By Happy New Year everyone! I would like to welcome you all to my first Singapore special. This month will be seven years since I moved to Singapore for my study abroad, so to mark this special moment we are going to be looking at seven Singaporean laws you should know before visiting.
We will be learning the difference between travelling to Singapore as a tourist and living there as a student, where to go and much more. You don’t want to miss out so be sure to follow me on Instagram and subscribe to the blog!
Singapore, to some degree, is seen as a city-state with culture, local and international cuisine and real iconic attractions. It is one of the cleanest countries I have ever lived and visited. But there’s more, the country is also famous for its strictness with laws and considering I was able to live there for over 6 months and not once get arrested, I think I did pretty well ( hey just saying).
When I moved to Singapore in 2013, I knew I was going to need to learn about the laws of the country. Some of their laws include the ban of chewing gum, not being allowed to walk in your house naked, not flushing the toilet and more. If you will be heading to Singapore soon then here are a few laws that you need to be aware of.
7 Strict Laws you should be mindful of before travelling to Singapore
Exchange Rate: 1 SGD (Singaporean Dollar) = £0.56 GBP (Pound Sterling) AND 1 SGD = $0.74 (American Dollar)- You may need to to convert the punishments. For other conversation rates I use XE:Covert.
1. Yes chewing gum is illegal in Singapore
I said it. Yes, I was more shocked than you when I read about this in 2013! Chewing gum is wholly forbidden, which explains how clean the streets are in Singapore.
I wouldn’t want to be caught bringing chewing gum into the country so don’t even think about selling it and certainly don’t import it.
Punishment: Selling chewing gum can result in fines of S$100,000 (Singapore dollars) and up to 2 years in prison.
2. Feeding Pigeons in Singapore can get you into trouble
I’m not a big fan of pigeons myself, so this law is music to my ears, but bird lovers, please take note. You could face a fine if you are caught sharing your food with a local pigeon.
Punishment: S$500 fine
3. Begging in the streets is illegal in Singapore
I remember living in Singapore and not ever once seeing a beggar. You may on occasion find a beggar selling packets of tissues outside a food centre, but if I was you, I wouldn’t even entertain it. Begging is illegal and can lead to a hefty fine.
Punishment: S$3,000 fine or imprisonment for up to 2 years in prison.
4. Not flushing the toilet is illegal in Singapore
This would seem a pretty obvious thing to do, but some people don’t have house training! Singapore has quite rightly made this illegal. Officials are known to conduct random checks in public toilets to make sure people flush after they go. So please flush after yourself. I would say to avoid a fine I would suggest flushing after you go.
Punishment: S$150 – S$500 fine
5. Walking naked in your house is illegal
Walking around your house naked is considered a form of pornography. And while you’re here, you should also know that pornography is also prohibited in Singapore. Don’t walk around naked in your home.
Why? Well because it may cause a disturbance to your neighbours and you might receive an unexpected fine.
Punishment: S$2,000 fine or up to 3 months in prison
6. Don’t do drugs especially in Singapore
Many countries ban drugs, but Singapore has much stricter sentencing for those that are caught trafficking or in possession of drugs could receive a hefty fine and or death penalty.
You may think you can’t get caught but think again. Singapore officials can conduct anonymous and random drug tests to anyone without a warrant, and if you’re caught with drugs in your system, then you could be looking at a penalty. These included drugs taking before you enter Singapore so be mindful when travelling other parts of Asia.
Punishment: S$20,000 fines, up to 10 years in prison or the death penalty
7.No Eating and drinking on public transport
And the final law that I have to offer you today. Please do not eat or drink on any form of public transport this includes the MRT the bus anything! I remember when my friend told me about being fined when she was caught eating ice cream on the MRT! There are lots of food centres eat there or within closed doors. Oh and Durian a special fruit is also banned on public transport – don’t do it!
Punishment: S$5,000 fine
Despite all the laws that exist in Singapore, it is actually one of my favourite Asian countries to visit and live. I think if I can live in Singapore for 7 months and not face a fine then you will also be fine.
Linda
January 11, 2020How interesting. Some go without saying. Chewing gum is an odd one as is the toilet flushing. Who doesn’t flush? Walking naked in your home is weird. Pull the blinds. Who is to know?
Adebola - MyBreakingViews
January 12, 2020Hey Linda! Thank you for taking the time to have a read and for the comment! Yes, I agree who doesn’t flush!! I think chewing gum makes sense because you will see that on arrival the country has no chewing gum on the floor and is extremely clean.