Health insurance in Singapore

Before you leave for Singapore, have you considered taking out health insurance?

assurance sante singapour

Are you planning to move to Singapore, whether for expatriation, study, an internship or simply a vacation? In all these situations, it’s essential to take out international health insurance, both for yourself and for your loved ones. Singapore, with its high medical costs, can involve significant financial risk in the event of illness or accident. With the right insurance, you can leave with peace of mind, protected against unforeseen financial, medical and legal contingencies. Our specially designed Singapore health insurance policies cover a wide range of expenses, including repatriation, hospital costs, third-party liability and other emergency medical costs.

Student insurance Singapore

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The insurance that covers your stay for your studies in Singapore.

Starting from

27€

/ month
  • Worldwide coverage
  • Maximum age: 35
  • Covers emergencies and accidents
  • Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
  • Up to €250,000 per year
  • Standard dental and optical expenses up to €550
  • Contraception coverage + vaccines
  • Maternity care
  • Covers pre-existing conditions
  • Repatriation assistance
  • Civil liability
  • Individual protection
FREE QUOTE

Expatriate insurance Singapore

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International health insurance to cover your expatriation to Singapore.

Starting from

93€

/ month
  • Worldwide coverage
  • Minimum age: 14
  • Maximum age: 65
  • Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
  • Up to €1,500,000 per year
  • Maternity coverage up to €4,000
  • Coverage of assisted reproduction up to €1,500
  • Covers pre-existing conditions
  • Coverage of pharmaceutical expenses up to €370
  • Optional dental and optical care
  • Maternity plus option
  • Prevention and well-being as an option
  • Optional repatriation assistance
  • Optional third-party liability
FREE QUOTE

Travel insurance
Singapore

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Health insurance to cover your trip to Singapore.

Starting from

30€

/ trip
  • Worldwide coverage
  • Maximum age: 85
  • Covers emergencies and accidents
  • Up to €500,000 per trip
  • Covers loss, theft or destruction of luggage
  • Repatriation assistance
  • Travel assistance
  • Civil liability
FREE QUOTE

Any questions? Need advice?

Information on health insurance in Singapore

assurante sante internationale singapour

Political system: Parliamentary republic
Capital: Singapore
Surface area: 728.6 km²
Population: 5,454 million
Languages spoken: Mandarin, English, Malay, Tamil
Currency: Singapore dollar

Singapore's healthcare system

Singapore’s healthcare system is considered the second best in the world. But if you’re not a permanent resident, you won’t be able to benefit from the advantages of this system. It is therefore important to take out expatriate health insurance before your departure or when you arrive in Singapore, to protect you against the cost of hospitalization or expensive medical consultations.

How does Singapore’s healthcare system work?

Singapore’s healthcare system is based on the Central Provident Fund. The equivalent of a compulsory savings account for every Singaporean worker and permanent resident. It gives entitlement to social benefits after individual capitalization. This fund is fed by a portion of their salary and is used to finance home loans, pay their pension or finance their health insurance.
The plan is open and compulsory to expatriates if and only if they have permanent resident status. More than 80% of foreigners do not have this status, as they must have been non-permanent residents for at least 10 years to be eligible.

Singapore’s 3 public health plans

It was gradually introduced by the government in 1984, with a 3-scheme system also known as the 3 M’s: Medifund, Medishield and Medisave.

  • Medisave was introduced with the aim of developing a national medical savings scheme that helps citizens set aside a portion of their income in a Medical Save Account (MSA) to cover part of the costs of hospitalization, surgery or outpatient care.
  • Medishield life is a health insurance plan that helps pay for more expensive outpatient treatments such as chemotherapy. It is complementary to Medisave and covers expenses not covered by the Medical Save Account. But Medishield life does not cover dental or optical care, or pregnancy and childbirth.
  • Medifund is an endowment fund set up by the government to help workers in financial difficulty.

It’s worth noting that many Singaporeans take out private or job-financed insurance policies if they can, in order to cover as much as possible of the very expensive healthcare costs.

The Covid-19 health situation in Singapore

Following the implementation of the zero covid strategy by the Singaporean government, all non-residents, travelers and expatriates must have had a complete vaccination schedule for at least 2 weeks before entering Singapore. They must be in possession of a PCR test that is less than 72 hours old on departure, and be re-tested when they enter the country. The price of a PCR test in Singapore varies between 150 and 200 USD. You must also apply for a “Vaccinated Travel Pass” between 7 and 30 days in advance on the Singapore authorities’ website. Finally, all non-residents, travellers and expatriates are required to take out travel insurance covering at least USD 30,000 in Covid-related medical expenses.

How much does medical care cost in Singapore?

For expatriates, 80% of generalist services are provided in private practices. You can have treatment in a public hospital, but the costs will be closer to those of private establishments. Getting an appointment quickly at a public facility is more difficult and time-consuming, as they are much in demand by Singaporean citizens.

The average cost of a consultation with a general practitioner is 100 SGD, or 60 euros. Whereas the average cost of a consultation with a specialist is much higher. For example, a dental consultation can cost up to 1975 SGD or 1300 euros. Hospitalization for appendicitis surgery (without complications) can cost SGD 18,000, or around €12,000.
The price of a painkiller in a pharmacy is around 9SGD.

