14 Singapore Laws You Should Know Before You Go

Singapore is an extremely interesting and diverse country. For such a tiny little place, found at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is overflowing with multi-cultural traditions, iconic attractions, a mixture of local and international cuisines, languages and suburbs, thousands of off-the-beaten-track islands and more gardens then you probably have time to visit.

While Singapore is one of the safest and cleanest places to visit in Asia, and often a highlight for families travelling with young children, they also have some very strange, very specific laws that could get you in trouble if you’re not aware of them.

Some of them effect extremely common human habits, such as chewing gum and being naked in your own house! To make sure you don’t land yourself in hot water here are some of the more out there laws in Singapore that you should know before you go, and a guide of what not to do in Singapore.

Just a disclaimer: We absolutely love Singapore and know that LOTS of countries have crazy laws that might not make a lot of sense to international travellers. For example, did you know that it’s illegal to possess more than 50 kilos of potatoes in Western Australia! These are just some observations we thought would be helpful for other travellers.

sunset at marina bay sands singapore

1. Walking naked in your house is illegal in Singapore

Punishment: S$2,000 fine or up to 3 months in prison

Apparently, walking around your house naked is considered a form of pornography. And since pornography is illegal in Singapore, being naked in your house is as well, because it may cause a disturbance to your neighbours. So always close your curtains if you’re taking your clothes off!

2. Chewing gum is illegal in Singapore

Punishment: Selling chewing gum can result in fines of $100,000 or up to 2 years in prison

Probably the most well-known of the laws is Singapore’s chewing gum law. Chewing gum in Singapore is completely forbidden. This also includes the sale of chewing gum, importing or bringing chewing gum into Singapore and spitting it out is the worst crime of all.

READ MORE:
8 Places To Spend The Day In Singapore

3. Smoking is forbidden almost everywhere in Singapore

Punishment: S$150 – S$1,000 fine

Smoking is banned from many places in Singapore including any indoor locations, public transport, interchange bus shelters, 5 metres away from bus shelters, public toilets, public pools, public eating areas, night entertainment including bars, clubs and pubs, common outdoor areas like playgrounds and markets, exercise areas, 5 metres away from any entrance or exit and even carparks! Really, the only safe space to smoke is in your own house (but only as long as your neighbours don’t complain) or in designated smoking rooms. Just best not to light up I’d say.

Still keen on hitting Singapore? Check out the best flight deals for your dates

orchid road at christmas time singapore

4. You can’t make noise after 10pm

Punishment: Fines up to S$2,000

No group gatherings, loud family dinners or crazy parties after 10pm in Singapore, it is actually considered illegal. If the police are called and you don’t have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for your noise you could be issued a fine.

5. If you don’t flush the toilet

Punishment: S$150 – S$500 fine

Officials actually conduct random checks in public toilets to make sure people flush after they go. You could actually be looking at a fine if you fail to do so, so make sure you double check before you leave your cubical.

READ MORE:
An Essential Guide To Singapore

6. Connecting to another persons wifi

Punishment: S$10,000 fine or up to 3 years in prison

Wow, tough one for those travellers that are just desperate for any free wifi they can find! Apparently if you connect to someone’s unsecured wifi in Singapore it’s considered hacking and can result in serious punishments. Surely not?!

7. Being gay in Singapore is illegal

Punishment: Up to 2 years in prison

Definitely the worst of all Singapore laws, male homosexuality is illegal and includes everything from having sex with a member of the same gender, to holding hands and kissing or hugging in public. Surprisingly, the wording of the laws only specifies male homosexuality, so I’m not sure what that means for females? There is a movement building though, with people who are actively trying to have this law overturned, but for now unfortunately it is still in place.

china town singapore

8. Annoying someone with a musical instrument or singing in public

Punishment: Up to 3 months in prison

Singapore seems to take not irritating others in public places very seriously, with both fines or imprisonment the punishment for either singing lyrics (specifically, if they contain swear words), or playing a musical instrument in a way that’s likely to cause annoyance to another person.

9. Graffiti around Singapore

Punishment: Caning

There’s definitely no street art lane way scene in Singapore, graffiti vandalism can get you arrested or even caned! An old school punishment, but definitely one that is still being threatened in modern Singapore today, with reports of caning being threatened to a group of American tourists as recently as 2014.

READ MORE:
Stepping Into The Future at Gardens By The Bay

10. Feeding pigeons in Singapore

Punishment: S$500 fine

Bird lovers be careful, you might not think twice before sharing your lunch crumbs with the local pigeons but if you’re caught in Singapore it will definitely cost you.

