Published: November 24, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Singapore Travel Advisory and Singapore International Travel Information Page.
Embassy & Consulate Contact Information
U.S. Embassy Singapore
27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
Tel: +65 6476-9100
Hours: Mon-Fri, 0830-1200; Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, 1330-1500.
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
The OSAC Singapore Country Chapter is active and robust, as Singapore is the regional hub for many U.S.-based organizations with operations throughout Southeast Asia.
Contact OSAC’s Asia Team with any questions.
Singapore Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise normal precautions in Singapore.
While the U.S. Department of State advisory is Level 1, travelers should note that Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) elevated its domestic terrorism threat assessment to 'HIGH' in its July 2025 'Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report,' citing the volatile global landscape, online radicalization, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict as key drivers.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Singapore as being a LOW-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The U.S. Department of State has not included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Singapore.
The crime emergency line in Singapore is 999. Send emergency SMS texts to 71999. Review the U.S. Department of State’s Crime Victims Assistance brochure.
Crime: General Threat
Singapore remains one of the safest places in the world. Gallup's 2025 Law and Order Index ranked Singapore first in the world.
According to Singapore Police Force statistics, the total number of physical crime cases remained stable in 2024, with 19,969 cases recorded, a marginal 0.02% increase from 19,966 cases in 2023. Key physical crime trends from 2024 include:
- Shop Theft: Increased by 7.6%. This is partly attributed to better detection by retailers using enhanced CCTV.
- Voyeurism: Increased by 9.0%, with most cases at residential premises, shopping complexes, and on public transport.
- Outrage of Modesty: Decreased by 6.6%.
Crime is generally non-confrontational and non-violent in nature, and incidents are typically crimes of opportunity (e.g., purse snatching, pickpocketing, theft of unattended property). Violent crime is rare. If a weapon is involved, it is likely an edged weapon (e.g., knife, box cutter), as authorities strictly control firearms, and the punishment for possessing them is severe.
Cybercrime
The most significant crime threat to U.S. citizens in Singapore is not physical but financial, through online scams and cybercrime. This category of crime far outpaces all physical crime combined.
- Scale of Threat: In 2024, Singapore saw an 10.8% increase in scam and cybercrime cases, totaling 55,810 cases.
- Financial Losses: Total losses from scams increased by 70.6% in 2024, reaching at least $1.1 billion.
- Common Vectors: While job scams, phishing, and e-commerce scams remain prevalent, losses from cryptocurrency-related scams saw a significant spike, accounting for nearly 25% of total losses.
Crime: Areas of Concern
Geylang and certain lower-cost government housing areas suffer from more serious crimes (e.g., mugging, loan sharking, and illicit drug use). However, the rate is still lower than comparable areas in the U.S. Geylang is a known “red light” district, harboring prostitutes and reportedly hosting an increase in organized criminal gangs. Prostitution is legal, but various prostitution-related activities – public solicitation, under-age prostitution, pimping, living on the earnings of a prostitute, maintaining a brothel – are not. In practice, the police are believed to tolerate and monitor a limited number of brothels.
Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, Hotels: The Inns and Outs, Considerations for Hotel Security, Taking Credit, and Our Two Cents: Petty Crime Basics and How to Minimize the Risk.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Singapore.
Kidnappings are uncommon. The last kidnapping for ransom occurred in 2014, involving the mother of the CEO of a popular supermarket chain. The victim was released unharmed, and authorities recovered the ransom. The two suspects received life sentences in prison.
Kidnapping scams, in which a perpetrator calls a victim and advises him/her that a member of the family has been kidnapped and will be harmed unless a ransom is paid, are more likely to occur than actual kidnappings.
Review OSAC’s reports, Kidnapping: The Basics and Active Shooter and Kidnapping Response Tips.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Singapore as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
However, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) assesses the domestic terrorism threat as HIGH as of its July 2025 'Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report'. While there is no intelligence of an imminent attack, the MHA notes Singapore remains a strategic target.
