The Republic of Singapore, Southeast Asia’s Lion City – a city, an island, and a country in one. It’s one of just three city-states left in the world and today it’s a major center of business, innovation, and commerce. It’s truly cosmopolitan and multicultural with a vibrant society you won’t get anywhere else in the world. It’s famous for amazing food, culture, incredible architecture, and clean-edged modernity.

And because it’s just under three hours from Hong Kong, and close to so many of Asia’s holiday destinations, it’s an ideal place to situate yourself for both business and beautiful vacations – after, of course, you’ve explored what Singapore has to offer (as well as the main island, it has 62 islets). Its tropical climate means some beautiful gardens and interesting animals. If you need to escape the humidity you can retreat into an air-conditioned building or head to one of many beautiful beaches. While Singapore’s strict regulations could be a culture shock depending on where you’re coming from, you can also expect a clean, well-organized, and safe city.

Moving to Singapore checklist

For a detailed week by week checklist, click here

• Have your passport and papers in order
• Decide what belongings you need to take with you, check regulations, and arrange shipment
• Sort out some insurance
• Get some local currency and have a bank in mind
• If you don’t already have a job, do some job hunting
• If you have kids, start the school enrolment process
• Think about your priorities for where you want to live and do some research
• Sort out somewhere to stay for at least the first couple of weeks