WARNING: Singapore treats drug offences extremely severely. The death penalty is mandatory for those convicted of trafficking, manufacturing, importing or exporting more than 15 g of heroin, 30 g of morphine, 30 g of cocaine, 500 g of cannabis, 200 g of cannabis resin and 1.2 kg of opium, and possession of these quantities is all that is needed for you to be convicted. Unauthorised consumption can result in up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $20,000, or both. You can be charged for unauthorised consumption as long as traces of illicit drugs are found in your system, even if you can prove that they were consumed outside the country, and you can be charged for trafficking as long as drugs are found in bags that are in your possession or in your room, even if they aren't yours and regardless of whether you're aware of them. If you must bring potentially forbidden medicines, check with the Singapore Health Sciences Authority to find out, and (as needed and allowed) obtain written permission to bring them. This can be done fairly quickly by e-mail, perhaps a few weeks by regular postal mail.

 

Forbidden items in the MRT trains and stations

Singapore is one of the safest major cities in the world by virtually any measure. Most people, including single female travellers, will not face any problems walking along the streets alone at night. But as the local police say, "low crime does not mean no crime" — beware of pickpockets in crowded areas and don't forget your common sense entirely.

The Singapore Police Force is responsible for law enforcement throughout the country, and you can recognise police officers by their distinctive dark blue uniforms. Most visitors will find the majority of Singaporean police officers to be professional and helpful, and you should report any crimes that you encounter to them as soon as possible. The Singaporean police have broader powers that what you might be used to in Western countries. In particular, while you are entitled to have a lawyer represent you at trial, the police have the right to restrict your access to a lawyer during your interrogation if they believe it could interfere with their investigation. In addition, while you have the right against self-incrimination, you do not have the right to silence and are required to answer the police's questions truthfully unless it contravenes the former. You should always make all statements in your defence during your interrogation, as failure to do so could result in the judge not believing you should you raise them for the first time at your trial.

Singapore's squeaky cleanliness is achieved in part by strict rules against activities that are tolerated in other countries. For example, jay-walking, spitting, littering and drinking and eating on public transport are prohibited. Locals joke about Singapore being a fine city because heavy fines are levied if you're caught committing an offence. Look around for sign boards detailing the "Don'ts" and the fines associated with these offences and heed them. Avoid littering, as offenders are not only subject to fines, but also to a "Corrective Work Order", in which offenders are made to wear a bright yellow jacket and pick up rubbish in public places. Enforcement is however, sporadic at best and it's not uncommon to see people openly litter, spit, smoke in non-smoking zones, etc. Chewing gum, famously long banned, is now available at pharmacies for medical purposes (e.g., nicotine gum) if you ask for it directly, show your ID and sign the register. While importing gum is still officially an offence, you can usually bring in a few packs for personal consumption without any problem.

 

Police officers from the Singapore Police Force

For some crimes, most notably illegal entry and overstaying your visa for over 30 or 90 days, Singapore imposes caning as a punishment for male offenders. Other offences which have caning as a punishment include vandalism, robbery, molestation and rape. Having sex with a girl under the age of 16 is considered to be rape under Singapore law even if the girl consents to it. Strokes from the thick rattan cane are excruciatingly painful, take weeks to heal and scar for life. Crimes such as murder, kidnapping, unauthorised possession of firearms and drug trafficking are punished with death.

Oral and anal sex, long banned under colonial-era sodomy statutes, were legalised for heterosexuals in October 2007. Male homosexual contact, however, remains illegal, with a theoretical punishment of two years in prison and/or caning. Although this law is generally not enforced and there is a fairly vibrant gay community with several gay bars in the Chinatown area, gay people should still expect legalised discrimination and censorious attitudes from locals and government officials. Nevertheless, unprovoked violence against homosexuals is almost unheard of, and you are unlikely to get anything beyond drawing stares and whispers. While not illegal, transgender people may also be subject to some degree of derision from locals and government officials, though unprovoked violent incidents are almost unheard of. Under Singapore law, transgender people may change their legal gender and use public toilets of their choice only after undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Begging is illegal in Singapore, but you'll occasionally see beggars on the streets. Most are not Singaporean — even the "monks" dressed in robes, who occasionally pester tourists for donations, are usually bogus.

While jaywalking is illegal, it is still a common thing and occurs quite often around the city. Beware though that if a police officer catches you, you might end up with a small fine. Put simply, the roads are designated for cars and the footpaths are for people.

Singapore's constitution pledges "freedom of expression", but in practice this right is severely curtailed, as a glance at the neutered domestic press will show. Police will not arrest you for expressing anti-government opinions in casual conversation with your friends, but foreigners in Singapore are not allowed to engage in any sort of political activity, including attending rallies or protests, regardless of the subject. The offence of scandalizing the court (contempt of court) is broadly defined, with any act or statement that could bring a court or judge into disrepute being liable for prosecution. There have been cases in which foreign journalists and jurists were convicted, so you should also avoid making comments regarding the judiciary.

Singapore is virtually immune to natural disasters: there are no fault lines nearby, although slight tremors from Indonesia's earthquakes can sometimes be felt from the upper storeys of buildings. Other landmasses shield it from tsunamis, and the local conditions are not conducive to the formation of typhoons and tornadoes (only one tornado has been recorded in Singapore's history). Flooding in the November–January monsoon season is an occasional hazard, especially in low-lying parts of the East Coast, but any water usually drains off within a day and life continues as normal.

Singapore is generally considered to be relatively free from corruption in both public and private life. Bribery is a very serious offence penalised with long jail terms together with fines and caning for men. Do not, under any circumstances, offer a bribe to a police officer or any other government employee since this will most likely result in your immediate arrest.

   

Singapore has made great efforts to ensure a peaceful integrated society; making disparaging remarks against any ethnicity or religion is a crime that carries a prison term. Bloggers have been arrested and sentenced to imprisonment for making racist remarks on their blogs, and religious leaders have also gotten into trouble with the law for insulting other religions in their sermons.

The Jehovah's Witnesses sect is banned for locals in Singapore (due to their avoidance of military service) but this does not affect tourists in any way.

Singapore has very strict firearms laws, and unauthorised possession of firearms is punishable by long jail terms at best, and at worst could even result in the death penalty for assumed arms trafficking. Air-soft guns are also prohibited, and possession of them without a licence will land you in jail for up to 3 years.

Licences to purchase and own firearms are generally only granted for sporting purposes (i.e. for target shooting), and would generally require you to be a member of a registered shooting club. Firearms must be stored securely at a shooting range, and bringing one out of the shooting range is generally illegal unless you have received special permission in advance.

Visitors who wish to bring firearms in are required to apply for a permit in advance, though in practice these permits are only granted for official shooting competitions. You will also be required to travel under police escort from the port of entry to the shooting range, where you will have to securely store your firearm until you leave the country.