Key drivers for the HIGH threat assessment include:
- Geopolitical Conflicts: Terrorist groups like ISIS are exploiting the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict to spread propaganda and incite violence. Since October 2023, MHA has dealt with several self-radicalized individuals linked to the conflict.
- Online Self-Radicalization: This remains the primary domestic threat. Since 2015, 60 self-radicalized individuals (including 17 youths) have been issued orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
- Emerging Tech Threats: The MHA specifically flags Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a growing enabler for terrorism, used to generate propaganda, create synthetic media, and assist in attack planning."
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Singapore.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Singapore as being a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Singapore. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
Singapore has one of the most stable governments in the world. The government is competent in managing the country's economy, and is largely free from political corruption.
The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) first assumed power prior to independence in 1959, and has won a majority in every general election since 1965. Activists have criticized the PAP for maintaining its political dominance in part by circumscribing political discourse and action, to include the restriction of opposition parties. A constitutional provision, however, assures at least nine opposition members hold seats in parliament.
Protests & Demonstrations
Although the constitution provides citizens the right to peaceful assembly, parliament-imposed restrictions in the interest of security, public order, or morality. Public assemblies, including political meetings and rallies, require police permission. Public demonstrations are legal only at Speakers’ Corner in Hong Lim Park. It is a criminal offense to organize or participate in a public assembly without a police permit; those convicted may receive a substantial fine. Repeat offenders face steeper fines.
Citizens need a permit to speak at indoor public gatherings if the topic refers to race or religion. Indoor private events are not subject to the same restrictions. Organizers of private events, however, must prevent inadvertent access by uninvited guests, or they may be cited for noncompliance with the rules regarding public gatherings.
Singapore forbids foreign nationals who are not permanent residents from participating in permitted public demonstrations, assemblies, and processions at Speakers’ Corner. The law does not distinguish between participants and observers, so authorities may consider anyone at Speakers’ Corner as participating in an event. Penalties may include large fines and/or imprisonment.
Review OSAC’s report, Surviving a Protest.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
Anti-U.S. sentiment in Singapore is rare. Favorability of the United States by Singaporeans remains high.
Law Enforcement
The Singapore Police Force (SPF), under the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, maintains internal security. The Singapore Armed Forces, under the Ministry of Defense, train for deployment alongside the Home Affairs Ministry for certain domestic security operations, including joint deterrence patrols with police in instances of heightened terrorism alerts. Civilian authorities maintain effective control over the security forces. There are no reports of abuses by members of the security forces.
The SPF and Singapore’s security services are professional, well trained, and well equipped. The SPF line unit structure consists of seven land divisions. The mission of the Divisions is to prevent, detect, and deter crime. Each Division commands multiple Neighborhood Police Centers and Neighborhood Police Posts.
The SPF stresses the role of the private sector and the public in fighting crime and terrorism effectively, establishing outreach initiatives to help the average citizen report crimes. Authorities began installing Police Cameras (PolCams) at all public housing blocks and multi-story parking garages in 2012, and have credited the program with helping to deter crimes such as burglary and theft from/of motor vehicles. PolCams have also helped the police to solve more than 6,000 cases to-date. More than 90,000 PolCams have been installed nationwide; the Police aim to have more than 200,000 PolCams installed by 2030.
Police Response
The emergency police line in Singapore is 999. Send an emergency SMS to 71999.
Police use the Police@SG mobile application (GooglePlay, AppStore) and the online platform I-Witness to allow the public to report information about criminal activity.
The police response to crime is professional and effective. Every district has a dedicated neighborhood police center. Any neighborhood police center, not just the district where the crime took place, will generally accept the filing of a police report. Authorities routinely hold passports and prevent the departure of people who are under police investigation for criminal charges.
