Australians Driving in Singapore 2026: Left Side, Carry IDP
Australia
Singapore
Yes, with a 1949 IDP carried alongside your Australian licence. Singapore keeps left, so no side switch. Expressways stop at 90 km/h, and drink-driving can mean prison.
An Australian picking up a hire car in Singapore has one big advantage: traffic keeps to the left, exactly as at home. No mirrored roundabouts and no wrong-way glances at junctions. The adjustments are paperwork, pace and how seriously the city takes its traffic law.
Licence and IDP
Carry an International Driving Permit with your Australian licence. Global Affairs Canada says visitors must carry one, and the UK government’s permit table lists the 1949 IDP for Singapore, needed for car hire and for stays longer than 30 days. Australia and Singapore are both parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention, and that is the permit your state motoring club issues. If you end up living in Singapore for more than 12 months, the licence must be converted to a Singapore one. The driving permit checker covers other destinations.
Slower roads, strict enforcement
Expressways are capped at 90 km/h, below what you are used to at home, and Ottawa notes that traffic regulations are strictly enforced. Frequent showers make roads slippery, and drivers do not usually yield to pedestrians, so take extra care at crossings when you are on foot too.
Alcohol
Singapore’s limit is 0.08%, which is looser on paper than Australia’s 0.05%. Do not read that as permission: Ottawa notes that drink-driving can bring up to 10 years in prison, and the UK Foreign Office says police run regular breath tests. Do not drink if you are driving.
Emergencies: police 999, ambulance 995. The Singapore driving guide has the rest, and the speeding fine calculator gives a rough idea of penalties.
Sources
- Global Affairs Canada, Singapore travel advice (carry an IDP; convert after 12 months; traffic on the left; strict enforcement; up to 10 years for drink-driving; 999/995): travel.gc.ca
- GOV.UK, international driving permit table (Singapore: 1949 IDP for car hire and stays over 30 days): gov.uk
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Singapore safety and security (regular breath tests): gov.uk
- WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Singapore and Australia profiles (90 km/h motorway; 0.08 and 0.05 g/dl): who.int, who.int
- UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Australia 1954, Singapore 1972): treaties.un.org
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as a visitor, with an International Driving Permit. Global Affairs Canada says visitors must carry one, and the UK permit table lists the 1949 IDP, needed for car hire and for stays over 30 days. Australia issues the 1949 permit; take it with your licence and passport. Anyone living in Singapore for more than 12 months must convert to a local licence.
The left, the same as Australia. There is no side switch, which removes the most common cause of tourist mistakes.
Expressways are capped at 90 km/h, lower than most Australian motorways, and the alcohol limit is 0.08%, looser on paper than Australia's 0.05%. Drink-driving is still treated harshly: Ottawa notes sentences of up to 10 years in prison, so do not drink and drive.