SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
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Driving with a Foreign licence in Singapore
The way I interpret it is: you can ride in SG with your foreign DL upto 12 months. Beyond 12 months if you intend to ride in SG you need a SG DL. They have not said that conversion will not be allowed after 12 months. Which means you can convert your foreign DL even after 12 months, provided you dont ride during the period.
- Strong Eagle
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Nice fairy tale interpretation. If you know people who have done this, they have received an exception. I'll bet you 100 dollars that if you call SPF, they will tell you your interpretation is full of sh*t.revhappy wrote:The way I interpret it is: you can ride in SG with your foreign DL upto 12 months. Beyond 12 months if you intend to ride in SG you need a SG DL. They have not said that conversion will not be allowed after 12 months. Which means you can convert your foreign DL even after 12 months, provided you dont ride during the period.
I can see they changed their web page more recently but I do not know whether there was any change in the underlaying regulation. The fact from the past not that far long ago was as I mentioned and this I confirmed directly with the traffic police. This is one thing. The other thing is that you should not confuse formal regulation with a practice as the may not necessary be the same. I converted my car DL after 6y of living here but this is at their discretion whether to allow for this or not. Same for the requirements of the legaly translated DL if not in English. Mine was not and still was accepted thanks to their common sense being in place.
I have registered for the BTT and my test date is 6th July. I came to SG on 26th June 09 and my EP start date was 3rd July 09.
I just hope my license gets converted. Coz I ve been riding for the past couple of months and now my bike is an extension of myself. Cant even imagine using any other mode of transport
. It will be a pain to go thru the normal process of getting a license. I believe you need to "practice" riding for 6 months and during that period cant use expressways 
I just hope my license gets converted. Coz I ve been riding for the past couple of months and now my bike is an extension of myself. Cant even imagine using any other mode of transport


- Strong Eagle
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Your dates for taking the BTT are fine. I've never seen someone penalized because they could not get a test date set before the year passed.revhappy wrote:I have registered for the BTT and my test date is 6th July. I came to SG on 26th June 09 and my EP start date was 3rd July 09.
I just hope my license gets converted. Coz I ve been riding for the past couple of months and now my bike is an extension of myself. Cant even imagine using any other mode of transport. It will be a pain to go thru the normal process of getting a license. I believe you need to "practice" riding for 6 months and during that period cant use expressways
I agree. You don't want to have to go thru the license process. You'll be lucky to do the rider course in six months.
Foreign License
Hi you may find some useful info on the Traffic Police Singapore website.
http://driving-in-singapore.spf.gov.sg/ ... ersion.htm
http://driving-in-singapore.spf.gov.sg/ ... ersion.htm
- sundaymorningstaple
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Yep, say basically the same thing we've already said. Why, you might ask? Because that's were we got the information. 
You will find that and dozens of other useful links in my links page below.

You will find that and dozens of other useful links in my links page below.

SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
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Confirmation.
Guys. I was in more or less the same predicament and chanced upon this thread. I hold a valid Hong Kong drivers licence and have been in Singapore > 1yr. Having just got off the phone with the helpful Traffic police dept., I can confirm the following information was relayed to me. If I wish to drive in Singapore now, I can only do so after getting my licence converted to a local. Which also means, I dont have to take any driving tests etc, just the written. phew!
The law stipulates that you can only drive with a recognized foriegn drivers permit for 1 year. Beyond which you would need to convert to a local permit.
The law stipulates that you can only drive with a recognized foriegn drivers permit for 1 year. Beyond which you would need to convert to a local permit.
I hate mankind, for I consider myself the best among men, and i know how bad I am.
I have just read this entire thread with some interest. On the basis of the dicsussion now being a few months old, can anybody provide a definitive answer to the following question ...
* I have been here for more than four years, holding an EP then a PEP throughout. I did not convert my Australian driver's licence within the first 12 months of my arrival. Am I required to undergo a full driving test or can I convert my Australian licence by simply passing a Basic Theory Test at one of the three accredited centres in Singapore?
With the greatest of respect, I'm keen to hear from anyone with personal experience in this area, rather than 'educated guesses'.
* I have been here for more than four years, holding an EP then a PEP throughout. I did not convert my Australian driver's licence within the first 12 months of my arrival. Am I required to undergo a full driving test or can I convert my Australian licence by simply passing a Basic Theory Test at one of the three accredited centres in Singapore?
With the greatest of respect, I'm keen to hear from anyone with personal experience in this area, rather than 'educated guesses'.
The World is an Amazing Place
I have personal experience in this area, and have succesfully got my Indian DL converted. As X9200 has advised, you can go ahead an register for the BTT and then get your license converted. Make sure that your Aussie license hasn't expired. They accept only "card type" licenses and not the booklet type.Off late they are quite strict especially on licenses that have photo smudged or if wordings are not clear etc. They might ask you to get your license verified from your embassy.GoTheCon wrote:I have just read this entire thread with some interest. On the basis of the dicsussion now being a few months old, can anybody provide a definitive answer to the following question ...
* I have been here for more than four years, holding an EP then a PEP throughout. I did not convert my Australian driver's licence within the first 12 months of my arrival. Am I required to undergo a full driving test or can I convert my Australian licence by simply passing a Basic Theory Test at one of the three accredited centres in Singapore?
With the greatest of respect, I'm keen to hear from anyone with personal experience in this area, rather than 'educated guesses'.
Other than that you shouldnt have any issues.
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Hi,
been reading through the trail as I am in the same boat.
My 1 was up on 19th April and I do not have my basic theory date until 24th May.
I am also yet to get a date for my wife who's year was also up on 19th April and we will do this tomorrow.
Reading the thread, I assume we are ok to convert after passing the thoery teast even though over 1 year.
What hasn't been stated though is the penalty of we are caught or have an incident before the conversion is done. I cant find this anywhere on the net.
Anyone know anyone who got caught?
been reading through the trail as I am in the same boat.
My 1 was up on 19th April and I do not have my basic theory date until 24th May.
I am also yet to get a date for my wife who's year was also up on 19th April and we will do this tomorrow.
Reading the thread, I assume we are ok to convert after passing the thoery teast even though over 1 year.
What hasn't been stated though is the penalty of we are caught or have an incident before the conversion is done. I cant find this anywhere on the net.
Anyone know anyone who got caught?
Hi,
like Sonic2010 I did not convert my DL yet and the year is over. Now, just got caught on camera by hiding police man - abt 15/20kmh over limit. With a SingDL it is 130S$ and 4 points... as I did not convert my DL, what will happen now? We have a company lease car.
I could not find any info on the web...anyone knows?
like Sonic2010 I did not convert my DL yet and the year is over. Now, just got caught on camera by hiding police man - abt 15/20kmh over limit. With a SingDL it is 130S$ and 4 points... as I did not convert my DL, what will happen now? We have a company lease car.
I could not find any info on the web...anyone knows?
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