Singapore Expats

China to Singapore

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retype
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China to Singapore

Post by retype » Mon, 11 Apr 2016 3:51 pm

Greetings to all!

I'm considering Singapore as my next destination for life and work. The past 4 years I spent in China, which is coming to an end by September. I noticed there are plenty of topics and useful information around, I'm reading them 1 by 1, but even so, I would still kindly ask for some basic stuff which could help me.

By profession I am an artist, graphic designer, photographer, digital artist and I've got experience. 10 years to be exact. Also, I spent lots of time as a teacher of the aforementioned, including art history and English (business English). As for languages spoken, besides English, that's French, Italian, Chinese Mandarin (daily talk) and a few other Eastern European languages. I lived in many countries.

1) The working visa process: How long does it usually take and is it complex?

2) Job: How hard is it to find one (for my portfolio), what are the legal practices with contracts and are there any special details to take care of? (for instance~ worker's rights, employer's duties etc.)

3) Salary: I know it's a very general question, however, I need to know how much is the minimum salary for a foreign professional? (design, art, teaching, photography, advertising)

4) Prices: Yes, I know they're high, but don't know how high. By this I mean real estate rent, food, transport and basic daily needs?

5) Health insurance: I heard it's good. Is it covered by the employer, how much does it cover and are there any extra expenses? I consider this to be quite important.

There are many other questions, though at this point I'd be very happy just to get answers to some of these :) I'm an EU citizen btw, and I don't need the entry visa.


All best,

Al

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nakatago
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Re: China to Singapore

Post by nakatago » Mon, 11 Apr 2016 7:38 pm

retype wrote: By profession I am an artist, graphic designer, photographer, digital artist and I've got experience. 10 years to be exact. Also, I spent lots of time as a teacher of the aforementioned, including art history and English (business English).
Fine art or commercial art?
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

retype
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Re: China to Singapore

Post by retype » Mon, 11 Apr 2016 9:43 pm

Both. I do exhibitions of fine art since 2010., and commercial art (posters, leaflets, magazines, photography, logos and so on) since 2006.

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Re: China to Singapore

Post by bgd » Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:24 am

retype wrote:
1) The working visa process: How long does it usually take and is it complex?

The employer needs to apply for the visa - you need to find that job first otherwise you are just a tourist

4) Prices: Yes, I know they're high, but don't know how high. By this I mean real estate rent, food, transport and basic daily needs?

This depends on your lifestyle. If you take out alcohol, accommodation and cars then Sg can be a pretty cheap place to live, compared to most Western countries. Also remember the low tax rates here, that helps a lot. Public transport is cheap and efficient and rents are down on what they were.

There are many other questions, though at this point I'd be very happy just to get answers to some of these :) I'm an EU citizen btw, and I don't need the entry visa.

You get a visa on arrival for 30 to 90 days, depending on your country. It can be extended, but don't expect to be able to stay indefinitely and you cannot work.


Al

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