It costs less to have a pair of spectacles made in Singapore than in France. What’s more, the Singaporean service is simpler and more efficient, as the optician can also be an ophthalmologist. He can therefore take care of you and suggest suitable frames in a single consultation, which can be booked without an appointment.

Price comparison between public and private hospitals in Singapore

In a public hospital, the cost of consultations for expatriates who do not have permanent resident status is :

  • General consultation: approx. 80 SGD
  • Family doctor: approx. 94 SGD
  • Dental consultation: between 40 SGD and 80 SGD
  • Dental emergency: 94 SGD

In a private hospital, the cost of consultations for expatriates who do not have permanent resident status is :

  • Short consultation (-10mn): between 60 SGD and 135 SGD
  • Long consultation (11-20mn): between 120 SGD and 200 SGD
  • 1 night in hospital: between SGD 1750 and SGD 6700

You can avoid paying a single cent for hospitalization by taking out a letter of guarantee with your insurance company, subject to certain conditions.

And if you want to make an appointment with a GP, you can also book a consultation at a clinic.

What are the leading public and private hospitals for expatriates in Singapore?

Renowned hospitals include :

  • Gleneagles Private Hospital: one of the top 10 hospitals in the world, thanks in particular to its state-of-the-art intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit. Patients can also apply for and obtain visa extensions on the spot, as well as assistance with language interpretation.
  • Farrer Park Private Hospital: located in Connexion, the 20-storey building includes a hotel and spa. What’s more, technology and innovation are helping to provide the best possible medical treatment options.
  • Singapore General Hospital (SGH): one of Singapore’s leading public hospitals, with over 1,700 beds, it is also an academic center for science and health.
  • National University Hospital (NUH): another of Singapore’s leading public hospitals. It is the only public hospital to offer a kidney, liver and pancreas transplant program for adults.

How do I get treatment in Singapore's emergency department?

Singapore has a 24/7 emergency medical service. There are two numbers to contact, depending on the level of emergency you require.
If you are the victim of a serious accident and wish to be treated by the emergency service of a hospital in Singapore, contact the ambulance number by dialing 995.
If you are the victim of an accident and your prognosis is not vital, you can call 1777 for non-emergency ambulance support.

How much does pregnancy cost in Singapore?

When you become pregnant in Singapore, your pregnancy can be managed by an obstetrician-gynecologist or a general practitioner. You can have an ultrasound scan in a private practice or in a hospital, in which case the fee will be around SGD 175. As for pregnancy monitoring in a public hospital, routine consultations cost 148 SGD on average, and anatomical scans around 188 SGD. In a private hospital, consultations with a general practitioner or obstetric gynecologist cost around SGD 200, and ultrasound scans around SGD 175. For childbirth, the average cost of a room in a public hospital for two nights is SGD 8474. In a private hospital, the average charge is SGD 12,100.

How can you have your children treated in Singapore?

If you have children, they must have received a Hepatitis A vaccination at least two weeks before entering Singapore. On arrival, in addition to receiving their booster doses, they must be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis from the age of two months. They will also need to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B and Typhoid. Finally, if you wish to send your children to elementary school in Singapore, they must be vaccinated against :

  • BCG
  • Whooping cough
  • Poliomyelitis
  • Mumps
  • Rubella
  • Hepatitis B

Do I need health insurance in Singapore?

The answer is yes. You cannot benefit from the 3M system if you are not a permanent resident. Secondly, because benefiting from one of the best healthcare systems in the world comes at a price. That’s why it’s highly advisable to take out private health insurance. for the 1st euro, or complementary CFE insurance if you are registered with the CFE, the most advantageous options for expatriates. Every day, we deepen our knowledge of foreign healthcare systems, including Singapore. Our sole aim is to offer you the most appropriate insurance contracts for your situation.

Which health insurance for Singapore?

There is no agreement between France and Singapore allowing French nationals to benefit from a local social protection scheme, i.e. the Central Provident Fund (CPF) for Singapore.
We therefore recommend that you take out a GoldExpat expatriate health insurance policy in advance, as this is the ideal Singapore insurance for Asian countries .

  • Hospitalization reimbursed at 100% of actual costs: Hospitalization must be reimbursed at 100% of actual costs incurred. This is a real necessity for Singapore insurance. The cost of hospitalization in Singapore is high, so it’s essential that you have 100% coverage in the event of an accident.
  • Coverage of routine medical expenses: Medical expenses are reimbursed at 90% or 80% (depending on the plan chosen) of the actual costs incurred. This includes GP and specialist consultations, check-ups, medication…
  • Third-party liability coverage: Being covered is one thing, but being covered for damage to others is quite another! Imagine causing property damage in Singapore. Naturally, we’ll cover the cost of your care. But if you don’t have third-party liability cover under your Singapore insurance, then the costs you have to pay to this third party won’t be covered by your insurance, and you risk going heavily into debt!
  • Repatriation cover: There are many cases or medical situations where repatriation to the country of origin is required or strongly recommended. Where Singapore’s social security system will never cover repatriation, private health insurance may enable you to return home for treatment.

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