Singapore is one of the most attractive countries to relocate to. This is due to its high living standards, business-friendly conditions, use of English as the official business language, and many other factors. Did you know that 43% of the population in Singapore was not born there? Well, that’s the fact, and it places the island state in the top ten list of cities worldwide as far as the foreign-born population is concerned.
Below are some keys things to guide you when relocating to the city-state:
The visas and paperwork
For a stay of less than a month, you will not need a visa, but you need to have no less than six months left on your passport. However, to hold a job in Singapore, you will need to seek an employment pass (EP). Your employer is the one that will apply for an employment pass for you and your monthly salary must not go below $3,600 (Singapore dollars). Another pass for employed persons is the S Pass for which one must be earning a monthly salary of at least $2,200. For more information on the various requirements to support your applications for the various visas, check out Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower website. You could consider engaging a reliable and trusted visa agent like One Visa to help you to process the visa hassle-free and advise you on various immigration matters.
Housing
Once in the island state, one of your primary concerns will be having a comfortable place to stay, but within your budget. You also need to consider your convenience concerning proximity to your workplace or your children’s school.
Renting a house is the ideal way of meeting your housing needs unless you intend to stay in the country for good. The beauty of renting is that you can always shift after a few months after familiarizing yourself with the city-state and getting a clearer idea of where you want to stay. You can use the various property portals to find more information about your preferred locations and get an idea about the prices of rent.
Education and school
Expats can enrol their children in whichever public or private school they prefer, but the waiting list for the best ones are long and there are limited slots. But for those planning to stay for a long time, this is a cheaper option. The other option for expats is to enrol the kids in international schools for which there are many choices to pick from. Most expats use this option for their families.
Healthcare
The healthcare system is run by the government through the Ministry of Health and is ranked among the most efficient globally. Expats pay equal amounts in public or private medical facilities. For this reason, expats with good earnings opt for private facilities to cut the waiting time. Expats must get comprehensive medical insurance policies when they relocate since they are not entitled to the subsidies that the locals enjoy.
Those are just some of the main things that you need to be aware of as you move to Singapore. It is also important to think about how to access your bank accounts or how to go about your finances. With Singapore as a global financial hub, you can find most of the common international banks. You can engage your bank to enquire about the international banking services they offer. It is also crucial that you familiarize with the rules, laws, and etiquette or norms before relocating so that you can get along well with the people when you get there.
