Driving licence in Singapore

A driving licence in Singapore is required before a person is allowed to drive a motor vehicle of any description on a road in the country. Like many other countries in the world, an individual must possess a valid driving licence before being permitted to drive on the road, and driving licence holders are subject to all traffic rules.

The minimum age to drive a motor vehicle and getting a Qualified Driving Licence (QDL) in Singapore is 18 years old. The driving licence is for the normal lifespan of a person, but continued eligibility to drive requires a medical clearance after reaching the age of 65.

For those who accumulated 13 demerit points and above within the one year probationary period, the licence will be revoked. Driving licences in Singapore are administered by the Traffic Police (TP) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

Classes of driving licence
The classification of motor vehicles and eligibility of a driving licence in Singapore is as follows:

Theory tests
There are three main theory tests in Singapore. Candidates must answer 45 questions correctly out of 50 (90%), and the questions are at random from a pool of hundreds on a selection of relevant topics.


 * Basic Theory Test (BTT) — Valid for a lifetime unless revoked, suspended or disqualified by TP.
 * Final Theory Test (FTT) — Valid for 2 years unless revoked, suspended or disqualified by TP.
 * Riding Theory Test (RTT) — Valid for 1 year unless revoked, suspended or disqualified by TP. Additional requirement for Class 2B.

Types of driving licence

 * Provisional driving licence (PDL) — possessed by learners in driving schools. A PDL can only be applied after passing the BTT and paying $25, which can be taken at any of the established driving schools in Singapore. This restricted licence itself carries several restrictions and failure to adhere to them will lead to an immediate revocation of the PDL.
 * A certified driving instructor must be present to guide the learner driver, and they are strictly not allowed to drive by themselves.
 * A learner driver can only learn to drive around the vicinity of the driving schools where the test routes are held and are not allowed to use the expressways/semi-expressways as well as some busier roads such as those in the Central Business District (CBD), Orchard Road and Victoria Street, among others.
 * A "L" plate must be visibly placed at the front and rear of the car.
 * A PDL is valid for 2 years from the date of grant and can be renewed subsequently for every 2 years. Prior to 1 December 2017, a PDL was valid for 6 months and renewable every 6 months.
 * People above the age of 65 will be required to pass a medical examination when they apply for or renew their PDLs.


 * Only upon the passing of a FTT (as well as RTT for Class 2B) that the learner driver can then proceed to attempt the practical driving test.


 * Qualified driving licence (QDL) — full licence. On passing the practical driving test, the learner may now apply for a QDL for $50. The licence holder will subsequently undergo a 1-year probation period, in which they are required to display the high-visibility probationary licence plate which is triangular in shape, at the top right portion of the front windscreen and the rear windscreen, as seen from the outside of the vehicle. If the licence holder accumulates more than 12 demerit points within the probationary year, the licence will be revoked. Failure to display the probationary license plates will also cause the offending driver to receive a fine for the first time, then an immediate revocation of their license for the subsequent time.


 * Vocational driving licence (VDL) — a special driving licence for commercial vehicle drivers of taxis and buses. There are three types of VDL: bus driver vocational licence, private hire car driver vocational license, and taxi driver vocational licence. To apply for the bus driver vocational licence, the applicant must have a Class 3 Singapore driving licence with at least one year's driving experience, a clean driving and criminal record and be at least 21 years old. To apply for the taxi driver vocational licence, the applicant must be a Singapore citizen of at least 30 years of age and have a qualified Class 3 Singapore driving licence with at least one year's driving experience and a clean driving and criminal record. To apply for the private hire car driver vocational licence, the applicant must be a Singapore citizen of at least 30 years of age and have a qualified Class 3 Singapore driving licence with at least one years' driving experience and a clean driving and criminal record.

Conversion of overseas driving licence
Foreigners holding foreign driving licence and intend to remain in Singapore for less than twelve months are not required to convert their foreign driving licence to a Singaporean driving licence. They may drive in Singapore with a valid foreign driving licence. However, if the licence is not in English, in addition to a valid foreign driving licence, they are required to have an International Driving Permit (IDP). If an IDP is not available, an official translation of the driving licence in English is required.

Foreigners from selected Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries need to possess a valid driving licence to drive in Singapore but would not need to require an IDP. To convert to a Singaporean driving licence, the foreigner is required to pass the BTT for familiarisation of traffic rules and Singapore's Highway Code pertaining to traffic related issues specific to Singapore. A Singaporean Permanent Resident (PR) who wishes to drive in Singapore is required to convert their foreign driving licence to a Singaporean one after becoming a PR or they will not be considered licensed to drive.

Validity of the Singaporean driving license overseas
The Singaporean driving license is valid without the need of an International Driving Permit (IDP) in the countries of ASEAN, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Israel, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia and the United Kingdom.

Costs
In Singapore, it is not unusual to end up cumulatively paying about S$3,000 to S$4,000 towards a Class 3 or 3A driving license, owing to the vast number of courses, tests and simulations required. Such costs may end up being much higher if the practical driving test was not passed on the first try, as the test itself ranges about SGD$320 to SGD$550 or if additional lessons are required to reach driving competency. As of 2024, the first timer passing rate for Class 3 and 3A averages around 37% and 46% respectively.