Moving to Singapore from Australia: the guide

Short answer: you can land as a tourist tomorrow, but you can't live or work here until a Singapore pass is sorted, and that usually starts with an employer.

The short version

Australians can generally visit visa-free for up to 90 days, but a tourist stay is not a right to work or rent long term [1].
Most Aussies arrive on an Employment Pass (EP), which your employer applies for. The minimum salary is S$5,600 a month for younger applicants and rises with age, and it goes up again for new applications from 1 January 2027 [2].
If you're 18 to 30 with a degree or two years of uni, the Work and Holiday Visa Programme gives you up to 12 months [3].
Medicare doesn't follow you: Singapore isn't one of Australia's reciprocal health care partners, so sort private cover [4].
Join Cooee Singapore, our Facebook group for Australians in Singapore, before you fly. Someone will have already done the thing you're stressing about.

Step one: pick your pass

Singapore runs on passes, not visas. Your pass decides whether you can work, whether your partner and kids can come, and whether a landlord will lease to you. Here's how the main options line up for Australians.

Pass	Who it suits	Key rule to know
Employment Pass (EP)	Professionals, managers, executives with a job offer	Employer applies; salary floor rises with age; most also need 40 points under COMPASS [2]
Work and Holiday Visa Programme	Australians aged 18 to 30 with a degree or two years of full-time uni	Up to 12 months, no freelancing, max six months with one employer [3]
Dependant's Pass	Spouse and unmarried kids under 21 of an EP or S Pass holder	Main pass holder must earn at least S$6,000 a month fixed [5]
ONE Pass	Top earners and standouts in arts, sport or research	S$30,000 a month fixed salary, or recognised outstanding achievement

We cover the fine print, including COMPASS points and the ONE Pass, in our guide to work passes for Australians.

A word on timing

Your employer files the EP online. MOM says most online applications get an outcome or an update within 10 business days [6]. If approved, you get an in-principle approval letter, which works as a single-entry visa, and you have six months to arrive and have the pass issued [6]. Don't give notice on your Australian lease until you have that letter in hand.

Step two: before you leave Australia

The Singapore side is quick. The Australian side is where people drop the ball.

Passport. Check it has plenty of validity left. Renewing from Singapore is possible through the Australian High Commission, but it's one more appointment you don't need in month one.
Tax residency. Moving overseas can change your Australian tax status. Read our guide on tax residency and talk to an adviser if you'll keep property or income back home.
Super, Medicare and mail. Our leaving-Australia checklist covers what to tell the ATO, your super fund and Services Australia.
Degree certificates. If your employer wants COMPASS points for qualifications, they'll need your degree verified [2]. Dig out the originals now.
Health and prescriptions. Some medicines that are routine at home need approval to bring in. Check before you pack.
Shipping. Most Singapore flats come furnished or part-furnished. A shipping container of furniture often makes less sense than you'd think.

Step three: arriving and your first month

At the border

Every traveller has to submit the free SG Arrival Card, online or in the MyICA app, within three days before arrival [7]. Smartraveller warns about scam sites charging for it, so use the official ICA channel only [1].

Remember the local rules on day one. Chewing gum is banned at the border, drug laws are severe and include traces found in your body from use overseas, and vapes are illegal [1]. Smartraveller also notes you must return your tray after eating at a hawker centre, and that this is the law, not a suggestion [1].

Getting your pass issued

Once you're in Singapore, the pass is issued for a fee of S$225 per pass, and you get a notification letter that lets you start work while the card is made [6]. If the letter says so, you book fingerprints and a photo at the EP Services Centre within two weeks. Bring your passport and a phone with the Singpass and SGWorkPass apps installed [6]. Your card then arrives at your address within about five working days.

Your first-month to-do list

Singpass. Your digital ID for almost every government service. It's set up as part of pass registration [6].
A local phone number. Banks, landlords and your building's security desk will all want one.
A bank account. Most banks open accounts for new pass holders once the card or notification letter is issued. Keep your Australian accounts open too.
Health cover. Check what your employer's group policy actually covers, and whether your partner and kids are on it.
Register with the High Commission. Smartraveller lists the Australian High Commission at 25 Napier Road, phone +65 6836 4100 [1]. Save the number.

Step four: where to live

Housing will be your biggest bill, so decide early what you're optimising for: commute, school run, or being close to the action.

Singapore splits into two rental worlds. HDB flats are public housing, often roomy and well located, and EP holders can rent them as long as the pass has at least six months' validity [8]. Condos are private, come with pools, gyms and security, and are where many expat families start. HDB's own data puts the median rent for a 4-room flat in Q2 2026 at about S$3,000 a month in Woodlands or Choa Chu Kang, around S$4,000 to S$4,130 in Bukit Merah and Queenstown, and S$4,600 in the Central Area [9].

Areas Australians commonly look at:

River Valley and Tanjong Pagar. Walk to the CBD, restaurants on the doorstep, smaller units.
Holland Village and Bukit Timah. Leafier, closer to several international schools, busier on weekends.
East Coast and Katong. Near the beach park and Changi Airport, a big draw for families who fly home often.
Tiong Bahru. Low-rise, café-heavy, central and in demand.
Queenstown and Bukit Merah. HDB-heavy, good MRT links, often better value than the condo belt next door.

Our renting guide walks you through deposits, stamp duty and the clause every expat lease should have.

The traps that catch new arrivals

Arriving before the pass is approved. A tourist entry doesn't let you start work, and landlords won't sign until you have a valid pass.
Assuming your partner can just get a job. Since 1 May 2021, Dependant's Pass holders need their own work pass to work [10].
Skipping health cover. There's no Medicare safety net here [4]. A hospital stay without insurance can wipe out a year's savings.
Underestimating the humidity. Mould loves a shut-up flat. Budget for air-con servicing and a dehumidifier.
Getting the 2027 salary change wrong. If your EP renewal falls due from 1 January 2028, the higher salary floor applies to you too [2]. Plan pay talks with that in mind.

Moving to Singapore from Australia: passes, paperwork and your first month