Is 6 days enough? (TA, bank account, pass collection)

[cw1483]

I've been amazed at how help this forum has been, hopefully, someone can help me with this dilemma...

I have a PEP in principle approval and actually won't be starting to work in Singapore until September. I plan to take 6 days off in July to go to Singapore and do my pass collection, fingerprinting, secure an apartment, apply for Singpass and get a preschool for my child.

1) If I find the property, is it possible to do a Letter of Intent and get a Tenancy Agreement for September. I noticed some listings show available in September and seem to allow viewing now. Are there any risk to sign the Tenancy Agreement way before the handover takes place?

2) Can I open a bank account on arrival before I actually collect the employment pass? Would the In principle-approval letter and passport suffice?

3) Pass collection, if I make an appt for Monday, would I be able to collect on Saturday? (not sure if their Saturday is a full functioning day or just select transactions)?

Thanks.

[ecureilx]

1) If I find the property, is it possible to do a Letter of Intent and get a Tenancy Agreement for September. I noticed some listings show available in September and seem to allow viewing now. Are there any risk to sign the Tenancy Agreement way before the handover takes place?

guess, you should know how it works .. if not, well, you should look for an apartment that says "ready for occupation" .. right ?

If you sign an agreement, specifying a date to occupy, from my experience, the place is available for occupation, and rarely have the agents faltered .. just remember to get all the agreements properly done .. and ensure that you get a copy On the spot - or atleast drag the fellow down to get a photo copy before you release the agent.

2) Can I open a bank account on arrival before I actually collect the employment pass? Would the In principle-approval letter and passport suffice?

Some banks do, most don't .. though look up the recent posts on this ..

[nutnut]

DBS are good for opening an account without the pass, just IPA!

6 days is short time, but it's not impossible I'd say! Good luck

[zzm9980]

DBS are good for opening an account without the pass, just IPA!

6 days is short time, but it's not impossible I'd say! Good luck

But POSB/DBS did require a letter from my employer showing salary and verifying employment along with my IPA. Sounds like this guy might not have a position yet.

[x9200]

1) If I find the property, is it possible to do a Letter of Intent and get a Tenancy Agreement for September. I noticed some listings show available in September and seem to allow viewing now. Are there any risk to sign the Tenancy Agreement way before the handover takes place?

The major risk would be that the apartment is rented to someone else while waiting for the TA to be signed and you end up with nothing and a likely scenario of some troubles to recover the good faith deposit. It is unlikely you wrap up the formalities to the stage of signed TA within 6 days so first LOI + payment of the deposit and much later (at least one week) the TA and the security deposit. It is also practically impossible you will get the apartment handed over before the TA is signed and you paid what you own. Technically it is of course possible to have all the formalities done within a single day but from my experience I don't really see it happen. Maybe under your circumstances and being sufficiently persuasive you can make it but this is not a standard practice. Otherwise it is doable.

And yes, read the stories on this board on what may happen if you are not paranoid enough with the TA and upon handling over of the place.

[cw1483]

Thanks for the information. (read the TA searches and it frankly freaks me out a bit).

I would also like to know if any of the banks (i.e. POSB/DBS, Citibank, HSBC, etc) offer a temporary checkbook on account opening day? I would like to be able to write a check for the LOI deposit.

[ecureilx]

Thanks for the information. (read the TA searches and it frankly freaks me out a bit).

I would also like to know if any of the banks (i.e. POSB/DBS, Citibank, HSBC, etc) offer a temporary checkbook on account opening day? I would like to be able to write a check for the LOI deposit.

if you want a check book on the same day, look no further than CITI all done in an hour ..

All others will post it, as part of the process ....

[x9200]

Really? I recall getting one from DBS right away and within the time the account was opened so probably in less than 1h.

[ecureilx]

Really? I recall getting one from DBS right away and within the time the account was opened so probably in less than 1h.

Maybe Citi has forced others to catch up then Previously, DBS, UOB, OCBC and all insisted on posting the cheque books ..

[cw1483]

Thanks for everyone's help...yes 6 days is enough.

1. I did get a place by day3. I had to switch agentsas snail-agent on day1 was super slow, showed me one place and changed appointment times, and then sms me to go to an address to view place #2. I went to the address and then was told he meant to say appt for tomorrow (his speed was 1 showing per day). Also, it turns out he made no appointments with any of the places that met my requirements and was going to start these appts when he sees me. I think he thought I was kidding about seeing places. Agent2 was referred by a fellow expat and was very good. I called a noon and he was able to showeme 6 places in one might that met most of the requirements. We did LOI and tenancy agreement the very next evening with just the IPA letter and copy of my passport.

2. Citibank no longer offers checkbooks immediately, they said it will be mailed within 2 weeks, so I went to DBS opened an account and got instant checks and ATM card that day. The IPA letter and passport was enough. (This was important to have as I wouldn't have been able to write a check to the landlord to secure the apartment if I didn't have a checkbook on hand).

3. I did go EPSC for fingerprinting on day1 and was told to pick up in 4 business days.

Things I've learned:

Can't open mobile plans without the FIN card. The IPA letter is not good enough for that.

Singtel allows you to transfer the prepaid SIMM to a monthly plan (unfortunately, I bought Starhub simm and Starhub said the prepaid plan can not be converted to monthly plan...the prepaid plan had no voicemail option, and I often missed calls, so it won't work). Singtel said I can bring Starhub numbers over, so I tried, bought the Singtel simm and was asked to wait 7 days for them to bring number over. Within minutes, the Singtel agent said he received an error msg saying this number is not allowed to bring over. Thus I ended up getting a new mobile number on a monthly plan anyway.

[nakatago]

Singtel allows you to transfer the prepaid SIMM to a monthly plan (unfortunately, I bought Starhub simm and Starhub said the prepaid plan can not be converted to monthly plan...the prepaid plan had no voicemail option, and I often missed calls, so it won't work). Singtel said I can bring Starhub numbers over, so I tried, bought the Singtel simm and was asked to wait 7 days for them to bring number over. Within minutes, the Singtel agent said he received an error msg saying this number is not allowed to bring over. Thus I ended up getting a new mobile number on a monthly plan anyway.

This is news to me as all the telcos FAQs I've read say you can't port a prepaid number to a postpaid plan (or rather, they won't).

[ecureilx]

This is news to me as all the telcos FAQs I've read say you can't port a prepaid number to a postpaid plan (or rather, they won't).

Yah, news to me too ... and Ionly knew that they only offer the reverse - Post-to-Pre- OK ! Not otherwise

Well, or somebody messed it and claimed a 'system' error ..

[zzm9980]

Three different Singtel shops all told me the same; you cannot port a pre-pay number to post-pay. And yes, I ask three different shops because I expect different answers. Welcome to Singapore.