Key Takeaways· Tourists aged 16 or over can reclaim Singapore’s 9% GST on purchases of at least S$100 including GST, through eTRS kiosks at Changi or Seletar Airport. · You must leave Singapore with the goods within 2 months of purchase and within 12 hours of refund approval, then collect the refund within 2 months of approval. The refund is less than the GST you paid because a handling fee is deducted, and it never covers services, hotel stays or goods used in Singapore. |
Shopping in Singapore splits across five places: Orchard Road for malls and international brands, Little India and Mustafa Centre for electronics, jewellery and Indian groceries, Bugis for street-market buys, Chinatown for souvenirs, and Changi Airport, where tourists claim back the 9% GST on eligible purchases (Visit Singapore, shopping guide, accessed 2026-09-17; IRAS, Tourist Refund Scheme, accessed 2026-09-17). Shelf prices already include GST, and the refund has a minimum spend and strict time limits.
This guide is maintained by Zurich Kotak General Insurance, an IRDAI-registered general insurer in India and part of the Zurich Insurance Group.
Last verified: 2026-09-17.
Indian passport holders need a Singapore visa before they fly: there is no visa on arrival, and the application goes in through an authorised visa agent appointed by the Singapore mission for your state. See our guide to the Singapore visa for Indians and check ICA’s website before you book.
Prices are in Singapore dollars, with rupees at 1 SGD = INR 75.2 on 2026-09-17 (ExchangeRate-API).
Where to shop in Singapore
Each shopping area does a different job, so plan your days by what you want to buy.
Area | Best for |
Orchard Road | Malls, luxury and international brands, Singapore design labels |
Little India and Mustafa Centre | Electronics, jewellery, groceries, saris, prayer items |
Bugis | Clothes, shoes, accessories, boutiques |
Chinatown | Souvenirs |
Changi Airport | Last-minute buys and the GST refund |
Orchard Road
Orchard Road, which the tourism board calls “the crown jewel of Singapore’s shopping scene”, is the main mall strip for luxury labels, department stores and local designers. It describes ION Orchard as “Singapore’s premier mall spanning eight levels” with “over 300 luxury retail, dining, and entertainment stores”, TANGS as “the oldest department store in Singapore”, and Design Orchard as home to “over 100 homegrown fashion and lifestyle labels” (Visit Singapore).
Little India and Mustafa Centre
Mustafa Centre in Little India puts electronics, gold, groceries and money exchange under one roof. Mustafa’s own website says its first shop opened on Campbell Lane in 1971, Mustafa Centre opened in April 1995 at 145 Syed Alwi Road, and customers can pick from “over 300,000 items displayed on four levels”, alongside money exchange and remittance services (Mustafa, accessed 2026-09-17). Its home page says “Open 24Hrs”, while the tourism board calls it “open till late”, so check the hours before a late-night visit.
Nearby, per the tourism board’s Little India map (Visit Singapore, Little India, accessed 2026-09-17):
· Haniffa, which opened in 1962 selling saris and textiles and now also sells jewellery and electronics.
· Jothi Store & Flower Shop, for flower garlands, prayer items, traditional Indian beauty products and kitchenware.
· Tekka Centre, for fresh produce, spices and dried goods.
For meals between shops, see veg food in Singapore .
Bugis
Bugis is for bargain hunting: a street market, a mall and a lane of boutiques. The tourism board describes Bugis Street as selling “everything from quirky knick knacks to fashionable garments” from “shops packed with clothes, shoes and accessories”, Bugis+ as “a 10-storey mall”, and Haji Lane as “adorned with colourful murals, boutique shops, and trendy cafes” (Visit Singapore).
Chinatown
Chinatown is the place for souvenirs and a hawker meal. The tourism board’s Chinatown page lists Chinatown Street Market, with “lacquered fans to charming souvenirs”, and Chinatown Complex, “Singapore’s largest food centre” (Visit Singapore, Chinatown, accessed 2026-09-17).
Changi Airport
Changi is where you claim the GST refund, with shops before and after immigration. Jewel Changi Airport describes itself as a place “where nature meets retail” (Jewel Changi Airport, accessed 2026-09-17). Changi says its GST refund counters “are located at both public and transit areas, and are open 24 hours, daily” (Changi Airport, accessed 2026-09-17 on changiairport.com ).
Travelling to Singapore? Get covered before you fly. Travel insurance for Singapore is worth having on a shopping trip, because baggage goes missing and a visa pays nothing towards a hospital bill.
What Indian travellers buy, and what to expect on price
The price tag in a Singapore shop already includes GST, so compare it directly with the Indian price, then subtract whatever refund you can claim. IRAS says “GST-registered businesses must display and quote prices inclusive of GST to the public”, and a bargained price still includes GST (IRAS, displaying prices, accessed 2026-09-17).
