½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Menu
½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Buying a car in Singapore

Post new topic

Kenjee

Hi,

To be able to move in Singapore, a lot of expatriates think of buying a car, whether new or second-hand.

What are the formalities to buy a vehicle in Singapore: car registration, insurance, etc.?

What are the relevant authorities or organizations to contact?

How long does it take and what are the associated costs?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience,

Kenjee

beppi

Singapore's authorities actively discourage people from having cars. It is the country with the highest car purchasing and running costs in the world, by a wide margin!
To be allowed to buy a new car, you need to get a permit (called Certificate Of Entitlement or COE) from the government. The COE is valid for 10 years, after which you have to scrap the car. A limited number of COEs are auctioned off every month, and usually cost S$40000-100000.
Then you need to buy a car. Import and other duties make them 2,5x more expensive than elsewhere.
Then you need to pay for parking, use of major roads and entering the city centre. Petrol is also not cheap.
Altogether, owning a car in Singapore costs more than renting an apartment (despite Singapore's high rent levels).

Edited to add: Public transport is cheap and efficient in Singapore - and even taking a taxi for all trips is likely to cost less than owning a car!

rajrana1981

The cost of a COE,
you can buy property with that amount in many countries .

But transport system is really good
and most people use public transport .
Regards

Bartho 61

Unless you are earning above $10k per month, it will burn a deep hole in your pocket just to get behind the wheels; even if you contemplate buying a used car. Besides, Singapore is very small and unless you intend to travel to Malaysia regularly, there is simply no space for your "100 horses" to run.

Unlike wide open spaces in other big countries, the taxes on cars (new and used) here are very high and meant to discourage car ownership. It is much cheaper to take taxis and public transport. Singapore's taxi is among the best in the world with their wide selection of brand new cars ranging from Toyota to Mercedes - I have never seen another country having such variety of taxis and all sparkling new - simply comfortable and travelling in style. The drivers are friendly and all speak good English.

Forget about owning cars in Singapore - it's too expensive and really not necessary.

Articles to help you in your expat project in Singapore

  • Driving in Singapore
    Driving in Singapore

    Singapore has an efficient public transportation system coupled with excellent taxi services, with phone apps ...

  • Dating in Singapore
    Dating in Singapore

    Moving to Singapore has been fun since you've been exploring a new country and culture. However, if you ...

  • Internships in Singapore
    Internships in Singapore

    Singapore is home to many universities of international repute, as well as companies from a diverse range of ...

  • Marriage in Singapore
    Marriage in Singapore

    Singapore allows both foreigners or a foreigner and a local national to marry in the country. The procedures and ...

  • Using phones in Singapore
    Using phones in Singapore

    As in many developed countries, mobile phones have taken over the landline network in Singapore. Whether ...

  • Finding a job in Singapore
    Finding a job in Singapore

    Singapore has a well-developed job market with numerous outlets providing information on employment opportunities, ...

  • Expat deaths in Singapore
    Expat deaths in Singapore

    It's hard to face, but there comes a time when we must end our time on Earth. While we can't predict when ...

  • Banking in Singapore
    Banking in Singapore

    Singapore offers a wide range of personal banking services and has a complete offering of international banking ...

All of Singapore's guide articles