Domestic Helpers and driving license

[ElizabethG]

Dear All,

Please may I ask a cuople of questions if you have had the following experience.
We want to take our current domestic helper from our current country to Singapore. She qualifies for it, according to what I have read on the website of the government.
Can you please advise:
1. Can u recommend a licensed, reliable agency that can do all the work related to getting her work permit for us./ I guess that would ease the whole admin.process/.
2. Can we drive based on our current or international driving licenses for the first 12 months even if we have obtained our work permits, etc.? Or do you suggest to do the theory test first as it could theoretically help gain useful infos on how to drive in Singapore./ we are coming from a country where we drive on the right side/.

Thank you very much!!!

[BBCWatcher]

2. Can we drive...?

Serious question in reply: why would you want to drive in Singapore?

[ElizabethG]

Any other on the forum who can really help instead of writing useless questions? Thanks.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Any other on the forum who can really help instead of writing useless questions? Thanks.

why would you want to drive in Singapore?

[JR8]

1) Don't know.
2) The below should answer this question; there's no value in me trying to summarise...

Something of a summary view...
https://www.ecitizen.gov.sg/Topics/Page ... cence.aspx
Driving in Singapore: How to convert a foreign driving licence

The full version from the SGn cops...
http://driving-in-singapore.spf.gov.sg/ ... ation.html
Information - Driving Licence

[x9200]

And now it's time for a short quiz. Who insulted ElizabethG more?

a) BBCW/Raj
b) JR8

[JR8]

Huh? I tried to help, and when I said 'no point me trying to summarise', that's simply because I don't know her precise circumstances (is the helper/maid from ASEAN? - we don't know, etc)... so, much easier for her to skim the links herself.

[Squint: Was that some some darkly ironic comment I'm not geting... lol]

[ElizabethG]

Thanks JR8! The links are really helpful!seems that it will be very easy and quick to buy our cars and convert the licenses. Cheers

[JR8]

Pleasure!

p.s. oh, and welcome to the forum

[Strong Eagle]

What's with the stupid questions, "Why would you want to drive in Singapore?"

[ecureilx]

Dear All,

...

Thank you very much!!!

On top of what JR8 said, there are a few employers who's maid do drive, one of them was featured in the local news papers.

No issues there ...

Singapore doesn't care which side of the road you drove before, they just have decided some licenses are not to be trusted the links by JR8 should get you started.

Welcome to Singapore.

[ElizabethG]

Thank you very much! Our nanny will not drive, only us . Just wanted to know if doing the theory test helps at all to adjust ourselves to a different driving environment we are used to in the Middle East.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Believe me, the theory test, while helpful, will not help you adust to the local driving environment where immediately upon getting their driving license they completely forget about how to actually drive and just resort to pointing the cars. Oh, and directional indicators are optional equipment here. And also one car length for 15/km hr doesn't exist. Also, it doesn't prepare you for the total lack of spatial awareness of local drivers nor the bane of all drivers existence, the drivers of black BMWs who must take a special course on how to be an arsehole before the dealer gives them the keys to their new beemers

[JR8]

Just wanted to know if doing the theory test helps at all to adjust ourselves to a different driving environment we are used to in the Middle East.

Hmmm... the theory will prepare you for any minor nuances in local laws but I doubt it would prepare you for the sillier behaviour you might encounter from other drivers.
But it might be that the general lawfulness of drivers in SG is better than you perceive. I'm currently in the Middle East and seeing people a) over-taking on the inside b) trying to run you off the road c) not giving way to pedestrians d) driving the wrong way down one-way streets etcetc is par for the course. In SG (IME) it's more a combo of poor driving skills + a kind of genetic tweak requiring absolute victory in any personal interaction, driving included ['kiasuism'].

Imagine 'white-van man' [uk] with lousy eyesight, who's running late. That was the kind of worst case scenario I occasionally encountered in SG. I just learned to let such occasional people by.... and [exhale]... let it go... with the hope that one day I might shortly come up on the crash-site of them bent around some concrete pillar

[PNGMK]

Actually an FDW cannot legally drive in Singapore. I looked into this. Yes yes I know some do but they are not meant to.