Moving to Singapore: the first 90 days

What do I need to know before moving to Singapore?

Singapore is a city-state, so there is one housing market and one set of rules, and no choice of region to make. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) counted 1,655,900 foreign workers in June 2026. Of these, 204,300 held an Employment Pass, 177,300 an S Pass and 1,243,600 a Work Permit (MOM, June 2026). The people who use a relocation company are mostly in the first two groups.

The order of your first weeks is simple. The pass comes first, and your employer applies for it. Your home comes second, and that is where licensing rules matter. Singpass, banking and health cover follow.

Which pass do I need to move to Singapore?

Employment Pass (EP). MOM describes it as the pass for foreign professionals, managers, executives and technicians. The employer applies, after advertising the job on MyCareersFuture. The minimum qualifying salary is S$5,600 a month, rising with age from 23 to S$10,700 at 45 and above, and S$6,200 in financial services. For new applications from 1 January 2027 it becomes S$6,000 and S$6,600. The employer’s application must also reach 40 points on the COMPASS points test (MOM eligibility page, read 7 Oct 2026; MOM Employment Pass page).

S Pass. For mid-level skilled workers who do not qualify for an EP. New candidates must earn at least S$3,300 a month, and the employer applies (MOM S Pass page).

Dependant’s Pass. MOM says it allows spouses and children of EP or S Pass holders to join them (MOM Dependant’s Pass page).

Work Permit. This is the largest group, but not the one that buys relocation help. Of the 1,243,600 Work Permit holders in June 2026, MOM counts 323,800 domestic workers and 490,700 in construction, marine and process sectors.

By nationality. The MOM pages we read set salary and points tests, not groups by nationality, and we found no separate EU or non-EU route. Check MOM for any rule that applies to your passport.

The EP page lists three stages after you apply: in-principle approval, issuance and collection. We did not read the fees, the processing time or the collection deadline, so this guide gives none. Your employer or its adviser will tell you what to bring.

If you move with children, the school decides where you can live, so start the school search when you start the home search. We found no official figure for school waiting lists or fees, and we do not quote any. Many Singapore agencies list school search among their services, and our guide to settling-in services in Singapore shows what they describe.

What does it cost to rent in Singapore?

URA, the planning authority, reports that private home rents rose 0.7% in the second quarter of 2026, after 0.3% in the first (URA, released 24 July 2026). Full-year changes in URA’s releases: +29.7% in 2022, +8.7% in 2023, -1.9% in 2024 and +1.9% in 2025 (URA, January 2026). The fourth quarter of 2025 was -0.5%.

One property firm, Expat-SG, lists a one-bedroom condo at S$3,000 to S$5,000 a month in its own guide (Expat-SG, read 7 Oct 2026). At 1 EUR = 1.4344 SGD (ECB reference rate, 5 October 2026), that is about EUR 2,091 to EUR 3,486. It is one firm’s figure, not an official statistic, and we found no official rent table by area.

Our guide to renting in Singapore covers the search step by step.

Who may find me a home, and how do I check?

Finding or negotiating a rental for a fee is estate agency work, and the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) regulates it. CEA’s enforcement guide describes a case in which a person who offered to source tenants for rentals in return for commission, without a licence or registration, pleaded guilty to two charges under the Estate Agents Act (CEA, 30 July 2021).

The consumer rule is short: your property agent should be registered with CEA through a licensed property agency. Search the CEA public register by the agent’s phone number (CEA). If the number gives no profile page, CEA says it is not registered. The register also shows the agent’s rental transactions in the last two years and any disciplinary record. Our guide to choosing a relocation company in Singapore explains the check in full.

Can foreigners rent HDB flats, or only private homes?

You can rent a private home, such as a condominium, or a flat built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). CEA publishes separate tenancy agreement templates for HDB flats and for private residential property, and says you can negotiate the terms before you sign (CEA, renting). HDB says Singapore citizen flat owners who have met the minimum occupation period can rent out their flats, and that once the non-citizen quota is reached a flat can only be rented to Singaporeans and Malaysians (HDB). CEA’s tenant page adds that a non-citizen needs a pass valid for at least six months and must rent for at least six months, within a quota of 8% of a neighbourhood and 11% of a block (CEA, HDB rental). Our renting guide has the details.

How do I avoid rental scams?

CEA gives four rules on its rental scams page (CEA, read 7 Oct 2026):

• Search the advertised phone number on the CEA public register. If it gives no agent profile, the number is not registered.
• Payment is not required to secure a viewing or a rental. View the property in person first.
• Pay the property owner directly, by a verifiable method, and not the agent.
• When in doubt, call the ScamShield helpline on 1799.

Health insurance and Singpass in one paragraph

MOH says MediShield Life covers Singapore citizens and permanent residents, and its page does not list Employment Pass holders, so ask your employer what cover comes with the job (MOH). Singpass is the government’s digital identity for services from government agencies and businesses (Singpass). We did not read the registration steps for foreign pass holders, so check them on the Singpass site.

What does the move cost?

We found no official first-month budget, but the figures that are public give a start:

• The pass is applied for and paid through the employer. We did not read the fee.
• Rent is the large item: one property firm lists S$3,000 to S$5,000 for a one-bedroom condo.
• Agent commission is negotiable. CEA says there are no fixed commission rates, and you document the amount in the prescribed estate agency agreement.

Singapore agencies we checked do not publish prices. See what a relocation company costs in Singapore for what is known.

Where can a relocation company help?

A relocation company can search for homes and attend viewings, handle a lease negotiation, help with schools and book the first appointments. It cannot change the pass rules or promise a home. In Singapore the word “relocation” also brings up movers, so look for destination services (home search, school search, settling-in) rather than shipping. Our research found six destination-service entries for Singapore in the European Relocation Association’s list, and no local association list (EuRA member directory, counted in our research on 5 October 2026).

Three kinds of firm turn up under that word. Movers ship household goods, and some also sell destination help. Destination-service firms do home search, school search and settling-in. Property agencies market to newcomers and handle rentals. Our research on 6 October 2026 found 19 firms with a Singapore office, among them boutiques, regional specialists, global networks and licensed property agents. Ask each one which of the three it is, and who in the firm does the work for you.

Read what settling-in services in Singapore include, then browse the Singapore hub. To ask for an introduction, get matched.

A 90-day plan

When	What
Before you fly	Your employer applies for your pass. Ask when you can start a home search.
Weeks 1 to 2	Collect your pass as MOM instructs. Check a home against the CEA register. Sign an agency agreement only after reading it.
Weeks 2 to 6	Sign the tenancy agreement. Pay the landlord directly, not the agent. Set up Singpass and the bank.
By day 90	Confirm your health cover. Bring your family on Dependant’s Passes if they have not come yet.

Is moving to Singapore a good idea?

For many professionals it is a clear career step, and the foreign workforce figures show how many take it. The limits are real. The pass depends on an employer and on a salary floor that rises on 1 January 2027, rent is the largest item, and CEA publishes a page on rental scams. Check licences, put every fee in writing and pay a landlord directly (CEA, rental scams).

What we could not source

We did not find the Employment Pass fee, the processing time or the deadline to collect the card on pages we could read. We found no official source for deposit and lease-length conventions, so we give none. We found no official list of documents landlords ask for. The Singpass steps for foreign pass holders, the bank account process and driving licence rules were not read. We did not read the entry rules for newcomers, so check ICA before you travel.