Settling-in services in Singapore: what is included

What do settling-in services include in Singapore?

A settling-in service covers the practical tasks after you arrive. Firms describe the lists in their own words, so there is no standard package. One boutique, Red Dot Relocation, lists utilities and account set-up, healthcare guidance, coordination of a live-in helper and insider tips for settling in. For home search it lists a needs assessment, profile matching and viewings, virtual or in person (Red Dot Relocation, read 7 Oct 2026). A regional provider, CS Mobility, says each settling-in programme is adjusted to the priorities and needs of each family and does not list single tasks on the page we read (CS Mobility).

These are two examples of how firms write it, not a ranking. The point is that you should ask for the task list in writing. Most Singapore agencies in our directory list settling-in among their services, and the lists differ.

Which steps are yours, your employer’s and an agency’s?

Task	Who does it
Employment Pass or S Pass	Your employer applies.
Collecting the pass	Your employer and you, following MOM’s instructions.
Singpass	You, and check the steps on the Singpass site.
Finding and renting a home	You, or an agent registered with CEA.
Utilities, accounts, healthcare guidance	You, or a firm that lists them.
Schools	You, or a firm with school search.

The pass. MOM says employers apply for an Employment Pass, and the page lists three stages: in-principle approval, issuance and collection (MOM, updated 27 August 2026). A relocation firm cannot apply in your place. Spouses and children can join you on a Dependant’s Pass, which MOM describes as for family of EP or S Pass holders (MOM).

Singpass. It is the government’s digital identity, with access to over 2,700 services from more than 800 government agencies and businesses, according to its home page (Singpass). We did not read how a foreign pass holder registers, so we do not give the steps.

Housing. If an agent finds you a rental, the agent must be registered with CEA, and CEA says payment is not required to secure a viewing or rental and that you pay the owner directly (CEA, rental scams). The same page says to view the property in person before any money moves. Our guide to renting in Singapore as an expat has the full rules.

Health. MOH says MediShield Life covers Singapore citizens and permanent residents and does not list Employment Pass holders, so confirm your cover with your employer (MOH).

Household help. MOM counts 323,800 domestic workers among foreign workers in June 2026 (MOM). If you plan to hire a live-in helper, ask a firm whether it coordinates it, as one boutique lists, and what the process involves, because we did not read the rules.

How long does each step take?

We found no official timelines for the steps above, so we give none. The only durations we could source belong to the rental: an exclusive estate agency agreement can run for up to three months, and the minimum rental period for an HDB flat is six months (CEA). Ask a firm how long it expects each task to take for your household, and ask for its past cases in writing.

What should the written task list say?

Because there is no standard package, a good task list names each job and who does it. Ask the firm to put these in writing:

1. The tasks it will do, one line each (for example utilities, accounts, healthcare guidance, tenancy, school visits).
2. The tasks that stay with you or your employer, such as the pass.
3. How many viewings, school visits or appointments are included.
4. Which tasks need you in person.
5. The consultant’s name, and who covers when they are away.
6. What happens if a task cannot be completed.

Where do I check the official steps?

For the steps we could not source, go to the body that sets the rule rather than to a checklist site. The Ministry of Manpower for passes. The Singpass site for your digital identity. The Council for Estate Agencies for rentals and agents. The Ministry of Health for health schemes. For a bank account, a mobile line and a driving licence conversion, use the websites of the bank, the mobile operator and the Land Transport Authority, and compare them with what a firm tells you. We did not read those pages for this guide, so we state nothing about them.

What do these services cost?

We found no published prices for settling-in services in Singapore. Firms quote on request. Read our guide to what a relocation company costs in Singapore for how a quote should look, then compare two or three in writing.

Does my employer’s package already include them?

It may. Your employer applies for your pass, and a relocation budget or a contract with a firm sits in the same conversation. Ask your HR team which tasks are covered, who books them and what you must do in person. Then pay only for what is left. See our guide to moving to Singapore for the order of the first weeks.

When does it make sense to buy the service?

You can do each task yourself. A service makes sense if:

• you land with little time and want someone to book and attend;
• you move with a family and need a home, a school and utilities in the same weeks;
• you want a named person to ask when something goes wrong.

To compare firms, read how to choose a relocation company in Singapore, then open the Singapore hub. To ask for an introduction, get matched.

What we could not source

We found no published price for any settling-in service. We did not read the pass collection deadline, the Singpass steps for foreign pass holders, or the official steps for a bank account, a mobile line, utilities or a driving licence conversion, so the guide gives no timelines for them. Competitor checklists exist, but they are not sources. We state no rule or number for these steps without an official page behind it.