What paperwork do you need after moving to Singapore in 2026?

Submit the free ICA SG Arrival Card within three days before arrival, including arrival day. It is a declaration, not a visa. After you land with an In-Principle Approval, let the employer or agent complete work pass issuance for the Employment Pass, S Pass or Dependant's Pass that matches your file. If you are still choosing the stay product, start from Apply for a residence permit.

When the FIN is active, set up Singpass. Buy a local mobile number early so Face Verification, SMS two-factor checks and landlord OTPs work. Secure housing a landlord will put on paper before you treat Orchard, Tampines or Jurong as settled: How to rent a home.

Open a bank account once pass, address and tax-residence answers match bank KYC. Update your residential address through MOM or ICA within the deadline for your pass, then align IRAS contact details. Your FIN is the usual tax reference: Get a tax ID.

Confirm health cover outside MediShield Life for most foreign-pass holders: Choose health insurance. Enrol children through MOE routes on their own calendar: Enrol in a public school. Convert a foreign licence when your stay length or status requires a Singapore licence: Convert a driving licence. Pet arrivals need AVS licensing and import files in parallel: Bring pets.

English works at most MOM, ICA, bank and MOE screens, yet form fields still demand exact passport spellings and the official six-digit postal code, not a condo marketing name. Build the folder before you queue at a branch or Traffic Police Headquarters in Ubi.