Singapore on a Chinese Licence — Left-Side Driving, IDP & Demerit Points

For a Chinese driver, Singapore is a clean, orderly place to take the wheel — wide lanes, clear English signage and low, well-policed limits. The two things to settle first are the change of driving side and the permit, and there is a quirk on alcohol worth understanding.

Left-side driving is the main adjustment

China drives on the right; Singapore drives on the left. That reversal is what catches most visitors, usually within the first hour — drifting wide after a turn, misreading a lane, or glancing the wrong way at a junction. The stalks for indicators and wipers are often swapped too. Ease out of the rental lot slowly and the instinct flips within a day. The Singapore driving guide covers the local junction layout.

You need an IDP

A Chinese licence is non-EU, so for Singapore you should carry an International Driving Permit with your licence and passport. Rental desks will ask for it, and it avoids any dispute at a check. Arrange it at home before you fly; it cannot be obtained on arrival. The Driving Permit Checker confirms this for your trip.

Alcohol relaxes — but the points and tolls don’t

China’s 0.02 is strict; Singapore’s 0.08 is technically more lenient, but enforcement and penalties are heavy, so do not read it as a green light. The bigger surprises are elsewhere: a modest overspeed runs about SGD 150 (roughly EUR 100) plus 4 demerit points, with cameras throughout, and Electronic Road Pricing gantries deduct a toll automatically as you drive — your rental needs a working in-vehicle unit and a loaded card. You can estimate a penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

Limits are 50 km/h in town and up to 90 km/h on expressways. Fuel is around EUR 1.98/litre, and the emergency number is 999 (medical and fire on 995). Car ownership is deliberately expensive here, which is why nearly all visitors rent.