Two weeks ago, my American family moved from another SE Asian country to Singapore. Until then, we had spent only one week of our lives in this tiny city-state on a survey trip. Although this has been neither our first international move nor our most difficult, the experience has had its own unique challenges and joys, which I plan to walk through in this and some follow-up posts.
Moving to Singapore
Before saying anything, I must admit how monumentally helpful it was to have Singaporean friends available on the Singapore side. Truth be told, we had only met these friends-of-friends briefly last February, but their knowledge and hospitality were the only grease to our smooth transition.
Not hyperbole: I don’t think it’s possible to move to Singapore without knowing someone already on the inside.
Pro Tip #1: Make Singaporean friends now, before you ever try to move.
The Immigration Process
In our case, immigration involved Student’s Passes for our kids and the Long-Term Visitor’s Pass (LTVP) for us parents as dependents. Everything is done online until the final formality, an in-person interview at the ICA Center for photo and fingerprints. This online process was rife with delays from website glitches, hidden steps, and poor communication—and this surprised me, since Singapore prides itself as a first-world technological giant. Yes, 90-day visitor passes are super simple, but this Expat believes the Singaporean immigration process needs a major overhaul.
The fact that the LTVP might take up to 6 weeks for approval is the most disheartening bit of news yet, because without it, we parents can’t get SingPass (the all-inclusive ID app), which means we can’t get a bank account, use the PayNow app, or get broadband or cellphone plans. We’re stuck as cash-based, SIM-card dependent tourists until we’re not, and it’s highly inconvenient. Most hawker centers and small stores do not even take Visa.
Pro Tip #2: During immigration, prepare yourself for delays, hidden steps (like medical checks), and poor communication.
Pro Tip #3: Enter Singapore with enough cash to last you several months. Major expenses like tuition and rent can be wired internationally.
Getting an Apartment
The surprise blessing, however, was finding an apartment based off our kids’ Student’s Passes and an agent-landlord team willing to accept an international wire for our deposit and first month’s rent. I would hate to have waited 6 weeks to move into an apartment! As it happened, though, we were able to move in on our 8th day (following 7 nights at our friend’s home). It took 4 more days to get IKEA and appliances shipped—arriving the day before school began—so I consider the move a full 12-day transition.
Houses, Condos, and HDBs
Many people had asked how this tiny country could fit 6 million people, and I still don’t know the answer. It’s not “high rises everywhere.” In fact, most neighborhoods we’ve seen are filled with 2-3-story homes. Our apartment (a.k.a. “condo”) buildings max out at 5 floors, which appears to be normal in this part of the country. The government housing (HDBs) might go up to 20, but still, they aren’t everywhere and 20 floors is nothing compared to most modern Asian cities.
Moving through Singapore
Transportation
Foreign guests can easily purchase MRT cards and top-up with cash to use on the metro and buses (and even Apple Pay works, apparently). Such transport is cheap, though we’ve spent more than $200 as a family in two weeks with our constant movement and shopping.
Google Maps is essential for finding connections to any location in Singapore. I’ll admit that I was miffed for the first few days by the “backwards” traffic, and found myself on the wrong side of the street often—but I got used to it quickly.
Bikes are present but not as pervasive as we had imagined, and only small foldables can be taken onto public transport. New road bikes seem to cost $1000+, which we weren’t prepared for, so we’re going to peruse second-hand options before buying our four.
Pro Tip #4: If you don’t already, start preferring Google Maps to Apple Maps—it works so much better.
Climate
Although my weather app shows constant daily showers, we have yet to get caught in the rain. When it rains, it pours and briefly. It’s otherwise been sunny and humid. We sweat a lot, but the buses are always cool, and the buildings are usually frigid.
Cleanliness
The streets and sidewalks (often covered) are generally clean, though litter does exist. Since I cannot metal detect here, the family and I have instead resorted to seeking “surface finds.” Gotta have a hobby, and this is a good one—inspired by such Facebookers as “Until Found” (who searches the streets for diamonds) and “Ifbatmanhadmagnets” (who magnet-fishes roadways).
Meetings in Singapore
Churches
For our first two Sundays, we visited two very large churches. First by invitation to a church outside our denominational norm, and second to something that was a bit more comfortable for us. We look forward to exploring more local churches in the coming months. In my whole life, I’ve never gone “church shopping,” but there’s a first time for everything! And thankfully, Singapore has many local church bodies to choose from—though a city this large could always use more.
School
Our kids now attend a private Christian school that matches their educational style. We know it will take them a few weeks to really click, so friendships aren’t yet blooming, but the kids are learning the ropes and voicing their opinions about favorite and strict teachers or easy and “impossible” classes. Hidden costs at school keep cropping up, but we’re not overwhelmed—though each new charge does go against every thrifty grain in our souls.
Pro Tip #5: Be prepared for hidden costs in school—they’re nowhere listed yet everywhere present.
Shopping in Singapore
Appliances
Although we can’t yet easily shop online, we’re happy to find what we need in local stores. IKEA’s “New Movers” and “New Student” deals were a Godsend, and we saved hundreds in furnishing our home. Another appliance store within walking distance fitted us with new essentials too, and each day we’re coming across tiny conveniences in the neighborhood nearby.
Pro Tip #6: Don’t expect your American appliances to work well on the 220 grid here, simply because you’ve used an adapter. Transformers will be essential. Just ask my air pump. <POP!>
Markets
Food prices vary widely, though my wife is the Queen of Deals. We’ve submitted ourselves to paying about 4x the cost of vegetables and meat compared to our old home. Still, she can cook at home for less than half the price of feeding 4 at a Hawker stall, so we know we’re finding deals. There’s a handful of markets here that I’ll try to compare to American stores:
- CE Fresh ≈ Whole Foods
- Import stores ≈ Trader Joe’s
- Fair Price ≈ Meijer
- Giant ≈ Walmart
- Valu$ ≈ Dollar General
- Wet markets ≈ farmer’s markets
Pro Tip #7: Prepare to pay about 2-4x the price you’re used to at home for just about everything.
Singlish
Since I have traveled the world for decades, I can understand pretty much everyone’s English here—whether they’re Singaporean, Malay, Indian, or any other sort of visitor or migrant worker. My wife and kids do not have the same ears, so they find it incredibly hard (so far) to understand what most people are saying, even though they’re speaking English.
Pro Tip #8: Singlish is real, and it will take some getting used to.
Conclusion
I read Luke 14:28-33 recently, where Jesus tells his disciples about counting the cost of following Him. In verse 33, He says:
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
This verse hit me, because I know that my family and our supporters and leadership have carefully and intentionally counted the cost of this move emotionally, ministerially, and financially. This encourages me, because despite the joy of moving here, the hiccups and miscues and bumps along the way have also been a source of anxiety for all four of us.
This passage is a good reminder. We must continue to do what’s in our power to do as we follow Him, knowing that, despite the costs of following Jesus, we can trust that He has not only sent us here but is also with us each step of the way.
©2026 E.T.
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