Best Credit Cards for Foreigners / Expats in Singapore (2023)

There are some people who are die-hard fans of American Express purely because of its famous concierge service - and for new-in-town expats, it is certainly a wonderful service to access.

Note that Amex does not have a huge presence in Singapore and is not as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard. You won't have a problem paying with it at major retailers, hotels and restaurants, but smaller businesses may not accept Amex.

That said, one of their best credit card offerings here is the Amex Platinum Credit Card. Though it comes with a hefty annual fee of over $300, it is perfectly possible to recoup the fee thanks to the amazing dining deals you can get with it.

Under the Amex "Love Dining" programme, cardholders can get 50% off the food bill at some of the fanciest restaurants in town. It also entitles you to drink deals such as free drinks at cocktail bars. In short, this card will make you feel like a VIP when you wine and dine around Singapore.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$80,000

Now, if you are not fond of having to deal with multiple credit cards, the HSBC Revolution Credit Card is a good compromise. It's also a rewards card that lets you earned points, which can later be converted to miles.

The HSBC Revolution Credit Card gives you 4 miles per S$1 spent on a whole bunch of categories, both online and offline. Online spending includes online shopping, flights and hotels, movies, concert tickets, taxi booking, food delivery, even insurance premiums. And offline, you get points on dining and entertainment.

With no minimum spending requirement and no cap on points earned, there's absolutely no need to micromanage your spending, which is a real bonus.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$40,000

If you frequently use Grab to get around, order lunch on Deliveroo every day, get your groceries on RedMart or Amazon Prime, and Netflix is your primary source of entertainment - then you are most definitely a digital native and would fit right into Singapore.

For those who love tech and rely on apps to get anything done, the Citibank Rewards Card is the perfect match. It gives you a whopping 4 miles per S$1 spent on online transactions, which covers... well, just about everything in Singapore. The same earn rate extends to offline shopping at fashion and department stores.

However, there are a few glaring omissions in an otherwise perfect card. You won't get the bonus points on travel bookings (even online ones) and on dining out. In addition, the 4 miles per S$1 rate is capped at S$1,000 a month. So, while the Citi Rewards Card makes a great everyday credit card, you'll probably also want to get another card for your travel and dining spending.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$42,000

Don't be fooled by its name - the DBS Woman's World Card is open to both men and women, as long as you are earning S$80,000 p.a. and up.

Regardless of gender, if you're a breadwinner or high spender, you'll definitely want to consider this card. It is similar to the Citi Rewards Card in that you get 4 miles per S$1 spent on online transactions, so that's your Grab rides, food delivery, online groceries, ClassPass subscription etc. covered.

This also extends to online travel bookings, which means you can rack up a substantial amount of miles if you use this to book your flights and hotels. The points are capped at S$2,000 a month instead of Citibank's S$1,000.

However, the DBS Woman's World Card does not cover offline dining and entertainment, so if you spend a lot on those, you may want to look into the other cards on this list.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$80,000. Employment Pass holders only

If you accepted a job here thinking that it makes an awesome base for exploring all of Asia, you're right: With tons of budget flights, ferries and even trains going everywhere around the region, you'll be tempted to travel almost every weekend. If you foresee lots of travel expenses during your stay in Singapore, you definitely need a miles card.

Our pick of the most well-rounded miles card in Singapore for expats is the Citi PremierMiles Card. It's super straightforward to use. There's no minimum spend and you can charge anything you want to it; everything gets either 1.2 miles per $1 (local) or 2 miles per $1 (overseas). Plus, the miles don't expire. Oh, and it gives you airport lounge access too.

Being one of the most recognised international banks in Singapore, Citibank is the go-to credit card issuer for many expats. Their entry requirements for foreigners are fairly relaxed as well.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$42,000

Another great contender for the miles card slot in your wallet is the DBS Altitude Card, which is similar to the Citi PremierMiles Card in many ways: It has the same earn rates, no-expiry miles, first-year annual fee waiver, etc.

But if you love to spontaneously travel to destinations around Asia, this credit card can give you a bit more mileage: 3 miles per S$1 spent on all online flights and hotel bookings. You can go ahead and book on Scoot or Expedia or Airbnb, whichever has the best deal. This is capped at S$5,000 a month.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$45,000. Employment Pass holders only

Unlike cards with minimum spend required, the OCBC 90°N MasterCard Get lets you enjoy cash rebates at up to 2.1% from your earned miles (in terms of Travel$) with no minimum spend needed and no caps.

Moreover, the miles earn rate for this card is up to 7 miles (in terms of Travel$), 2.1 miles for every $1 spent on foreign currency spending and 3 miles for every $1 spent on online entertainment. What’s more, there’s no expiry for your Travel$ accumulated, which can be converted to loyalty points and be used at airline and hotel programs.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$45,000. Employment Pass holders only

If you're an expat who likes to travel often between Singapore and other destinations, you may like DCS CASHBACK card's complimentary access to nearly 1,300 airport lounges across 600+ cities in 140 countries worldwide, including Changi Airport Terminal 1, 2, 3 and 4.

On top of that, you’ll enjoy 5% cash rebate for all eligible transactions with a minimum spending of S$400 (per month) on your DCS CASHBACK Regular Credit Card.

Eligibility for foreigners: Minimum annual income of S$60,000.