11. Any type of drug related activity

Punishment: S$20,000 fines, up to 10 years in prison or the death penalty

Not uncommon in many countries around the world, and certainly not crazy by any means, but if you’re caught trafficking or in the possession of drugs during your time in Singapore penalties range from fines up to S$20,000 to 10 years in prison, and in very extreme cases even the death penalty.

The unique part of this law to point out though, is that Singapore officials have the right to conduct anonymous and random drug tests to anyone without a warrant and if you’re caught with drugs in your system you can also be looking at penalties. This also means that any drugs taken before you enter Singapore that could still be in your system will put you at risk.

Not phased because you hate pigeons and drugs too? Find the best hotel deals for your getaway

chinatown in singapore

12. Drinking alcohol and partying between 10:30pm and 7am

Punishment: Fines up to S$2,000

If you’re planning to have a BBQ or party that might continue after 10:30pm you actually have to get a permit from the government! This is actually one of the newest of the crazy laws, only passing at the beginning of 2015.

13. Committing suicide is illegal in Singapore

Punishment: … a bit hard to say

A tough one to punish as you have already inflicted the ultimate punishment on yourself, but suicide is in fact illegal in Singapore.

READ MORE:
Chasing Waterfalls Across Luang Prabang

14. Flying a kite that interferes with public traffic

Punishment: S$5,000+ fine

This one I can actually agree with. So many catastrophic things can go wrong if people are playing and not paying attention near roads, so it does make sense that you would get in trouble if you mess with traffic. They’re not messing around either, with fines upwards of $5,000.

What are some of the craziest laws from around the world you’ve come across? Comment below! 

This post was published in 2018.

Explore more of our adventures through Singapore

Pin for later >>

14 crazy laws to know before you go to singapore

Happy travels,



If you enjoyed this post, we'd love you to SHARE it for us!

Follow us on Instagram @EXPLORESHAW to see our latest adventures around Australia.

CHECK OUT OUR TRAVEL FAVOURITES:

Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Camera
Ultimate Weekends Australia
La Tan Coconut Sunscreen
Nikon Z fc Mirrorless Camera
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone
Frank Green Insulated Drink Bottle
Manfrotto Tripod
Lonely Planet Australia Travel Guide
Will & Bear – Calloway Fawn Hat
Sony RX100 VI Camera
Bushmans with Sunscreen
Havianas Slim Thongs in Rose Gold
Australia Planning Map
Casetify Tropical Palm Neon Sands iPhone Case
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter, for blog posts and updates emailed straight to your inbox!

Use THIS LINK for $25 AUD off your next hotel stay with booking.com, or THIS LINK for $55 AUD off your first booking with airbnb.

Emma is a travel writer, photographer and blogger, chasing the sun around Australia. Travelling in her recently renovated vintage Viscount caravan, along with her husband Thom and daughter Macey, she's sharing the very best experiences from around her beloved sunburnt country.

All posts
  • Kaspars Misins September 22, 2018 at 12:29 am

    Crazy… But it seems to be working, because in a way Singapore is one of the (if not the best) best cities I’ve been to.

    • Emma Shaw September 24, 2018 at 8:28 am

      It’s definitely working, we absolutely loved Singapore too! 🙂

  • Su March 15, 2020 at 11:41 am

    Singapore is not crazy. It’s the best place to be in the whole world. Safest, righteous, law abiding. A gem of a place to copy. Criminals are dealt with true carriage of Justice. Lots of choices the hub of all new developments. Wat else do you want. For all this conveniences obviously there’s rules to abide by. Nothing wrong living by rules n regulation. Freedom to do as you like it is breeding place for miscreants who run wild. We say in Singlish boh Cheng hu……

    • Emma Shaw March 15, 2020 at 5:47 pm

      Hi Su,
      I think you might have missed the point of this article. We don’t think Singapore is crazy, we really loved Singapore and we say so on our blog many times. However, some of the laws in Singapore (like chewing gum or singing in public) is not something that is considered illegal in other countries, and you could easily get in trouble in Singapore if you did not know about that rule. We are saying that everyone should respect the laws of Singapore and abide by them when they are in the country and trying to help others be aware of things they might not know about. However, some of these rules are a little extreme and crazy and that’s all we mean by the title of this article.

  • Maddison October 28, 2020 at 4:52 am

    It is one of the most futuristic places to be!! So amazing 🤩

  • Chinonso May 12, 2021 at 1:00 am

    I really really love singapore

  • We're travelling around Australia, exploring all the best destinations and experiences our beautiful country has to offer. We'd love to have you along for the ride!

    ultimate weekends australia

    Member of:

    SUBSCRIBE


    for all the best bits

    on the site

    latest posts