Healthcare in Singapore: polyclinics, private GPs and who pays when you're not a local

Short answer: the care is as good as home or better, but on an Employment Pass you pay full price for nearly all of it, so insurance does the heavy lifting.

The short version

• There's no reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and Singapore. Medicare won't pay, and tourists pay for all care [1].
• Pass holders get no government subsidy for public outpatient or inpatient care. A polyclinic visit costs a non-resident S$90.36, against S$19.60 for a citizen [2].
• Specialist visits at a public hospital such as SGH cost non-residents about S$220 to S$290 for a first consultation in 2026 [3].
• A&E is the one place charges don't depend on nationality: Changi General Hospital's attendance fee is S$176 from 1 September 2026, before tests and treatment [4][5].
• Check your employer's group cover, then fill the gaps with your own plan. Many Singapore hospitals will want a guarantee letter from your insurer or a deposit before admitting you [1].

How the system is built, and where you fit

Singapore runs a mixed system. Public "restructured" hospitals and polyclinics sit alongside a big private sector of GP clinics, specialist centres and private hospitals such as Mount Elizabeth and Gleneagles. Citizens pay through subsidies, compulsory MediSave accounts and MediShield Life insurance.

As an Australian on an EP, S Pass or Dependant's Pass, almost none of that applies to you. You don't pay into MediSave, you're not covered by MediShield Life, and you're charged as a non-resident. That has been the policy at polyclinics since 2006, when the Ministry of Health stopped subsidising them for foreigners [6]. Permanent residents get a smaller subsidy than citizens, which is one of the quieter perks of PR [2][3].

The good news: Smartraveller describes Singapore's standards of care as similar to or higher than Australia's [1]. You're paying for quality, and the waits are usually short.

Where to go, and what it costs

A few notes on reading that table:

• Polyclinics are not a bargain for you. At about four and a half times the citizen fee [2], a polyclinic often costs about the same as a private GP, with longer queues. Most Australians on a pass use a neighbourhood GP instead.
• Private GPs set their own fees. There's no Medicare schedule or bulk billing. Ask about the consultation fee, and remember medicines are usually dispensed and charged at the clinic itself.
• Specialist fees are only the start. Scans, blood tests and procedures are billed separately, and private specialists generally charge more than the public hospital rates above.

A&E: the exception to the rule

In emergencies Singapore deliberately keeps things simple. The Ministry of Health has explained that A&E is a safety net, so the attendance charge applies regardless of nationality [5]. Patients are seen by urgency, not arrival time [4]. The fee covers basic investigations; specialised tests and non-standard medicines cost extra [4]. If you're admitted, you're back to non-resident rates.

For an ambulance call 995. For police, 999 [1].

Insurance: the bit that actually matters

Because there's no Medicare and no subsidy, your health cover is a core part of your package, not a nice-to-have.

Employer group cover

Most professional employers offer group medical insurance, but don't assume. MOM's compulsory medical insurance rules are written for Work Permit holders (at least S$60,000 a year of inpatient and day surgery cover) [7], not for Employment Pass holders, so what an EP holder gets is down to the contract. Before you sign, ask:

1. Does it cover inpatient and outpatient care, or hospital only?
2. What's the annual limit, and is there a per-claim or per-condition cap?
3. Are my partner and kids covered, or only me?
4. Are pre-existing conditions, maternity, dental and mental health included?
5. Which hospitals and clinics are on the panel, and can I go private?
6. What happens to cover if I resign or the pass is cancelled?

Topping up

If group cover is thin, Australians usually add an international health plan or a Singapore-based individual policy. A plan that covers you outside Singapore, including trips back to Australia, matters more than you'd think once you've let Medicare go.

Pregnancy is the classic trap. Maternity benefits on many policies only start after a waiting period, so buy cover well before you plan a family.

Paying for a stay

Smartraveller warns that you may need to pay up front, or provide a guarantee letter from your insurer, before treatment [1]. Save your insurer's 24-hour number in your phone and know how to request a guarantee letter before you need one.

What's different from Australia

• No Medicare, no reciprocal agreement. Australia has reciprocal agreements with a handful of countries, but Singapore isn't one of them [1]. Read our Medicare guide on what happens to your enrolment once you've left.
• Your Australian private health fund. Most funds let you suspend cover while you live overseas, which helps you avoid Lifetime Health Cover loading when you come home. Check your fund's overseas suspension rules before you leave.
• Medicines are tightly controlled. Some medicines prescribed in Australia are restricted or illegal here. ADHD medication and prescription pain relief need prior approval from the Health Sciences Authority, applied for at least 10 working days before arrival [1]. Medicinal cannabis isn't allowed, even in transit [1]. Carry the prescription and a doctor's letter.
• Chewing gum, including nicotine gum, is banned, even in transit at Changi [1]. Pack patches instead.
• Digital health records. Once you have Singpass, the HealthHub app lets you see appointments and records from public providers and pay bills.

Setting up your health care in your first month

1. Get your insurance card and policy wording from HR, and read the exclusions.
2. Find a GP near home or work, and register as a patient so your history is in one place.
3. Bring a copy of your Australian records and your current prescriptions.
4. Apply to the HSA for any controlled medicines before you fly [1].
5. Save 995, your insurer's emergency line and the nearest A&E to your phone.
6. Tell your Australian private health fund you're moving, and decide whether to suspend.

If you're in a medical emergency and need consular help, the Australian High Commission is at 25 Napier Road, phone +65 6836 4100 [1]. For everyday questions, like which GPs near Holland Village are good with kids, ask in Cooee Singapore, our Facebook group for Australians in Singapore.

Sources

1. Singapore travel advice – Smartraveller (DFAT)
2. Charges and payment – SingHealth Polyclinics
3. Consultation fee – Singapore General Hospital
4. Emergency Department charges – Changi General Hospital
5. A&E subsidies – Ministry of Health
6. Review of polyclinic subsidy for foreigners – Ministry of Health
7. Medical insurance requirements for Work Permit holders – Ministry of Manpower

Keep reading

• Cost of living in Singapore vs Sydney and Melbourne
• Singpass and your FIN: the logins that run life in Singapore
• Medicare when you live abroad
• Private health insurance when you move overseas