Singapore's Healthcare System: Public, Private, Prices for Foreigners and Emergencies

Singapore finances health through individual responsibility, backed by the State. The Ministry of Health (MOH) presents three complementary schemes: MediSave, a health savings account that pays part of the costs; MediShield Life, insurance against large hospital bills; MediFund, a safety net for citizens in difficulty after subsidies, insurance and MediSave. To these are added the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), which eases routine care, and CareShield Life, long-term care insurance. All these schemes target citizens and permanent residents (MOH).

On the care provision side, two sectors coexist. The public sector comprises polyclinics and public hospitals, called restructured hospitals, such as Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National University Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital and Alexandra Hospital. The MOH counts more than 12,000 beds in public hospitals and announces 13 public acute hospitals and 12 community hospitals in the early 2030s. The private sector comprises GP practices, medical centres, specialist clinics and private hospitals, which expats use widely.

The MOH specifies that MediShield Life covers all citizens and permanent residents, including the very elderly and those with a pre-existing condition, and that it covers large hospital bills as well as certain costly outpatient treatments such as dialysis and chemotherapy. MediFund requires being a Singapore citizen, a subsidised patient, treated in an approved institution and in financial difficulty. Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, which feed MediSave, are due from employees who are citizens and permanent residents. A French national on an Employment Pass or S Pass does not contribute to it, and therefore has neither MediSave nor MediShield Life.

The same logic applies to subsidies. According to the MOH, foreign patients receive no inpatient subsidy, whatever the ward class, and may pay up to 30% more than the unsubsidised rate of a local private patient in public hospitals (2012 statement); citizens benefit from subsidies of up to 80% in subsidised wards. These benchmarks date from several years ago and the current rates, published by each institution, are authoritative.

In practice, an expat is therefore treated with employer insurance, the CFE (the French social security fund for expatriates) or international health insurance. The guide to healthcare systems around the world helps place this model.

France Diplomatie indicates that it is easy to see a local doctor in the many walk-in medical centres, and that health conditions match European standards. For a foreigner, three entry points exist:

• GP practice or private medical centre: walk-in access and a free tariff, set by the practice. This is the most common choice for minor ailments.
• Public polyclinic: for general medicine, vaccines and follow-ups. In the public SingHealth group, a doctor’s consultation costs 19.60 SGD for a citizen, 39.70 SGD for a permanent resident and 90.36 SGD for a non-resident, VAT included.
• Specialist: in a private clinic or at a public hospital. At SGH, a non-resident’s first consultation costs 288.78 SGD with a senior doctor, 252.23 SGD with a consultant and 221.62 SGD with an associate practitioner or a resident; follow-up consultations cost 207.31, 182.65 and 154.17 SGD respectively. A private patient of the hospital pays from 170.48 to 222.14 SGD for a first consultation.

Medicines, imaging tests and dental care follow each provider’s rates: the page on healthcare reimbursement in Singapore details them item by item.

The MOH publishes the median hospital bills for each type of stay, hospital by hospital. The amounts are VAT included and before insurance; those of public hospitals are after subsidy if any, which makes Class A, the only unsubsidised class, the best basis for comparison for a foreigner. The amounts rest on citizens’ bills: a foreigner pays the unsubsidised rate, possibly increased in public hospitals.

For a respiratory infection with severe complications, the median bill is 11,456 SGD in Class A of a public hospital, against 38,867 SGD in a private hospital, with a range of 23,892 to 57,765 SGD (updated on 2 October 2026). A vaginal delivery comes to 6,024 SGD in public Class A and 10,815 SGD in private inpatient care. The table below brings these price benchmarks together.

The difference comes down to comfort (one- or two-bed room, choice of doctor) as much as to care. The choice between public and private should be discussed with the insurer, because the network, direct billing and annual ceiling vary by contract; the guide on checking the partner network details the method.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) answers 995 for life-threatening situations: cardiac arrest, seizures, severe breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding, serious trauma, stroke. It does not bill the emergencies it takes to hospital, whereas a non-urgent transport is billed 274 SGD. For non-urgent situations, the SCDF directs you to a doctor’s practice or to the NurseFirst line (6262 6262).

The 1777 line, which served non-urgent ambulances, will end on 1 January 2027; you will then need to contact NurseFirst or a private ambulance operator (SCDF). At the hospital, an SGH emergency department visit is billed 172.90 SGD to a non-resident (consultation, nursing care, tests and basic treatment included), excluding hospitalisation and additional procedures.

The French embassy (+65 68 80 78 00) does not cover medical costs: France Diplomatie recommends holding an assistance contract or insurance that covers all costs, surgery and hospitalisation included, as well as medical repatriation. The page on repatriation and assistance presents this cover.

For Work Permit and S Pass holders, the MOM requires the employer to buy and maintain insurance of at least 60,000 SGD a year, covering hospitalisation and day surgery, including for conditions unrelated to work, without passing the cost on to the employee. An employee contribution, capped at 10% of the fixed monthly salary for 6 months at most per 2-year employment period, must appear in the contract with their agreement. The reform came in two stages: the ceiling was raised to 60,000 SGD on 1 July 2023, with a 75% insurer and 25% employer split beyond 15,000 SGD of claim; then, on 1 July 2025, standardised exclusion clauses, premiums differentiated by age (50 and under, over 50) and direct payment of the hospital by the insurer. A Work Permit held by a person already covered as a Dependant’s Pass holder does not require a separate policy when the existing cover meets the rules.

For the Employment Pass, medical insurance is not part of the employer’s obligations: they choose whether to include it in the contract or to encourage the employee to insure themselves (MOM). A French manager therefore compares their contract against their needs (ceiling, network, family included, maternity); the page on reimbursement in Singapore details the cases, from the Employment Pass to secondment.

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes; its symptoms resemble those of flu (fever, headache, body aches, sometimes a rash). France Diplomatie stresses that there is no curative treatment, that only symptoms are managed, that you must see a doctor immediately if signs appear and that anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided. The national environment agency’s mobile app shows whether a home or hotel is in a dengue cluster. Vaccination is recommended in case of an active epidemic or a prolonged stay in an endemic area.

On vaccines, the French vaccination schedule should be up to date before departure; yellow fever requires a mandatory certificate only for travellers coming from at-risk countries, and France Diplomatie mentions other vaccines depending on the length of stay (hepatitis A, typhoid, hepatitis B, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis). A report of a rise in measles cases appears in the travel advice as of 13 March 2026. The guide on the medical questionnaire and medical history prepares you for taking out insurance.