The rules and practical details that matter on a first visit: arrival, prohibited items, alcohol and smoking, GST, power, weather and health.
The Singapore travel essentials that catch visitors out are rules, not places: what to submit before landing, what you cannot bring in, where you cannot drink or smoke, and how the bill is built.
This guide collects those essentials in short sections, and each one links to the government page that states the rule.
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Trains, taxis and parking have their own page in the guide to getting around Singapore.
Once the rules are sorted, what to do in Singapore is the next question.
SG Arrival Card and entry rules
Almost every traveller must submit the SG Arrival Card before arrival, and the submission window is set out on the ICA entering Singapore page.
It is free, and you submit it through the SGAC e-Service.
Passport validity and other entry requirements are listed on the ICA entering Singapore page.
What you cannot bring into Singapore
The ICA prohibited and controlled goods list sets out what you cannot bring in, so read it before you pack.
Use the green channel only if you have nothing to declare, since a false declaration is an offence.
Bringing your own medication
HSA allows up to three months' supply of personal medication without approval if it was lawfully prescribed to you, contains no controlled substances from HSA's Appendix A and is not in chewing-gum form.
Carry a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter and keep the medication in its original labelled container.
Medication containing controlled substances needs HSA approval, which you apply for at least two weeks before you arrive.
Cannabis products and medication in chewing-gum form are prohibited.
You may not carry medication for another person unless they are an immediate family member it was prescribed for.
Alcohol and smoking rules
Drinking alcohol in public places is not allowed from 10:30pm to 7am every day, and take-away liquor sales end at 10:30pm, according to MHA.
Restaurants, bars and coffee shops can serve within their licence hours.
Little India and Geylang are Liquor Control Zones with extra no-drinking periods from 7am Saturday to 7am Monday and from 7pm on the eve of a public holiday to 7am the day after, and the SPF's Little India advisory cites a fine of up to S$1,500 for breaches.
Smoking is not allowed in most buildings, within 5 metres of entrances, at bus stops, in parks and on covered walkways, and the smoking prohibition page names the banned places.
Smoking is allowed in designated smoking areas, and in the Orchard Road No Smoking Zone only in a Designated Smoking Area.
Public holidays and closures
The next public holiday is Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026, per the Ministry of Manpower list.
MOM's 2027 list starts with New Year's Day on Friday 1 January, then Chinese New Year on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February with Monday 8 February also a holiday (MOM announcement).
How a holiday that falls on a Sunday is treated is explained on MOM's public holidays page.
Hawker centres close for cleaning on set dates, and NEA publishes them in its hawker centre closure dataset.
GST, service charge and the GST refund
GST in Singapore is 9%, per IRAS.
Hotels and restaurants often add a 10% service charge and charge GST on top of it, so S$100 of food plus S$10 service charge plus S$9.90 GST comes to S$119.90, as IRAS shows in its hotel and food and beverage guidance.
Menu prices may exclude GST and service charge, and IRAS explains how both are added.
Visitors can claim a GST refund when they spend at least S$100 including GST at a participating retailer, with up to three same-day receipts from the same retailer combined (IRAS tourist refund scheme).
Show your original passport at the shop, claim at the eTRS kiosk at Changi or Seletar airport, and leave with the goods within two months of purchase.
Services, including hotel accommodation, are not eligible.
Power plugs, SIM cards and Wi-Fi
Plug type and voltage are listed on the Visit Singapore practical information page, so check them before you pack chargers.
Singtel, StarHub and M1 sell tourist SIM cards and eSIMs at Changi Airport, in shops and at convenience stores (Changi Airport SIM page).
Weather, rain and haze
Singapore has no distinct wet or dry season, and the Meteorological Service lists higher rainfall from November to January and February as the driest month (Meteorological Service Singapore).
Daytime highs are usually no more than 31 to 33 degrees Celsius, and afternoon thunderstorms are common between monsoons.
Slight to moderate haze is common in the Southwest Monsoon and light-wind months, and NEA publishes haze updates such as its haze situation update.
Check haze.gov.sg for the live air quality reading before outdoor plans.
Month-by-month rainfall and festival timing are covered in the best time to visit Singapore guide.
Tap water, halal food and allergies
PUB says Singapore tap water is safe to drink straight from the tap without further filtration (PUB water quality).
MUIS is the only body that issues halal certificates in Singapore, and its halal certification page explains how certification works.
Look for a MUIS halal certificate if halal matters to you.
SFA advises checking whether a dish contains your allergen when you eat out, and pre-packed food must declare gluten-containing cereals, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts and sulphites (SFA allergy guidance).
Emergencies, clinics and pharmacies
Call 995 for an ambulance or fire emergency, and 999 for the police (SCDF emergency services page).
The NurseFirst helpline on 6262 6262 gives non-emergency medical advice, including nearby GP clinics.
The 1777 non-emergency ambulance hotline ends on 1 January 2027.
For non-emergency problems, go to a GP clinic rather than a hospital emergency department, as MOH advises.
Private clinics and pharmacies around Duxton Hill are listed in the Tanjong Pagar and Duxton practical guide.
The Chinatown ones sit in the Chinatown practical guide.
Pharmacies near Raffles Place and the bay are in the Marina Bay practical guide.
Scams and safety
The ScamShield helpline is 1799, and the scamshield.gov.sg site checks suspicious messages, numbers and links.
The Police warned in October 2026 about phishing scams involving hotels and booking platforms, and advise confirming bookings with the hotel through the contact details on its own website (SPF advisory).
Official scam advisories are published on the SPF website.
Frequently asked questions
Published November 13, 2026
