Safety in Singapore

The fines: Singapore is called a fine city for a reason. Spitting, feeding pigeons and crossing the road away from a crossing all carry penalties. Follow the rules and you will never notice them.

On the MRT: eating is banned, and so is drinking, even plain water. A mouthful from your bottle can cost 500 SGD. Wait until you are back on the street.

Smoking: only in designated zones, marked by yellow squares painted on the pavement. Along Orchard Road and in the parks, it is effectively banned everywhere.

Vapes: e-cigarettes, heated tobacco devices and the liquids for them are illegal. Don't try to bring them in your luggage; the Changi scanners are looking for exactly this, and possession fines reach 2000 SGD.

Drugs: trafficking carries the death penalty, and possession is treated with the same severity. The law applies to foreign visitors without exception or discretion.

Chewing gum: importing gum for sale is prohibited, though customs will let a personal pack through. Bin it properly — littering is its own fine.

Otherwise: violent crime is close to nonexistent and walking alone at night is normal. Check your own government's travel advisory if you want the formal position.

Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world. Street crime is essentially absent: a phone left on a food court table will not be touched, and locals reserve seats with their bags. Fraud exists here, but it has moved online.

Phone and online scams. The country's main criminal problem. Calls from the "police", "bank" and "customs" about a parcel of prohibited substances, fake rental listings, investment schemes. The police run a dedicated campaign and the ScamShield site publishes current methods.

Electronics. Sim Lim Square was historically notorious for demands to pay extra for a "warranty" after purchase, with goods withheld. This is now policed hard, but buying electronics from chain stores is safer.

"Free" guides. The one everyday scheme that occurs: an offer to show you the city followed by a demand for payment. Rare.

Taxis. Meters are compulsory and honest. Grab and ComfortDelGro cover everything.

The real threat to your wallet in Singapore is not criminals but prices and fines.

Drugs mean the death penalty, and it is carried out. Singapore regularly executes people for drug trafficking, foreigners included. The threshold for a presumption of trafficking is very low: 15 grams of heroin, 500 grams of cannabis. A little-known feature: Singapore law allows testing on entry and prosecution for consumption that took place abroad — the provision applies extraterritorially to residents and in some cases to arrivals.

E-cigarettes are banned outright. Importing, possessing and using a vape brings fines up to 2,000 Singapore dollars, and devices are confiscated at the border. It is one of the most common charges against tourists, because almost nobody knows about the ban.

Chewing gum. Import for sale is prohibited; therapeutic gum on prescription is allowed. One packet for yourself will cause no problem; a box will.

Everyday fines. Littering, smoking outside designated areas, eating or drinking on the MRT, durian on public transport, and failing to flush a public toilet are all fineable offences, at 300 to 1,000 dollars.

Vandalism. Graffiti and damage to property carry corporal punishment in Singapore — strokes of the cane. This is not an archaism: sentences are passed and carried out, on foreigners included.

Alcohol. Sale and public consumption are prohibited from 22:30 to 07:00. Little India and Geylang have stricter controls.

Vaccinations. None mandatory. A yellow fever certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries.

Water. Tap water is drinkable and among the most closely monitored in the world. Drink it anywhere.

Dengue. Singapore's only serious infectious threat, and a real one: outbreaks recur, central districts included. The government publishes a cluster map. The mosquito bites by day, and repellent is needed even in the city.

Heat and humidity. The equator: 32°C at nearly 90 percent humidity year-round. Dehydration comes quickly, and the ubiquitous air conditioning creates sharp swings. Drink more than you want to.

Haze. During Indonesia's fire season, usually June to October, smog reaches the city. The PSI index is published officially, and at high readings people with asthma are better off indoors.

Healthcare. Among the best in the world and among the most expensive in Asia. A specialist consultation without insurance costs hundreds of dollars and admission thousands. A policy is essential.

Emergency numbers: 995 for ambulance and fire, 999 for police.

Singapore ranks in the world's top ten on the Corruption Perceptions Index. A bribe here is a serious crime for both giver and taker, and trying to negotiate will end in a case.

Police. Fast and correct, and English is an official language. City cameras are ubiquitous and clearance rates are high.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken without difficulty and can be filed online. That satisfies insurers.

What genuinely matters. Singapore is safe not because the people are kind but because punishment is certain. The same system that keeps the streets calm applies to visitors: ignorance of a rule mitigates nothing, and "I'm a foreigner" is not an argument.

Checks. Police may ask for documents. Carry your passport or a copy.

If detained. You have the right to a consul; ask immediately. Drug charges carry a presumption: what is found on you is yours until proven otherwise. Never carry anyone else's bags or parcels.

Emergency numbers: 999 police, 995 ambulance.