Singapore Airport and City Info

None required for stays of up to 14 or 30 days (depending on the Immigration officer; usually 30 days for general tourism visits). You also generally need to have a ticket for leaving Singapore (can be an open ticket).

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the duration of your stay.

• * Visa, passport, and other information is subject to change without notice. Be sure to check with the Embassy, Consulate, or travel agency.

When visiting from Japan, it is prohibited to bring the following items into Singapore.

• a. Chewing gum (however, you are allowed to bring in gum for oral care or medical use that has been approved by the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore)
• b. Rhinoceros horns (any processed or unprocessed form)
• c. Processed products made with endangered plants or animals

• * Violations may result in up to a 5,000 dollar fine as judged by Customs. Serious violations may result in a prison sentence and fine decided by the court.

E-cigarettes are prohibited for sale and import in Singapore and you can be fined for possession, so do not bring it into the country.

Tax exemptions are applicable to newly purchased items, such as personal belongings and souvenirs that do not exceed S$600 (S$150 for a stay of up to 48 hours) in total value purchased.
The amount of liquor that an adult can bring in depends on the alcohol content. A combination of the following 3 patterns is exempt from taxes: 1L of spirits and 1L of wine and 1L of beer, 2L of wine and 1 L of beer, or 1L of wine and 2L of beer.
Even a single cigarette must be declared; 1g (or 1 cigarette) is taxed S￠42.7. As a guide, 1 carton of Mevius is taxed approx. S$85.4, but in the case of several cigarettes, often they are tax exempt (however, they must be declared). When declaring items, keep the tax receipt so that proof can be provided anytime. Each cigarette circulated in Singapore is stamped with the SDPC mark, and restrictions on bringing in tobacco are being tightened. Cash amounting to S$20,000 (or the equivalent in other currencies) or more must be declared.

Singapore Customs(http://www.Customs.gov.sg/)

Singapore is 1 hour behind Japan. When it is 12:00 in Japan, it is 11:00 in Singapore. Daylight saving time is not observed.

Voltage is 230V at a cycle of 50Hz. Generally, plugs are the square, 3-prong type (BF), but some are the round 3-prong type (B3). Using electric products from Japan requires transformers, but most hotels lend them to guests, so this service can be taken advantage of.

Singapore uses the PAL TV and video system, which is different from Japan (NTSC), so normal video players used in Japan cannot play DVD and other media from Singapore. Playing them in Japan requires a multi-scan video player and a compatible TV. Or, it requires the use of a service provider that converts DVDs to the Japanese NTSC system. The DVD region code for Singapore is 3, while it is 2 for Japan. Normal DVD players in Japan cannot play DVDs from Singapore.

Airmail to Japan costs S$0.60 for a postcard or aerogram, while a sealed letter up to 20g costs S$0.70, with an extra S$0.25 added for each 10g thereafter (Takes 3 to 5 days). Sending parcels by air mail is around S$40 for parcels up to 5 kg and S$7 for each additional 1 kg after that (up to 30 kg).

1. Dial 001 (International telephone identification number)
2. 81 (Country Code, Japan)
3. X X(Remove the first 0 for area codes)
   • * Remove first 0 from mobile telephone numbers starting with 090 or 080
4. 1234-5678 (Other parties telephone no.)

1. International Telephone Company No.
   • 001 (KDDI)*1
   • 0033 (NTT Communications) *1
   • 0061 (SoftBank Telecom) *1
   • 005345 (au Mobile) *2
   • 009130 (NTT DoCoMo Mobile) *3
   • 0046 (SoftBank Mobile)*4
2. 010 (International Identification No.)
3. 65 (Country Code, Singapore)
4. 6123-4567 (Other parties telephone No.)

Below are national holidays in 2020.

• January 1 to 3: New Year's
• January 25 to 26: Chinese New Year (lunar calendar New Year)( As the 26th falls on Sunday, the 27th is a substitute holiday. )*1
• April 10: Good Friday*1
• May 1: Labor Day
• May 7: Vesak Day*1
• May 24: Hari Raya Puasa ( As the 24th falls on Sunday, the 25th is a substitute holiday. )*1
• July 31: Hari Raya Haji
• August 9: National Day (National Foundation Day)
• November 4: Deepavali (may change)*1
• December 25: Christmas

The official languages are Malay, English, Chinese (Mandarin Chinese), and Tamil.

Below are guidelines for general business hours, which differ by shop, department store, restaurant, etc.

Generally Mon. to Fri. 9:00 to 16:30 (some places open until 18:00); Sat. 8:30 to 13:00 (some places open 10:00 to 14:30), closed on Sun., holidays.

11:00 to 21:00. Many department stores and large shopping centers open from 10:00. Seven-Eleven and Cheers convenience stores are found throughout towns and are often open 24 hours.

10:00 to 22:00. Some restaurants serve breakfast, and some close between lunch and dinner. Some food courts stay open until late at night.

Tobacco and alcohol is restricted to persons 18 years old and older. Entrance to persons under 18 years of age is prohibited for movies rated R (A). In the case of a NC-16 rating, persons under 16 years old are prohibited from entering. Identification, etc. must be shown. Persons under 21 are prohibited from entering casinos.

Various regulations and laws have been established to unify this small island country where many races live together. Fines to thoroughly enforce them have also been established. Even travelers are subject to fines, so care must be taken.
The primary example of a fine is a maximum of S$1000 imposed for littering. There are also fines for smoking outside of designated smoking areas, and spitting/hawking phlegm in public areas. There is a fine for eating/drinking in the MRT (trains). Bringing chewing gum into Singapore is prohibited. Also, crackdowns on drugs are extremely harsh. For instance, even foreigners who bring in an excess of specific amount of drugs will not get off with just a fine. A heavy punishment is imposed.

Since there was a three-year period when the Imperial Japanese Army occupied Singapore during WWII (Shonan Island era), some elderly Singaporeans harbor anti‐Japanese sentiments. There are no particular religious taboos, but avoid wearing clothing that exposes the skin when visiting Islamic temples.

Both indoor and outdoor eating/drinking facilities are non-smoking, excluding some designated smoking areas. Even nightspots are non-smoking, but there are some establishments with smoking areas (restricted to those authorized by the National Environment Agency). Areas where smoking is allowed are required by regulation to clearly mark the place with a symbol (floor markings, table colors, etc.) or sign.