Moving to Singapore can feel like stepping onto a high-speed travelator—efficient, immaculate, and wonderfully future-focused. But even the smoothest ride needs careful preparation. Use the seven-step checklist below to glide from immigration paperwork to full medical peace of mind—so you can spend your first weekend sampling chili crab instead of searching for clinics.
1. Pick the right pass before you pack
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) issues several work-related passes:
| Pass | Typical user | Key salary / criteria |
| Employment Pass (EP) | managers & professionals | ≥ SGD 5 000 (from Sep 2025: SGD 5 600) plus acceptable qualifications |
| S Pass | mid-level technicians | ≥ SGD 3 150; quota & levies apply |
| Work Permit | skilled & semi-skilled workers (sector-specific) | no formal salary floor but strict sector quotas |
| Dependant / Long-Term Visit Pass | spouse, children, certain parents | sponsored by EP or S Pass holder |
Apply online through your employer or agency. Processing averages 1–3 weeks; approved applicants receive an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter that doubles as a single-entry visa. Bring printouts in your hand luggage—immigration will ask for them.
2. Check medical exams & vaccination rules
Singapore once required proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for new passes, but that mandate ended on 1 March 2024. Vaccination is still strongly advised, and some employers keep it in their company policies.
Special rules exist for helpers and households with young children (e.g., measles immunity from 1 September 2025).
For everyone else, schedule a basic medical checkup (blood test, chest X-ray) before departure; you may need to upload the report when your pass is issued or start work faster if an employer requests one.
Tip: Pack certified English translations of your immunisation record—especially for kids entering international schools, which follow local vaccination guidelines.
3. Finalise your pass in-country
Once in Singapore you have 30 days (often less) to:
- Visit MOM for fingerprints and a photo.
- Activate your SingPass (digital ID) and download the FWMOMCare or SGWorkPass app—your e-pass stays there.
- Provide any outstanding medical documents online.
Skip a step and you risk fines or a cancelled pass, so block out half a day in your first-week calendar.
4. Map the healthcare landscape
Singapore’s famous “3M” framework—MediShield Life, MediSave, MediFund—covers citizens and permanent residents, not new expats. Without private cover, you will pay the full (unsubsidised) rate at public hospitals or the eye-watering fees at private ones.
Average 2025 prices:
- Emergency-room consultation ≈ USD 90
- Normal delivery package ≈ USD 2 900–7 500
- Hip replacement ≈ USD 14 500
5. Arrange private health insurance early
Singapore ranks among the costliest medical markets on earth. Don’t leave international health insurance last-minute.
Brokers like Expat Medicare help you compare and choose the best coverage before your plane even lands. An experienced specialist broker will:
- Understand your personal specifics and then tailor the medical coverage you really need, including premium options.
- Explain maternity wait-periods, pre-existing condition riders, and worldwide evacuation add-ons.
- Arrange direct-billing letters so you are never forced to pay a five-figure deposit at 2 a.m.
6. Book your newcomer health tasks
| Within your first month | Why it matters |
| Register with a nearby GP (many clinics open till 10 p.m.). | Continuity of care & prescription refills. |
| Join a dentist—slots fill quickly. | Annual cleaning ≈ SGD 120 without insurance. |
| Download HealthHub app. | See test results, vaccination dates, child health records. |
| Locate 24 h A&E nearest your home & office. | National emergency number: 995. |
If you plan to travel around Southeast Asia, consider booster shots for hepatitis A/B, typhoid, and Japanese encephalitis; Singapore itself has no compulsory jabs for visitors, but border authorities expect yellow-fever certificates if you have been in an endemic country.
7. Keep compliance—and your calendar—current
- Pass renewals: Start three months before expiry; MOM rejects late submissions.
- Insurance reviews: Re-quote annually—your needs shift once you add a spouse, baby, or pre-existing condition.
- Vaccines: COVID-19 boosters every 12 months (free for residents), plus flu in September when Northern-Hemisphere strains arrive.
- Screenings: Colonoscopy from 50 years, mammogram from 40, as per local clinical practice guidelines.
Ready for take-off?
A little paperwork today means huge peace of mind tomorrow. Secure the right pass, update your vaccines, and choose the best expat health insurance plans in Singapore. Tick each item on this checklist and you will land equipped to enjoy Singapore’s skyline, street food, and super-fast Wi-Fi—minus the medical worries.
Welcome to the Lion City!