Pregnant in Singapore as an expat: the first things to do
Two decisions come before any paperwork: public or private, and what your cover pays. As a foreigner the subsidised public rates are not yours, so the private route is not the extravagance it sounds — but read the policy first, because the difference between a S$5,000 employer cap and a S$20,000 bill is a plan you make now. Checked 22 September 2026.
Choose where you will have the baby, and book the first appointment
In Singapore the first decision is public or private, and it is worth making before the first appointment rather than after. The public route runs through a polyclinic referral to KKH, NUH or SGH, but the subsidised rates are for citizens and permanent residents: as a foreigner you pay the unsubsidised rate in a public hospital, which is why many expats go straight to a private obstetrician (gynae) at Thomson, Mount Elizabeth or Gleneagles. Checked against kkh.com.sg on 21 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 8 and week 10 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · kkh.com.sg
Find out what your health cover actually pays towards the birth
Do this before you pick a hospital, not after. A normal delivery in a private hospital runs from about S$10,000 to S$30,000 with the doctor's fees, and as a foreigner the unsubsidised public rate is not far behind. Your own policy is the only document that states what it pays; no public page does. Checked 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 9 and week 11 of the pregnancy. What this step involves
The scans: dating, first-trimester screening and the anomaly scan
Three scans are routine. The dating scan at the first visit fixes the due date. Checked against kkh.com.sg on 21 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 11 and week 21 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · kkh.com.sg
Book the hospital and put down the deposit
Private hospitals ask you to book the delivery and pay a deposit some months ahead, and popular obstetricians fill up. Your doctor will tell you which hospitals they deliver at; the delivery package covers the ward and the standard stay, with the doctor's and anaesthetist's fees on top. Deposits are set by each hospital and are not published on one page; ask for the estimate in writing. Checked 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 22 and week 24 of the pregnancy. What this step involves
Get these dated from your own due date — free, nothing leaves your device