Searching for a Singapore relocation checklist usually means you're weeks from landing and the list in your head has outgrown your memory. This page gives you the sequence for free. The template gives you the version you can print, tick and hand to your partner.
The first 30 days, in the order that matters
Nearly every expensive first-month mistake in Singapore comes from doing the right things in the wrong order — signing a lease before understanding the deposit stack, applying to one school instead of three, discovering the insurance gap after the hospital visit.
Before you fly
- Cloud copies of passport, IPA letter, marriage and birth certificates — schools ask for documents you won't have unpacked.
- School applications started, three in parallel. This is the longest pole in any family move.
- An employment letter stating salary — banks and landlords want it in week one.
- Temporary accommodation for three to four weeks. Do not sign a lease from abroad.
- The deposit stack budgeted in cash, not just monthly rent.
Week one, in order
- Prepaid SIM at the airport → Singpass registration once your pass is issued (nothing digital works well without it) → bank account → compressed viewings → GP registration → contactless card tapped at the MRT gates.
Before month one closes
- Utilities and fibre (book installation the day you sign — slots run one to two weeks out), driving licence conversion if you'll drive, personal insurance covering the corporate plan's gaps, children's vaccination records, and one local activity that isn't expat — the best predictor of whether the move sticks past month three.
The printable version
The Singapore Landing Checklist template puts all of the above on printable pages you tick as you go — including the lease clauses that decide your deposit, the handover-day protocol, and blank rows for your own additions. It's the self-serve version of our relocation advisory, and its price is credited in full against the Advisory within 60 days if you later want the whole move pressure-tested.
Get the Landing Checklist → Or see how the advisory works →Instant download · printable · 12 months of updated editions · credited against the Relocation Advisory within 60 days.
Frequently asked questions
What should be on a Singapore relocation checklist?
Three phases, in order. Before you fly: cloud copies of passport, IPA letter and certificates; school applications started; an employment letter stating salary; insurance gaps identified; temporary accommodation booked; the deposit stack budgeted as cash. Week one: prepaid SIM, Singpass registration, bank account, compressed property viewings, GP registration, contactless card for the MRT. Before month one closes: utilities and fibre, driving licence conversion if needed, insurance top-ups, children's medical records, and one local (not expat) activity.
How much cash do I need when I arrive in Singapore?
More than most people budget, because rent is only part of it. A two-year lease typically requires two months' deposit plus the first month's rent at signing, plus stamp duty, utilities and fibre setup, furnishing top-ups and insurance. Our quarterly Arrival Cost Index models roughly SGD 21,700 in first-month cash for an arriving couple in a mid-range central two-bedroom — about 76% of it refundable deposit.
What do I need to do in my first week in Singapore?
In this order: local SIM, Singpass registration once your pass is issued, bank account (passport, pass or IPA, employment letter, proof of address), compressed property viewings across two or three days, GP registration near where you'll live, and a contactless bank card for the MRT. The sequence matters more than the speed.
Is the Landing Checklist a document or a spreadsheet?
A printable PDF designed to be filled in and ticked off, with blank rows for your own additions. It's delivered instantly on payment, and its price is credited in full against a Relocation Advisory within 60 days.