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Singapore

Singapore

Singapore is often called the easiest city in Asia for family expat life: safe, green, incredibly organised. The flip side: a high cost of living and school admissions that need planning. Here is the essential picture.

Currency
Singapore dollar (S$)
Languages
English (plus Mandarin, Malay, Tamil)
Time vs Paris
6 to 7h ahead
Emergencies
995 (ambulance and fire)

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Accueil Singapour

Since 1975

The Association Française de Singapour, Accueil Singapour, has been helping French-speaking families discover the city since 1975: welcome breakfasts, neighbourhood discovery walks, sports activities and meetups for newcomers.

Where to meet them

Meetings by appointment (offices on Peck Seah Street, Tanjong Pagar).

Visit the association's website See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Welcome breakfasts for newcomers
  • Neighbourhood discovery walks and cultural outings
  • Sports activities and networking events
  • Practical guide and members newsletter

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE Singapour

    The Singapore chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger: a mutual-aid and social network, present at the French community's big gatherings (Chinese New Year at the Embassy, practical meetups).

    Visit the website
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Singapour

    The local Français du monde - ADFE section informs and supports French residents in Singapore with their paperwork and relays their concerns to the consular authorities.

    Email the chapter

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (FCCS)

The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore connects over 650 companies, a great network for a spouse looking for a job (job board), professional contacts and networking events to settle in quickly.

Visit the website CCI country page

The online community

The Facebook groups to join

Before you even land in Singapore, Facebook groups are the best shortcut: ask your questions, find a flat, a nanny, a second-hand stroller, and often your first friends.

  • Public In English

    Singapore Expats Group

    👥 126,600 members · ≈ 22 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expats in Singapore

    👥 117,500 members · ≈ 25 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    Expats In Singapore

    👥 87,200 members · ≈ 1,095 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    All About Singapore - Expats

    👥 64,099 members · ≈ 5 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    Singapore Expats Classifieds & Singapore Expatriates Group

    👥 45,700 members · ≈ 1,093 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔒 Private In French

    SingaFrog .:. le Forum des Français de Singapour

    👥 37,700 members · ≈ 36 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active 🔒 Private In English

    THE ORACLE SINGAPORE

    👥 31,700 members · ≈ 110 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    Expat - Singapore

    👥 30,700 members · ≈ 641 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔒 Private In English

    Singapore Expats

    👥 23,300 members · ≈ 4 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔒 Private In English

    Singapore Expat Women

    👥 18,700 members · ≈ 2 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public FR + EN

    French Expats in Singapore - Francais a Singapour

    👥 18,200 members · ≈ 19 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    Expats in Singapore

    👥 17,200 members · ≈ 313 posts/week

    View the group
💬 Explore the full group directory

Compiled from Facebook's public search, links checked in July 2026. Group sizes change all the time.

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

The Lycée Français de Singapour, AEFE-accredited, covers nursery to the French baccalaureate on one large campus. Around it, a rich international offering, but waiting lists are common.

Good to know

  • Plan ahead: for the French school and international schools alike, admissions are often settled a year in advance.
  • Local public schools are excellent but rarely accessible to foreign children.
  • Budget matters: school fees are one of the first items to negotiate in an expat package.
  • School buses are the norm, booked through dedicated operators.

Children's healthcare

The standard of care is outstanding, public and private alike. But nothing is free for foreign residents: health insurance is the first thing to sort out.

Good to know

  • Get insurance covering hospitalisation before you arrive; check maternity cover if a baby is on the horizon.
  • KK Women's and Children's Hospital is the main public reference for paediatrics.
  • Private paediatric clinics are everywhere and appointments come fast.
  • Some vaccinations are mandatory for children living in Singapore; French records are recognised, translated if needed.

French-speaking community

The French community in Singapore is large, close-knit and very organised. You settle in fast, sometimes faster than you expected.

Good to know

  • Accueil Singapour (FIAFE network) runs welcome coffees, activities and tours all year round.
  • River Valley, Holland Village and the East Coast are home to many French-speaking families.
  • Facebook and WhatsApp groups of French mums respond fast on practical questions.
  • The Alliance française offers a media library and cultural activities for children.

Family outings and events

Outdoors all year: hot and humid, yes, but the city is designed for children, from free splash pads to vast landscaped parks.

Good to know

  • Zoo, Night Safari, Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa: the iconic outings already fill several weekends.
  • East Coast Park is the family playground: cycling, beach, playgrounds and barbecues.
  • Public libraries (NLB) are beautiful, free, with remarkable children's areas.
  • Many malls have free play areas and splash pads, lifesavers in the hottest hours.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

The arrival reflex

The apps to download when you land

Drop your bags, download these and you're set: the apps everyone in Singapore uses to get around, get things delivered and organise daily life.

Getting around

Food delivery

  • foodpanda

    The pink delivery giant: restaurants, hawker food and small grocery runs, with the pandapro subscription that quickly pays for itself.

    App Store Google Play

  • GrabFood

    Grab's built-in food delivery: with foodpanda, one of the two leaders since Deliveroo left, with strong hawker-stall coverage and no extra app to download.

    App Store Google Play

Groceries

  • FairPrice Group

    The app of NTUC FairPrice, the national supermarket chain: online groceries, home delivery and some of the gentlest prices on the island.

    App Store Google Play

  • Lazada

    Home of RedMart, the online supermarket expats swear by: big basket deliveries in time slots, fresh food and imported products.

    App Store Google Play

  • Cold Storage

    The expat go-to for imported and Western products: online ordering, home delivery and strong fresh aisles, a nice complement to FairPrice.

    App Store Google Play

Everyday life

  • Singpass

    Singapore's national digital identity, essential once you have your residence pass: government paperwork, school and healthcare all run through it.

    App Store Google Play

  • DBS PayLah!

    The most widely used mobile wallet: pay the babysitter back or settle at the hawker stall via PayNow, the local instant transfer.

    App Store Google Play

  • Chope

    The local go-to for booking restaurants, with vouchers and solid discounts outside peak hours.

    App Store Google Play

  • Carousell

    Singapore's answer to Craigslist: furniture, strollers and school uniforms all change hands here as expat families come and go.

    App Store Google Play

Coming soon: the full Singapore guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the Singapore page first.

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