Singapore
Business/social hints
Appointments: Must be made in advance.
Attire for business meetings: Men should wear a lightweight suit and tie, women a lightweight suit.
Etiquette: it is customary to shake hands on meeting and taking leave.
Laws: Smoking banned in all air-conditioned public places and in restaurants. The import, sale and possession of chewing gum is prohibited. Gratuities are officially discouraged.
Invitations: To restaurants be punctual and dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated.
Local time:GMT+8hrs.
Capital: Singapore.
Language: Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil and English.
Electricity: 220/240V AC 50Hz.
Int. direct dialling code: 65.
Driving: on the left. International Driving Permit required.
Currency: Singapore Dollar (SGD1 = 100 Cents).
Notes:SGD: 5; 10; 20; 50; 100; 500; 1,000; 10,000.
Coins: SGD:1. Cents: 1, 5; 10; 20; 50.
Business hours
Banks:Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 9.30am-3pm (limited banks only).
Offices: Monday-Friday 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm.
Shops: 9.30am-9pm.
Emergency Services
Police: 999. Fire and Ambulance: 995.
Clothing
Lightweights or tropical with light rainwear for all months.
Health
Compulsory vaccinations: yellow fever certificate if arriving from infected areas. Certificates of vaccination are required from travellers who within the preceding six days have been in or passed through any country partly or wholly endemic for yellow fever.
Weather
Tropical climate is hot, wet and humid throughout the year. Rainfall occurs in all months with heaviest period between November to March.
Singapore Temp C Humidity % Rain
Max/Min am pm (mm)
January 30 23 80 78 252
February 31 23 77 71 174
March 31 24 76 70 192
April 31 24 77 74 188
May 32 24 79 73 173
June 28 25 77 75 102
July 31 24 78 72 170
August 31 24 79 72 196
September 31 24 78 72 178
October 31 23 78 72 208
November 31 23 79 75 254
December 31 23 82 78 257
Singapore Changi SIN
Postal address: POBox 1, Singapore 918141.
Telephone:+65 541 2084/85.
Telex: 21231 AVIATEL.
Fax:+65 545 6222.
Location: 12 miles east of Singapore city centre
Transport from airport to city centre: Airbus: services 1, 2 and 3 every 25mins between 6.30am-12.30am, fare SGD 5, journey time 25mins-40mins. Taxi: fare SGD 15, journey time 25mins.
Airport departure tax: none.
Flight information: tel 1 800 542 4422 if flight known, tel 1 800 542 1234 if flight unknown.
Business facilities: tel 542 4888, 0800-2230 in transit hotel complexes in both the two terminals. Facilities include fax, telex, work stations, photocopying, meeting rooms, translation and secretarial facilities.
Passport and visas
Required by all and must be valid for six months from day of departure. Up-to-date visa information from foreign office.
Customs
Import allowances
For persons of 18 years of age or older, one litre of wine and beer and one litre of spirits.