International students should familiarize themselves with important Singapore law and regulations during their stay in Singapore.
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) Regulations
All international students issued with a Student’s Pass must fulfil all the requirements stipulated below:
- A student must attend a minimum of 90% of scheduled course hours, or not be absent from the course for 7 consecutive days.
- A student should spend an average of 5 hours in the school per school day, attending classes and tutorials, participating in enrichment activities and self-studies.
- A student must not engage in any form of paid or unpaid activities that may contravene the stipulated conditions (including those stated in the Student’s Pass application form, In-Principle Approval letter and Student’s Pass card) in which a Student’s Pass is issued (e.g. illegal employment).
- A student must not remain in Singapore after the expiry date of the Student’s Pass. Stalford Academy shall inform the ICA of his/her means and the date of departure.
- A student is only permitted to attend the course after his/her Student’s Pass has been approved by the ICA.
- A student must not be retained as a student in any other College or School or course/s other than that indicated in the Student’s Pass.
- A student must surrender his/her Student’s Pass for cancellation within seven days from the date of cessation or termination of his/her studies or course/s.
Please refer to the ICA website at www.ica.gov.sg for further details of the ICA regulations.
Littering
Littering is strictly prohibited in Singapore. First-time offenders will face a fine of up to S$2,000, while repeat offenders will face a fine of up to S$4,000 in addition to Corrective Work Order (CWO), and $10,000 for the third and subsequent convictions. CWO mandates offenders to pick litter and clean up a public area under the scrutiny of the general public. The local media may also be invited to put such offenders in a bad light. Students are strongly advised against any act of littering.
Chewing Gum
The import, sale, and possession of chewing gum are strictly banned in Singapore. Students are strongly advised not to bring any chewing gum into the country, even if it is for their own personal consumption.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in the majority of indoor locations in Singapore — including cinemas, air conditioned shopping malls and offices, bus interchanges and shelters, swimming pools, sports stadiums, etc. Designated smoking areas are allowed in certain premises such as eating establishments and entertainment outlets. As of 1 January 2021, the minimum age for smoking in Singapore is 21 years old. First-time offenders face fine of up to S$1,000.
Please refer to singaporelegaladvice.com for more information.
Drugs
The death penalty is mandatory for those convicted of trafficking, manufacturing, importing or exporting more than 15g of heroin, 30g of morphine, 30g of cocaine, 500g of cannabis, 200g of cannabis resin and 1.2kg of opium. If you possess these quantities of drugs, you are deemed to be a trafficker and will be subjected to the death penalty. For unauthorised consumption, there is a maximum of 10 years’ jail or fine of S$20,000, or both.
Please refer to singaporelegaladvice.com for more information.
Driving
Please refer to expatliving.sg for more information on obtaining a driving license in Singapore, along with the traffic rules and regulations.
Drinking
The legal drinking age in Singapore is 18. Drinking alcohol in public places from 10.30pm to 7am has been banned since 1 April 2015. Two Liquor Control Zones in Little India and Geylang have also been established. Please refer to the following website for more details: www.police.gov.sg