Singapore

Singapore has no digital nomad visa. Remote workers usually come as short-term visitors, and anyone who wants to live and work in the country needs a work pass or permanent residence.

• Founders: the EntrePass for startup founders suits entrepreneurs with a venture-backed or innovative company registered in Singapore. It covers running that company, not remote work for an employer abroad.
• Large investors: the Global Investor Programme grants permanent residence to business owners, fast-growth founders and family office principals who invest at least SGD 10,000,000.
• Top earners and leaders: the Ministry of Manpower also runs the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass for leaders in business, arts, sport and research. This site has no page for it yet.

Short stays: Length set at entry by the ICA officer on the electronic visit pass; no fixed period is published (ICA). The e-Pass arrives by email, and it alone sets the permitted stay: it may show 30 days, 90 days or another period, so check it on arrival. Nationals of the countries ICA lists need a visa before they travel.

Extensions: visitors can apply online to extend a short-term visit pass when 14 days or less remain. A SGD 40 fee applies once an extension takes the total stay to 90 days from entry (ICA). Approval isn't automatic.

Singapore is expensive, and rent drives most of the cost. These figures come from Numbeo's crowd-sourced data, last updated Sept. 25, 2026, with dollar amounts at the Sept. 26, 2026 rate; treat them as rough guides (Numbeo).

• Rent: a one-bedroom apartment runs about SGD 3,820 a month in the city center and SGD 2,765 outside it.
• Other costs: a single person spends about SGD 1,502 a month on everything except rent.
• Central setup: about SGD 5,322, or $4,170.
• Setup outside the center: about SGD 4,267, or $3,340.

A room in a shared flat costs far less than a whole apartment, and short furnished lets and coliving usually cost more than long-term averages. Hawker centers keep food costs down.

Singapore is a single city-state, so the choice is between neighborhoods. This site has no city pages for Singapore.

• Central business district and Marina Bay: the financial center, with the densest choice of coworking spaces and the highest rents.
• Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown and Tiong Bahru: older shophouse streets and cafes within easy reach of the business district, for people who want character close to the center.
• Jalan Besar and Kampong Glam: heritage districts with independent cafes and a creative crowd, a little away from the office towers.
• Outer housing estates: areas such as Tampines or Jurong East, for longer stays on a tighter budget. Numbeo's data puts one-bedroom rents outside the center about a quarter below central ones (Numbeo).

The rail network links all of these, so a cheaper base farther out rarely means a long commute.

The Speedtest Global Index put Singapore's median fixed broadband speed at 462.5 Mbps and median mobile speed at 164.35 Mbps in August 2026, more than enough for video calls and large uploads.

Fiber broadband is widely available in homes. Coworking spaces cluster in the central business district and the neighborhoods around it, with day passes and monthly memberships; prices vary by operator and location.

IRAS treats a foreigner as tax resident for a year of assessment after staying or working in Singapore at least 183 days in the previous calendar year, or after staying continuously for three consecutive years (IRAS).

A third test covers a continuous stay that straddles two calendar years and totals at least 183 days. It applies only to foreign employees; company directors, public entertainers and professionals are excluded, so freelancers and founders shouldn't rely on it. Holders of a work pass valid for at least a year are also treated as residents, reviewed when they leave.

• Residents: progressive rates, currently topping out at 24% (IRAS rates).
• Non-residents: employment income is taxed at a flat 15% or the resident rates, whichever gives more tax. Most other income, such as director's fees, is taxed at 24%.
• Short-term work: a non-resident who works in Singapore for 60 days or less in a year pays no tax on that employment income, with exceptions IRAS lists.
• Overseas income: income from overseas received in Singapore, including money paid into a Singapore bank account, is generally not taxable for individuals. The main exception is income received through a Singapore partnership (IRAS).

Pay for work done while physically in Singapore is a separate question from overseas income. Remote workers planning a long stay should check with IRAS how their earnings are treated, and look at the tax treaty, if any, between Singapore and their home country. Neither the EntrePass nor the GIP has a tax regime of its own.

• Arrival card: every traveler submits the SG Arrival Card with an electronic health declaration within three days before arrival, including the day of arrival. It's free through ICA's e-service or the MyICA app; ICA doesn't endorse paid services that offer to file it (ICA).
• Passport and funds: passports need at least 6 months of validity, and short-term visitors should carry enough money and proof of onward travel (ICA).
• Yellow fever: travelers who were in a country with yellow fever risk in the six days before arrival must show a vaccination certificate.
• Visit pass: there's no stamp in the passport. The e-Pass arrives by email and shows the permitted stay (ICA).
• Money: the currency is the Singapore dollar (SGD), and cards and mobile payments work almost everywhere.
• SIM cards: prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are easy to buy on arrival; a passport is needed to register a local SIM.
• Health: care is high quality but costly for visitors, so health or travel insurance that covers Singapore is worth having.
• Rules: Singapore enforces its laws strictly, including rules on drugs, littering and overstaying. Check the home government's travel advice before arrival.