along major tectonic plate boundaries and ocean trenches. See the Tsunami Awareness brochure.

The monsoon season is from December to March and from June to September. Strong winds and heavy rain occur during these months.

If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.

Wildlife

Australians are advised to respect wildlife laws and to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.

Money and Valuables

Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Australian currency and travellers' cheques are not accepted in many countries. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work overseas.

Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.

While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.

As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.

You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.

For Parents

For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling Parents brochure.

If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.

Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.

Local Laws

When you are in Singapore, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.

Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.

Penalties for drug offences are severe and include the death penalty. Serious crimes, such as murder, abduction and weapons offences, may also attract the death penalty.

Corporal punishment (including the rattan cane) may be imposed for crimes including drug offences, rape, rioting, extortion and vandalism.

The presence of illegal drugs detected in blood and urine tests constitutes an offence. Singapore permanent residents and citizens can be prosecuted for consumption of drugs even if they were consumed outside Singapore.

Homosexual acts between men, including kissing, are illegal in Singapore and penalties include imprisonment. There is no specific law against homosexual acts between women, however you should be aware of local sensitivities. Overt public displays of affection by persons of the same sex should be avoided.

Shoplifting and theft are considered serious offences in Singapore. Australians visiting Singapore and transiting Changi airport have received jail sentences for such offences. Shopping centres, including at Changi airport, have sophisticated surveillance equipment to prevent shoplifting.

Singapore has strict laws and penalties against a variety of actions that may not be illegal or may be considered minor offences in Australia, including smoking in public places or indoor restaurants, spitting, chewing or importing gum (including chewing tobacco), littering and jaywalking.

Offences against 'modesty' (such as men behaving inappropriately towards women, using inappropriate language or singing offensive songs) attract prison sentences. If the offence involves the use of force (for example sexual assault), the offender can be subject to corporal punishment (caning). You should avoid any behaviour that could be interpreted as molestation, such as unnecessary touching.

Crimes that disrupt racial or ethnic harmony, such as racial insults, may attract severe penalties. People intending to speak publicly on racial, communal, religious or political topics must obtain approval from the Ministry of Manpower.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious offence in Singapore and the traffic police regularly carry out breath tests. Sentences can be up to 10 years in prison.

The importation of pirated copyright material is prohibited. Offenders may be fined and/or jailed. Printed and recorded material legal in Australia may be considered obscene and prohibited under Singaporean law. For details, visit the Singapore Customs website.

Cigarette lighters shaped like firearms and firecrackers are illegal. Entering Singapore with weapons, replica weapons and ammunition, including empty cartridge shells, is prohibited. For more information, visit the Singapore Police Force website or the Singapore Customs website.

Items such as weapons and military souvenirs require prior approval for importation into Singapore, including in transit at the airport. The nearest High Commission or Embassy of Singapore can provide advice on import requirements.

You should obey signs prohibiting photography of official buildings.

The Singapore Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses has been deregistered. Followers can practise their religion, but cannot participate in public meetings, engage in missionary work or distribute religious publications.

Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.

Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.

Local Customs

Standards of behaviour in Singapore are generally conservative. You should take care not to offend. If in doubt, seek local advice.

Public displays of affection may cause offence.

Entry and Exit Requirements

Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of Singapore, for the most up-to-date information.

People carrying controlled drugs require an import permit before entering Singapore. Permits may be required for medication available over-the-counter in Australia. For more information, contact the Health Science Authority in Singapore.

Singapore has severe penalties for illegal immigration and visa overstay, including fines, imprisonment and corporal punishment.

Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas. Singapore authorities require all travellers (including those transiting Singapore) to have at least six months validity remaining on their passports. Many Australians with less than six months validity on their passports have been refused entry to, or exit from, Singapore.

Information for Dual Nationals

Singapore does not recognise dual nationality for individuals over the age of 21. Male citizens and permanent residents between the ages of 16 and 50 are liable for two years of national service and further periods of training. If you are a dual Australian-Singaporean citizen or considering taking up permanent residency in Singapore, you should familiarise yourself with the provisions before deciding to travel to or live in Singapore. For further advice, contact the Singapore Ministry of Defence.

Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure also contains further information for dual nationals.

Health Issues

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 has spread throughout the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) provides useful information for individuals and travellers on its website. For further information and advice to Australians, including on possible quarantine measures overseas, see our travel bulletin on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009.

We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.

Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our Travelling Well brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas. See also Entry and Exit Requirements.

The standard of health facilities in Singapore is comparable with that in Australia. Singapore health care costs are very high. Doctors and hospitals expect immediate payment for services. Patients are usually required to provide a deposit or guarantee of payment prior to admission.

There is smoke haze across some parts of Singapore usually during the July to October period. This haze can cause health problems for some people, particularly those with respiratory problems. Keep up-to-date with advice of local authorities and seek medical advice on appropriate precautions. Regular air quality reports are available from Singapore’s National Environment Agency.

Outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses, such as dengue fever, chikungunya fever and Japanese encephalitis, occur, particularly during the wet seasons (from December to March and from June to September). We recommend you take precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes, including using insect repellent. For more information about dengue fever, visit the Singapore National Environment Agency website. See also the World Health Organization's factsheet on dengue fever.

The mosquito-borne disease Japanese encephalitis is found throughout many regions of North, South and South-East Asia and Papua New Guinea. A Japanese encephalitis vaccine is registered for use and is currently available in Australia. For further details please consult your travel health doctor.

Many areas are regularly 'fogged' to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. The 'fog' consists of toxic chemicals and care should be taken to avoid travelling into areas immediately after fogging has taken place.

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is common in Singapore with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. In Asia, outbreaks of HFMD usually start in March/April and peak in May but can continue until August to October each year. It mostly affects children under the age of 10 years but adult cases (particularly young adults) are not unusual. The illness is characterised by fever as well as blisters and rashes on the hands, feet and buttocks. HFMD is spread by direct contact with nose and throat discharges and faeces of infected people. Normal hygiene precautions should be taken including careful and frequent hand washing. You should visit Singapore's Ministry of Health website for more information, including disease prevention.

Decompression chambers are located at the Singapore Naval Base in Sembawang, the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Camden Medical Centre.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed deaths from avian influenza in South-East Asia. The Department of Health and Ageing advises Australians who reside in Singapore for an extended period to consider, as a precautionary measure, having access to influenza antiviral medicine for treatment. Long term residents are at a greater risk of exposure to avian influenza over time. You should seek medical advice before taking antiviral medicines. Australians intending to travel to Singapore for shorter periods are at much lower risk of infection but should discuss the risk of avian influenza with their doctor as part of their routine pre-travel health checks.

If the avian influenza virus mutates to a form where efficient human-to-human transmission occurs, it may spread quickly and local authorities could move quickly to impose restrictions on travel. Australian travellers and long-term residents in Singapore should be prepared to take personal responsibility for their own safety and well-being, including deciding when to leave an affected area and ensuring they have appropriate contingency plans in place. Australians in Singapore should monitor the travel advice and bulletin for updated information and advice, and ensure that their travel documents, including passports and visas for any non-Australian family members, are up-to-date in case they need to depart at short notice.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world, including a number in South-East Asia. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website.

Where to Get Help

In Singapore, you can obtain consular assistance from the:

Australian High Commission
25 Napier Road
SINGAPORE 258507
Telephone: (65) 6836 4100
Facsimile: (65) 6737 7465
Website: http://www.singapore.highcommission.gov.au/

If you are travelling to Singapore, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.

In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the High Commission, you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre toll free (reverse charges) in Singapore on 800 616 2046, or on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.

In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.