Climate : Tropical, hot and humid. Temperatures average 23ºC - 30ºC with heavy rainfall from November to January.
On Arrival : Travel time from Changi Airport to the city is approximately 25 to 30 minutes by car, taxi or MRT and 45 minutes by public bus.
Customs : Duty free for 1 litre of liquor, wine and beer for visitors aged 18 years and above who arrive from a country other than Malaysia. There are no concessions on cigarettes and other tobacco products. Prohibited items include : explosives, firearms, pornograhic materials and controlled drugs.
Language : Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, with English as the lingua franca.
Smoking - Smoking is prohibited in public areas, e.g. lifts, theatres, cinemas, air-conditioned restaurants and shopping malls, government offices and on public transport. It is permissible at pubs, disco and lounge.
Tipping - Tipping is prohibited at the airport and discouraged at hotels and restaurants where there is a 10% service charge.
Airport Tax - A Passenger Service Charge of SGD 21 should be incorporated in the air ticket (including tickets issued outside of Singapore). If this has not been done, you may be required to pay the SGD 21 during check in. In certain cases, airlines may absorb the service charge. Passengers who are in transit for less than 24 hours may leave the airport without having to pay the service charge upon departure from Singapore.
Tax-Free Shopping - Here's how to enjoy tax-free shopping in Singapore. A 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied in Singapore. As a visitor, you can claim the GST that you paid on your purchases upon your depature at the airport. Please ensure that the retailer forwards you a copy of the GST tax refund form for completion. On the day of your departure, please produce the duly completed GST tax refund form, your purchases and receipts to the Customs at Singapore Changi Airport. Singapore Customs will verify your purchases and validate on the GST tax refund form. Only after getting the Customs stamp will you be able to claim for the refund.
Please note : Singapore Customs DOES NOT issue nor carry the GST tax refund forms at the airport, these forms MUST be obtained from the retailers at the time of purchase.
The GST refund is not applicable for land and cruise departures. The refund amount is the GST less an administration fee. You should always check with the retailers if you can claim the tax before confirming the purchase.
There are two Central Refund Agencies : Global Refund and Premier Tax Free. For more information on tax-free shopping, please contact :
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Global Refund 24-hour hotline (65) 6225 6238 Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.globalrefund.com |
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Premier Tax Free 24-hour hotline : 1800-829 3733 Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.premiertaxfree.com |
Retailers that are not affiliates of the Global Refund or Premier Tax Free schemes administer their own GST refund schemes. You are advised to check with these GST self-administered retailers on the minimum purchase amount to qualify for a GST refund, as this varies from retailers to retailer. However, the process of showing your purchases, recepits and obtaining validation from Singapore Customs still applies.