The Singapore Traffic Police announced on 14 July that they have started a trial to let Malaysian drivers submit an online application to convert their foreign driving licences to a Singapore license. The purpose of the trial is to reduce the waiting and transaction times at the Traffic Police headquarters.
Of course, successful applicants will still need to go down to the HQ to provide physical copies of documents and make the necessary payment, but the online process will make sure that applicants actually meet the eligibility criteria before showing up. The Traffic Police have provided a convenient flowchart of the process, starting with Malaysian driving licence holders going to this link to submit their applications.
Once you’ve submitted the necessary information such as your email, you will receive instructions on submitting the supporting documents. Following that, you will get a response within 10 working days on whether or not you need to re-submit the documents and if you are eligible for the conversion in the first place.
If and when you get the greenlight, you will receive an appointment date and time to go to the HQ and provide the original documents for verification. Once it is processed, successful applicants should receive a hardcopy license within 10 days. However, you can access the Digital Driving Licence by the next working day if you have a SingPass account, which can be used to drive immediately.
The conversion will have a processing fee of S$50.00 (~RM160) and before even applying, you will need to pass the Basic Theory Test (BTT) at any of the driving centres in Singapore. Additionally, a JPJ letter detailing both the classes and issue date of the license is also required.
Keep in mind that you only need to convert your driving licence to a Singaporean one if you are planning to stay in the country for longer than a year. Because of this, a letter of employment will also be needed for permit holders.
(Source: Singapore Police Force)
