Are you planning to move or relocate to Singapore? In the past decade, the city-state of Singapore has become a top destination among Asia’s large cities for international travelers and expats. Its location on the southern tip of Malaysia makes it a prime trade and financial center, making it the fifth wealthiest country in the world. Expats consider it the easiest city in Asia to fit into, giving foreigners a convenient exposure to many different cultures in a safe and modern environment. With an international shipper like SCL, moving to Singapore from the USA can be a simple process.
Read our guide on how to move to Singapore below and start your international shipment today!
How to Move to Singapore
As a shipping company with 40 years of experience, we know in and out what you’ll need for transporting your household goods to Singapore. You can choose to have us pack and wrap your items at your residence or send them to one of our five warehouses in the U.S., in Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Savannah and Miami. From there, you have three options for moving services:
- Consolidated container service
- Exclusive use containers, 20′ or 40′
- Automobile shipping service
What are you Moving to Singapore?
One of the best places to start is to estimate the size of your move. By getting an understanding of what you’re actually moving, your whole process will smoothly. If you don’t know the exact amount you are moving, preset amounts based on the amount of bedrooms works as well for an estimate.
How Much Does it Cost to Move to Singapore?
Next in your move is to get a quote for the price to move to Singapore. The moving cost to Singapore depends on different factors such as the goods to ship, origin, and destination. For example, a shipment from California will have a very different price than departing from New York. Since this varies based on the details, our representatives create custom quotes for each shipment.
For your quote to move to Singapore, fill out our Online Quote Form.
Start Moving to Singapore
Once you’re ready, we can either pick up the goods from your home or you can drop them off at one of our warehouses. Our services include the packing and wrapping so you don’t have to worry about doing that beforehand. As the goods arrive, they will start the loading process and will ship as soon as the container is ready. After the vessel departs with your goods, the Bill of Lading and a confirmation of departure are sent to you.
Complete Your Move to Singapore
When arriving in Singapore, your goods enter the custom clearance process. They to the warehouse and unload from the container there. Next, the goods are delivered straight to your new home. After receiving your goods, all that’s left is it to enjoy your relocation.
The Major Cities and Ports of Singapore
The following four cities are the most popular when relocating to Singapore. Our door to door services can move your goods to any city beyond those four, though American expats generally move to them.
- Singapore
- Sentosa
- Clarke Quay
- Boat Quay
Customs for Import to Singapore
The processes and costs involved will depend on the particulars of your move. As it’s essentially a free port, most household shipments can be imported free of duties and taxes. The only way to be eligible for this relief on your items is to fulfill all the requirements. For moving household goods duty-free to Singapore, an individual must:
- Intend to change his/her residency to Singapore
- Own all the items for at least three months prior to import
- Import the items no later than six months after arriving
Useful Income Tax Information
You will be treated as a tax resident for a particular Year of Assessment (YA) if you are:
- Singaporean who normally resides in Singapore except for temporary absences
- A Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) who has established a permanent home in Singapore
- Foreigners who have stayed and worked in Singapore (excludes director of a company) for 183 days or more in the year before the YA
Otherwise, you will be treated as a non-resident of Singapore for tax purposes.
Restrictions for Relocating to Singapore
Singapore has strict limitations on cleanliness, such as fines for littering or not flushing a public toilet. So it’s a good idea to know what is not allowed in before you pack up your belongings. Restricted items include chewing gum, tobacco, lighters shaped like guns, and reproduced copyrighted material; any attempt to import such items is against the law. There is also a strict process to registering and shipping a motor vehicle to Singapore.
Some items that fall into the controlled category include:
- Toy guns, pistols, swords and other imitations of weapons
- Certain films and video games
- Publications and audio files
- Medicines and other pharmaceuticals (must have a medical prescription)
Transporting Your Pet to Singapore
- Import your license from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) must be obtained 30 days prior to the date of the arrival
- AVA will assign a Quarantine Reservation Code (QRC) at time of application
Quarantine reservations must be placed at least three months in advance of arrival
Fun Facts
- Sixty-four islands make up Singapore but there’s only one main island
- The country has a total area of only 682 square kilometers
- English is the official working language and the most widely used
- The Singapore Sling was first served in 1019 at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel
- Singapore has a population of about 5.3 million
Start Moving to Singapore with Schumacher
Get your free shipping quote today. For further information on any of the above, call and discuss your move with one of our moving specialists at 562-408-6677 or toll-free at 800-599-0190.
Additional Resources for Moving to Singapore
- The Household Goods Volume Container to estimate the amount of space you’ll need
- A moving checklist for a guideline to the essentials of your move
- Our page on moving tips to prepare all your belongings
SCL Singapore Mover Reviews
