About Singapore

Singapore (Chinese: 新加坡; Malay: Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர்) is a city-state in Southeast Asia. Modern Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819, and since independence, it has become one of the world's most prosperous countries and boasts one of the world's busiest ports. Singaporean food is legendary, with bustling hawker centres and 24-hour coffee shops offering affordable food from all parts of Asia. Combining the skyscrapers and shopping malls of an affluent modern city with a medley of different Asian cultures and a tropical climate, good shopping and a vibrant nightlife scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover or springboard into the region. The country has a partly deserved reputation for its sterile predictability. Nevertheless, the "Switzerland of Asia" is for many a welcome respite from the chaos, dirt and poverty of much of the rest of Southeast Asia. If you scratch below the squeaky clean surface and get away from the tourist trail you'll soon find

Source: Wikipedia

Essential Information

Currency

Singapore dollar (SGD)

Symbol: $

Language

English

Also: Chinese, Malay, Tamil

Phone Code

+65

International dialing code for Singapore

Driving

Drive on the left

Standard for Singapore

Region

Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Connectivity

The international telephone country code for Singapore is65. Phone numbers in Singapore have the format+65 XXXX XXXXwhere "65" is the country code for Singapore. Due to the small area of Singapore, there are no area codes. Any number starting with8or9is a mobile phone, while numbers starting with3or6are fixed lines (businesses and residential). Toll free numbers start with800or1800, followed by 7 digits, and usually cannot be dialed from outside the country.

How to Get to Singapore

Transportation options and arrival information

Citizens ofAustralia, theEuropean Union,New Zealand,Norway,South Korea,SwitzerlandtheUnited Kingdomand theUnited Statesdo not need avisafor stays of 90 days or less.

Getting Around Singapore

Local transportation and navigation tips

Getting around Singapore is easy: the public transport network is extremely easy to use, affordable, and covers populated areas extensively. Furthermore, taxis/rideshares are reasonably priced and easy to hail via apps.CityMapper Singapore, Google Maps, and Apple Maps are all capable of figuring out the fastest route by rail and bus and even estimating taxi fares between any two points.

Safety in Singapore

Very High Safety (Global Peace Index: 1.326)

About the Global Peace Index: Global Peace Index measures peacefulness on a scale of 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (least peaceful)

There's more to the list than just porn, firearms, and drugs, although not all of these restrictions are enforced in practice.

Source: Institute for Economics & Peace (2022)

Where to Stay in Singapore

Accommodation tips and recommendations

Accommodation in Singapore is expensive by South-East Asian standards. Particularly in the higher price brackets, demand outstrips supply and during big events like the F1 race or some of the larger conventions it's not uncommon for pretty much everything to sell out. Lower-end hotels and hostels, though, remain affordable and available throughout the year.