Healthcare in Singapore: world-class, but foreigners pay full price

Singapore's hospitals are among the best in Asia, but the subsidies that keep bills down are for citizens and permanent residents, so as a British resident on a work pass you pay full price and need proper insurance.

The short version

• There's no reciprocal healthcare agreement between the UK and Singapore, so the NHS doesn't cover you here and the GHIC isn't valid [1].
• Government healthcare subsidies are generally for Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Foreigners on a work pass or Dependant's Pass pay unsubsidised rates, even in public hospitals [2][3].
• A&E at Singapore General Hospital costs S$172.90 (about £100) per attendance, before scans, admission and specialist tests [4].
• Employers must insure S Pass holders, with cover of at least S$60,000 a year (about £34,900). We found no matching rule for Employment Pass holders, so check your contract [5].
• In an emergency, call 995 for an ambulance [6].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = SGD 1.7214). Figures are rounded.

Why the NHS and GHIC don't help

Back home in Blighty, the NHS is free at the point of use because you're ordinarily resident in the UK. Once you've moved to Singapore, that stops. The FCDO's Living in Singapore guide says plainly that Singapore doesn't have a reciprocal health agreement with the UK, and it advises getting insurance from a Singaporean or international provider, checking the terms of any employer cover and thinking about a top-up [1].

The GHIC only works in the EU and a handful of other countries, and Singapore isn't one of them. The S1 form, which lets UK State Pensioners use public healthcare in the EU, doesn't apply here either. If you go back to the UK for a visit, you may be charged for some NHS hospital treatment as a former resident. Our guide to the NHS when you live abroad explains the rules.

How the system works

Singapore runs a mixed system: public hospitals and polyclinics, plus private GP clinics, specialists and private hospitals. Everyone pays something; it's how much that changes with your status.

Subsidies are for citizens and PRs

The Ministry of Health has told Parliament that government subsidies at public healthcare institutions are generally given to Singapore citizens and permanent residents, and that because subsidies are paid for by all Singaporeans, extending them to foreigners has to be assessed carefully [2]. In practice, a Brit on an Employment Pass, an S Pass or a Dependant's Pass pays the non-resident rate.

The gap is big. At specialist outpatient clinics in public hospitals, citizens get subsidies of up to 70% and permanent residents 25% [3]. Foreigners get none. MediShield Life, the basic public health insurance, covers citizens and permanent residents only [1].

What you'll actually pay

Singapore General Hospital's published charges, updated on 1 October 2026, show the difference [4]:

The A&E fee covers the doctor, nursing care, basic tests such as an ECG or blood sugar test, simple treatment such as stitches or a plaster cast, and up to a week of standard medicine. Specialist scans, admission to a ward and other treatment are extra [4]. Yes, a non-resident pays more than a private patient for the same consultant.

An overnight stay, an operation or a baby can run into thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. That's why insurance matters so much.

Public or private?

Public hospitals include Singapore General Hospital, the National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and KK Women's and Children's Hospital. They're very good, they handle the most complex cases and they run the main A&E departments. As a foreigner you'll be billed at non-resident rates.

Private hospitals such as Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles and Raffles Hospital are where many expat insurance policies point you. Waits are short and rooms are plush, but the prices reflect it.

GPs are the usual first stop. There's no registering with a practice the way you would at home, and no NHS-style catchment area. You walk into a clinic, pay the consultation fee and claim it back on your insurance if your policy covers outpatient care. Many companies have a panel of clinics where you just show your staff card.

Language isn't a worry. English is the working language of Singapore's healthcare system, and you'll find doctors trained in the UK, Australia and elsewhere at both public and private hospitals.

Health insurance: what to sort before you arrive

If you're on an S Pass

Your employer must buy and maintain medical insurance for you before your S Pass is issued or renewed, with an annual claim limit of at least S$60,000 (about £34,900). Since 1 July 2023, insurers cover 75% of claims above S$15,000 (about £8,700) and employers the other 25%. Your employer can't pass the premium on to you, and any co-payment from you is capped at 10% of your monthly salary and limited in time [5].

If you're on an Employment Pass

The Ministry of Manpower's compulsory insurance page is written for S Pass holders and doesn't mention the Employment Pass [5]. Most employers still offer group cover as part of the package, but the level varies widely. Some cover only you and only in hospital; others cover the whole family with outpatient care, dental and maternity.

Before you sign the contract, check:

1. Who's covered. You, or your partner and children too?
2. Inpatient and outpatient. Does it pay for GP visits and specialists, or only hospital stays?
3. Which hospitals. Some policies cap the room type or steer you towards set hospitals.
4. Annual limits and excess. Compare them with the SGH charges above.
5. Maternity, dental and mental health. Often excluded or capped.
6. Pre-existing conditions. Group schemes are often more generous than individual policies.
7. What happens when you leave the job. Group cover usually ends with your employment.

Topping up

If your employer's cover is thin, you can buy an individual or family policy from a Singapore insurer or an international health insurer. International plans can include cover back in the UK, which is handy if you'd want treatment at home. The Ministry of Health notes that foreigners on a Long-Term Visit Pass or Dependant's Pass can buy plans from the insurers that sell Integrated Shield Plans, or be covered by employer benefits [2]. A licensed insurance adviser can help you compare policies, though we don't recommend any particular one.

Medicines and emergencies

The FCDO advises checking whether you need approval from the Health Sciences Authority to bring medicine from the UK, carrying your GP's prescription, and asking a Singapore doctor about local equivalents, as some UK medicines aren't sold here [6]. Singapore is strict on controlled drugs, so don't assume something you buy at Boots is fine to pack.

For an emergency, call 995 and ask for an ambulance [6]. The FCDO describes healthcare in Singapore as high quality and expensive, and advises having insurance and funds to cover treatment and possible medical evacuation [6].

If you're visiting family back home or travelling round the region, make sure your policy covers you outside Singapore too, or buy separate travel insurance.

The UK end

Keep your NHS number and your UK GP's details somewhere safe, and ask for a copy of your records before you go: a new doctor in Singapore will thank you. If you're planning to come back, our guide to the moving abroad checklist covers what to tell the NHS and others when you leave.

For recommendations of a good GP, a paediatrician or a dentist who'll squeeze you in on a Saturday, ask in our community group for Brits in Singapore.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Singapore (last updated 18 February 2026)
2. Ministry of Health: Healthcare subsidies and insurance for foreign spouses (8 April 2025)
3. Ministry of Health: Subsidies for Specialist Outpatient care at Public Healthcare Institutions (last updated 2 January 2025)
4. Singapore General Hospital: Outpatient charges (updated 1 October 2026)
5. Ministry of Manpower: Medical insurance requirements for S Pass holders (last updated 18 September 2026)
6. GOV.UK (FCDO): Singapore travel advice, health (still current at 7 November 2026, updated 19 March 2026)

Keep reading

• Cost of living in Singapore vs London and the UK average
• Dependant's Pass and LTVP: bringing your family
• Employment Pass and COMPASS for Brits
• The NHS when you live abroad and the S1 for pensioners in the EU