Originally Posted by Tracy Pitts

Hi

My husband has been approached to work in Singapore, a country we have never been too.
I would love some feedback please on whether it a good place to live as a family.
My husband and I are both in our 40's and our children are 9 and 7
so my questions are:

Is it a safe country? NOWHERE IS COMPLETELY SAFE BUT IT IS GENERALLY RECKONED THAT IT IS ONE OF THE SAFEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.

What are the schools like for my boys, I am presuming I will have pay so what is an approx cost? CANNOT GIVE COSTS BUT IT IS SAID THAT SCHOOLING IS A BIG EXPENSE IN SINGAPORE. I KNOW THERE ARE LONG WAITING LISTS FOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS SO YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK OUT IF YOUR EMPLOYER IS GOING TO FIX UP SOMETHING. TRY THE SINGAPORE EXPAT WEBSITES FOR MORE DETAIL.

What is the cost of living? WE FOUND IT A LOT CHEAPER THAN THE UK THOUGH YOU'LL FIND SCHOOLING, BOOZE, CARS (MOST EXPENSIVE PLACE IN THE WORLD TO RUN A CAR). HAVING SAID THAT, YOU MAY NOT NEED A CAR AS PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND TAXIS ARE VERY GOOD AND CHEAP. CHOOSE SCHOOL LOCATION CAREFULLY? LIKE EVERYWHERE, FOOD PRICES, PETROL ETC GOING UP.


What is the approx' cost of buying a 4/5 bed house or rental of a property?
again, I presume healthcare is private, so what is an appox cost please?
what is the likelehood of me getting a full time job - office worker?
we are not really city people so what are the areas we should be looking at to live (although unknown at present where in singapore the job will be based)
YOU CAN FIND PROPERTY DETAILS ON ONE OF THE SINGAPORE EXPAT SITES. SINGAPORE IS A CITY I'M AFRAID BUT YOU CAN FIND SOME REALLY NICE PARK AREAS - EAST COAST PARK BY THE SEA AND MANY MANY OTHERS.

We are coming over to get a feel for the place in the next month or so but i am very concerned about the culture shock,
DON'T WORRY!! ENJOY THE TRIP AND THE EXPERIENCE... BUT HOPE YOU LIKE HOT AND HUMID WEATHER

I would really appreciate if someone could give some feedback on any of my questions, if not all of my questions

Thank you

Tracy

Originally Posted by Tracy Pitts

Hi

My husband has been approached to work in Singapore, a country we have never been too.
I would love some feedback please on whether it a good place to live as a family.
I would say so, at the age your children are. I know plenty of expat families there.
My husband and I are both in our 40's and our children are 9 and 7
so my questions are:
Is it a safe country?
It has low crime, not no crime, but yes, it's about as safe as you can get. You'll see young children getting the train home alone after dark, for instance.
What are the schools like for my boys, I am presuming I will have pay so what is an approx cost?
You have a choice of International Schools, local schools with an International Division (just a few as was only allowed a couple of years ago) and local schools. I have no idea on costs but the schools' websites may help.
What is the cost of living?
Some things are cheap, some things are expensive (housing), some things are pretty ridiculous (cars).
What is the approx' cost of buying a 4/5 bed house or rental of a property?
Most expats rent. Property is very expensive and foreigners have restrictions on what they can buy. Price to buy and rent is very dependent on location. You can pay many millions for a good house with some land. For rent of a 4/5 bed house in a desirable area, you can pay...well I have friends paying S$20k a month but you can pay a lot more.
again, I presume healthcare is private, so what is an appox cost please?
Private health care is cheaper than the equivalent in the UK. You should ask your employer for cover. Healthcare is very good.
what is the likelehood of me getting a full time job - office worker?
Rather poor. You either need to have an Employment Pass in your own right, or as a Dependent Pass holder you can work with a Letter of Consent, but if by "office worker" you mean something non-specialised, admin, etc., you are highly unlikely to get one. The employer has to justify employing a foreigner.
we are not really city people so what are the areas we should be looking at to live (although unknown at present where in singapore the job will be based)
There is not a lot of countryside left in Singapore. It's a small place; you could live anywhere but there are some areas favoured by expats. You'll find this site useful:
www.singaporeexpats.com has a lot of good property info
I have to say, if you are not city people, Singapore may not be for you.

We are coming over to get a feel for the place in the next month or so but i am very concerned about the culture shock,
Singapore is known as "Beginner's Asia". There isn't much to be shocked about, unless you find yourself living in an HDB (like public housing) in the Heartlands. We didn't even visit before we moved there.

I would really appreciate if someone could give some feedback on any of my questions, if not all of my questions

Thank you

Tracy

Originally Posted by Inselaffen

with regards to one reply you had, if you find work on a Dependent's Pass your employer will not have to justify employing a foreigner. Dependent Pass holders are not taken into account in the quotas.

However general admin/office jobs are very low paid and often require Mandarin Speakers. my future wife will be in the same position when we move out, but she is used to poor salary levels in Dubai.

Originally Posted by Inselaffen

with regards to one reply you had, if you find work on a Dependent's Pass your employer will not have to justify employing a foreigner. Dependent Pass holders are not taken into account in the quotas.

However general admin/office jobs are very low paid and often require Mandarin Speakers. my future wife will be in the same position when we move out, but she is used to poor salary levels in Dubai.

Originally Posted by Seasider

The Mandarin requirement is often a form of racism, BTW. Screens out Malays, for one thing.

Originally Posted by Seasider

I didn't realise that, thanks for correction Inselaffen. I did some temp work on a LoC before we got PR and I set up as a sole trader to freelance; just assumed they had gone through that. It's actually a cheap way for an employer to get foreign talent but not many of them bother.

The Mandarin requirement is often a form of racism, BTW. Screens out Malays, for one thing.