Transportation Security
Road Safety
Singapore is a right-side-drive nation with first-world road conditions, including well-illuminated and well-paved thoroughfares with English-language signage, and 4- to 6-lane expressways spanning the country. Although traffic can be a bit more hectic than what is common in the U.S., with drivers seemingly occupying two lanes at once and motorcycles darting from lane to lane between cars, traffic accidents are relatively rare. Nevertheless, drivers should be cautious, as speed cameras are present, and police regularly enforce speeding violations.
Road fatality figures have remained relatively consistent in recent years. In 2024, Singapore experienced a significant increase in traffic accidents, with the number of fatalities rising to 142 from 136 in 2023. The number of injuries also increased from 8,941 to 9,302. The Singapore Police Force notes that “motorcyclists and elderly pedestrians are the most vulnerable groups of road users, and continue to account for a disproportionate number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries or death.”
Drivers should recognize the difficulty posed by frequent, sometimes heavy downpours that can dump several inches of water on the roads in a span of minutes.
Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the U.S. Department of State’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad.
Public Transportation Safety
As a result of the high cost of owning a personal vehicle and the government’s significant emphasis on promoting public transportation, Singapore offers a wide variety of publicly accessible forms of transit (i.e., bus, rail, taxi, and increasingly, ride-share services). At least half of Singapore’s population rides public transportation regularly. Public transportation in Singapore is inexpensive, clean, efficient, and safe.
Aviation Concerns
Singapore’s Changi International Airport (SIN), with its four terminals, is one of the most important aviation hubs in the region. Changi regularly handles more than 65 million passengers each year. The airport has repeatedly been voted number one in the world in terms of customer satisfaction.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards.
Review OSAC’s Report, Security in Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights.
Maritime Security
The International Maritime Bureau assesses the waters in the South China Sea as being at a high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships. Numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway. Hijacked vessels are often disguised, and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia. Crews have been murdered or cast adrift.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Singapore, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Singapore.
The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention. The law permits arrest without warrant and detention without trial in defined circumstances, such as under the Internal Security Act and Criminal Law Act. Persons detained under these circumstances have a right to judicial review of their case, but the scope was limited in certain instances by the law. The government generally observed the laws.
The law provided criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government implemented these laws effectively. There were isolated reports of government corruption.
Health Concerns
In the event of medical emergency, dial 995. Ambulance services are available across Singapore, though response times may vary.
Healthcare services are first-rate. Private citizens from around the world travel to Singapore for medical treatment. Most doctors and hospital staff speak fluent English. Most hospitals have medical centers with doctors practicing a wide variety of specialties.
In certain circumstances, the Ministry of Health may access patient medical records without the consent of the patient, and in certain circumstances physicians may be required to report information relating to the diagnosis or treatment without the patient's consent.
Singapore is a preferred U.S. Department of State regional medical evacuation destination. Air ambulance services providing evacuation services from Singapore are typically not required.
Doctors and hospitals usually expect immediate, up-front payment for health services by credit card or cash. Providers generally do not accept U.S. health insurance. Providers may require a substantial deposit before admitting patients for any major medical treatment. U.S. Embassy Singapore maintains information on doctors and hospitals here.
The U.S. Department of State strongly recommends purchasing international health insurance before traveling internationally. Review the U.S. Department of State’s webpage on insurance overseas.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Health “H” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Singapore. Review the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) country-specific Travel Health Notices for current health issues that impact traveler health, like disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, and natural disasters.
See OSAC’s Guide to U.S. Government-Assisted Evacuations; review OSAC’s reports, The Healthy Way, Shaken: The Don’ts of Alcohol Abroad, Health 101: How to Prepare for Travel, and Fire Safety Abroad; and visit the U.S. Department of State’s webpage on Your Health Abroad for more information.
