Things you wish you knew/did before relocating to Singapore

[jordan23]

Hi,

I will be relocating to Singapore with my fiancee in March. I was wondering what are the things/advice you wish you knew before relocating to Singapore. I am looking for things that are essential and practical to the relocation so that I can get those done while I am still in the states.

Thank you in advance!

[Strong Eagle]

Don't bring a fiancee?

[nakatago]

Beware the humidity and hence your art, camera gear, leather goods, seasonal clothing, media....

[PNGMK]

My only recommendation would be to sort out the US side of all your paperwork before leaving. The US can be a PITA for things like expiring drivers licenses (pretty much impossible to renew from overseas). Leave duplicates of all your important paperwork with someone you trust. Make sure you bring enough documentation to have your passport renewed while here (Birth cert at a minimum).

[scarbowl]

Redirect all of your mail to a sustainable address (stable friend, family, etc) who can forward important items. Do not use forwarding by USPS and do not change your bank accounts to your Singapore address.

Open a Skype account and obtain a phone number in your State or area. Have it forwarded to your mobile number in Singapore so people can use to call you. Else they just won't call.

Make sure you can access all of your bank accounts by internet.

Scan your passport and other documents preferably in color and put them in DropBox or similar system so you can access them remotely.

[PNGMK]

Redirect all of your mail to a sustainable address (stable friend, family, etc) who can forward important items. Do not use forwarding by USPS and do not change your bank accounts to your Singapore address.

Open a Skype account and obtain a phone number in your State or area. Have it forwarded to your mobile number in Singapore so people can use to call you. Else they just won't call.

Make sure you can access all of your bank accounts by internet.

Scan your passport and other documents preferably in color and put them in DropBox or similar system so you can access them remotely.

Good ideas! I'd also add get a Kindle and iTunes account set up - you can't download music/vids with a Singapore address or C/C.

[Tanuki]

Good ideas! I'd also add get a Kindle and iTunes account set up - you can't download music/vids with a Singapore address or C/C.

Not sure what you refer to here, but iTunes in Singapore certainly does have all the music and movies in it for download. Can't get TV shows due to licensing I'd guess, but that's what torrent is for anyhow, right? Hehe. I don't do Kindle so that might be different...

[nakatago]

that's what torrent is for anyhow, right?

Most media available via torrent are most likely illegal (and we don't condone illegal activities here, wink-wink). One clear exception is your favorite Linux distro image.

[jordan23]

My only recommendation would be to sort out the US side of all your paperwork before leaving. The US can be a PITA for things like expiring drivers licenses (pretty much impossible to renew from overseas). Leave duplicates of all your important paperwork with someone you trust. Make sure you bring enough documentation to have your passport renewed while here (Birth cert at a minimum).

What is the benefit of keeping a driver's license?

[Strong Eagle]

My only recommendation would be to sort out the US side of all your paperwork before leaving. The US can be a PITA for things like expiring drivers licenses (pretty much impossible to renew from overseas). Leave duplicates of all your important paperwork with someone you trust. Make sure you bring enough documentation to have your passport renewed while here (Birth cert at a minimum).

What is the benefit of keeping a driver's license?

Many states will require that you do the whole driving test (written and road) if your license has been expired for more than X amount of time. Also, if you travel and want to rent a car, having a US license can be useful.

[uscate]

You can renew your driver's license via internet (although there are certain periods when you need to take the vision test and get your picture updated).

[livingontheedge]

The renowned hawker food appears to be catered from Pet Lover's Centre.

Taxis are abundant but unavailable at the same time.

You may face a resistance crowd at Changi to stop you from stealing jobs they may never end up having or wanting.

[Dert42]

I wish I had figured out forwarding my cell earlier then I did. I'm from the states and parked it at Google voice, but it was nearly impossible to do from Singapore.

Get your banking setup asap.

Do tons of research on where you want to live and what your budget is. Then prepare to break it.

[watermelon]

good luck with opening a local bank account and take your patience with you together with your passport and proof of address.

[moksh]

Don't know what your situation is. I have recently moved and here are some things that helped me

- Setup an agent while I was in states through friend referral. I was able to get started on house hunt right away
- I have travelled end to end of singapore before finalizing my place. Do not underestimate walks to MRT stations when selecting your place
- Come with an open mind in terms of housing. Rents are falling from the heights of craziness but not all owners have got the message. Look at both HDBs and condos rather than just condos as you could save thousands of dollars for very little compromise
- Make sure you understand cost of living here. It spans a gamut and depends on choices you make
- Get a thorough understanding of tax implications if you have state tax as well in USA
- Consolidate financial accounts

Good luck!