Vaccinations
Strongly consider all routine vaccines prior to all travel. Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, and yellow fever vaccinations are also recommended. Dengue is active in Singapore and can be monitored at the Singapore National Environmental Agency. In addition, most neighboring countries are Zika endemic. Travelers have minimal risk from malaria; prophylactic malaria medications are not currently recommended. Chikungunya is also prevalent.
Review the CDC Travelers’ Health site for country-specific vaccine recommendations.
Issues Traveling with Medications
Prior to attempting to bring personal medications into Singapore, refer to Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) website for guidance. Some medications may require specific approval from HSA. Find requirements for traveling to Singapore with personal medications online.
Review OSAC’s report, Traveling with Medication.
Water Quality
Environmental Public Health Regulations regulate the quality of drinking water, with standards based on World Health Organization Guidelines. Generally, tap water in Singapore is safe to drink. On occasion, one might encounter poor tasting water due to chlorination or discolored water.
Review OSAC’s report, I’m Drinking What in My Water?
Natural Disasters
Singapore has not experienced significant natural disasters in recent years. Air pollution from forest fires in neighboring countries occurs intermittently, usually between July and October.
View the Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) for Singapore online. Singapore’s National Environmental Agency’s Haze provides public updates on conditions.
Cybersecurity
Job scams, non-banking related phishing scams, e-commerce scams, investment scams, loan scams and banking related phishing scams remain of particular concern.
Singapore is a digitally connected city, making it susceptible to online crimes, many perpetrated by foreign online syndicates. Culprits frequently impersonate banks or government officials. They call victims, convincing them to provide bank card or account details by pretending to assist the victims with issues concerning the victims’ bank card or account. They also send unsolicited SMS messages claiming that there are issues with the victims’ banking account, asking the victims to click on a link embedded in the text message to resolve the issue. Upon clicking on the link, the victims are redirected to fake bank websites and asked to key in their internet banking account login details. In some cases, the SMS messages state a phone number, belonging to the scammers, that the victims could call to seek help with their suspended bank card. Subsequently, victims find unauthorized transactions made to their bank account. The Scam Alert website informs about various types of scams in Singapore, and recommends steps to avoid becoming a victim.
Singapore has introduced criminal offenses for technology-related crimes such as voyeurism and sexual exposure. The Protection from Harassment (Amendment) Act made doxing (publishing private information) an offense, improved judicial procedures for victims of online falsehood harassment, and enhanced protection for harassment victims.
Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling Abroad with Mobile Devices, and Guide for Overseas Satellite Phone Usage.
Counterintelligence Issues
Beyond high-volume financial scams, Singapore faces a growing and sophisticated threat from state-nexus Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors.
Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) Threat:
U.S. organizations and citizens should be aware that foreign intelligence services, including those from the People's Republic of China (PRC), are active in Singapore. These services are known to use a wide array of tactics to obtain sensitive information.
- Recruitment Methods: The PRC's Ministry of State Security (MSS) is known to target individuals through business, cultural, and academic overtures.
- Co-option Tactics: The MSS has been documented leveraging linguistic, ethnic (Singapore's resident population is approximately 75.9% ethnic Chinese), and family ties to attempt to co-opt or place pressure on individuals to act as assets, regardless of their nationality. This tactic is a component of the PRC's broader economic and industrial espionage efforts.
- Insider Threat: The primary risk to U.S. organizations is the recruitment of an employee as an insider threat. The MSS actively cultivates trusted insiders to steal trade secrets and proprietary information.
First-Ever Public Attribution (UNC3886) In a major policy shift in July 2025, Singapore's government publicly identified a specific threat actor, UNC3886, as a serious threat to its national security and critical infrastructure.
Threat Actor: UNC3886 is a "China-nexus espionage group”, according to Mandiant (Google), that is highly adept at targeting network devices and virtualization technologies.
Significance: This public attribution by Singapore signals the direct threat posed by state-sponsored groups to U.S. organizations operating in the country.
Import/Export Restrictions
There are no restrictions on the importation of satellite phones.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