Electronics are not automatically cheaper. Starting prices for the base 256 GB models on Apple’s own stores, read on 2026-09-17:
Model | Apple Singapore | In INR at 75.2 | Apple India |
iPhone 17 | S$1,449 | about 1,08,965 | INR 99,900 |
iPhone Air | S$1,749 | about 1,31,525 | INR 1,49,900 |
iPhone 18 Pro | S$1,899 | about 1,42,805 | INR 1,64,900 |
Sources: Apple Singapore (“Prices are inclusive of GST”) and Apple India (“Maximum Retail Price (inclusive of all taxes)”), accessed 2026-09-17. The GST inside a Singapore price is 9/109 of it: about S$119.64 (about INR 8,997) on the iPhone 17. Reclaiming it brings the Singapore price close to India’s, though the handling fee means you get back less.
Gold is priced daily. Mustafa publishes its 22K (916) jewellery rate per gram on its home page, and the figure moves during the day. Compare it with the Indian rate on the day you buy.
Other buys to know: beauty products and groceries at Mustafa, Singapore labels at Design Orchard and TANGS, and souvenirs in Chinatown.
How to claim the GST tourist refund (eTRS)
You can claim back Singapore’s 9% GST on goods from participating shops if you spend at least S$100 including GST, about INR 7,520, and leave through Changi or Seletar Airport with the goods within two months. The scheme is voluntary, so not every shop offers it; shops using the two central refund agencies display a “Global Blue” or “Global Tax Free” sign (IRAS).
You qualify if you are 16 or older on the purchase date, not a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, not crew on your flight, and hold no work, dependant’s, long-term visit or student’s pass on the purchase date, in the three months before, or on the day you claim.
1. In the shop, ask for a tourist refund. Spend at least S$100 including GST; you can combine up to 3 same-day receipts from shops with the same GST registration number and shop name. Show your original passport in person (not a copy) and your e-Visit Pass, the e-Pass email ICA sends when you enter. The shop issues an eTRS transaction linked to your passport.
2. Before check-in, if the goods go in your hold bag. Apply at the eTRS self-help kiosk in Changi’s Departure Check-in Hall before you check the goods in.
3. After immigration, if the goods are in your cabin bag. Apply at the kiosk in the Departure Transit Lounge.
4. At the kiosk, scan your passport, declare eligibility, select the purchases you are taking out and choose a refund method. Customs may ask to inspect the goods, receipts and boarding pass.
5. Collect the refund. A credit card refund arrives within 10 days; Alipay pays immediately; cash is paid at the GST Cash Refund counter in Changi’s Departure Transit Lounge.
6. Fly within 12 hours of the refund approval.
Rule | Limit |
Minimum spend | S$100 including GST (about INR 7,520) |
Leave with the goods | Within 2 months of purchase, through Changi or Seletar Airport |
Depart after approval | Within 12 hours |
Collect the refund | Within 2 months of approval |
Not refundable | Services, hotel stays, goods wholly or partly used in Singapore, goods sent by freight or for business |
Source: IRAS (last updated 2026-03-31) and Changi Airport. The refund is less than the GST you paid, because a handling fee is deducted. Track your transactions on touristrefund.sg or the eTRS app. IRAS names only Changi and Seletar airports, so leaving by land or sea, say to Malaysia, likely means no refund. False claims can bring a penalty of three times the refund, a fine of up to S$10,000 (about INR 7,52,000) and jail of up to seven years.
The refund is for goods leaving Singapore; the duty-free and GST relief limits for goods you bring into Singapore are in our guide to Singapore customs rules and duty-free allowance , and what you carry home is subject to India’s baggage rules, published by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs ( cbic.gov.in ).
Protecting what you buy
Travel insurance is not mandatory for a Singapore visa or for entry, but it is strongly recommended, and a bag of shopping is one reason. Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel plans cover baggage loss and delay up to plan limits. Loss of Personal Belongings, an optional cover you can add to a Smart Travel policy, extends to mobiles, laptops, tablets, e-readers and cameras lost to theft or robbery, at depreciated value and with a cap where bills cannot be produced, so keep every invoice; the refund kiosk may need them too. Carry gold and electronics in your cabin bag.
Singapore sits in the Asia geography, on two tiers: Excel, with sum insured up to USD 100,000, and Prime, up to USD 500,000. The Asia plans accept travellers up to age 70, with no Senior Citizen plan on this geography; travellers aged 71 or over can read about travel insurance for senior citizens . Non-residents pay unsubsidised private rates for medical treatment in Singapore, and claims are handled by Europ Assistance India and settled within 15 days of complete documents. See Singapore trip cost from India for the full budget and travel insurance for Singapore for cover.
FAQs
Q: Where is the best shopping in Singapore? A: Orchard Road for malls and international brands, Little India and Mustafa Centre for electronics, jewellery and Indian groceries, Bugis Street for clothes and accessories, and Chinatown Street Market for souvenirs.
Q: How do I claim the GST refund in Singapore? A: Spend at least S$100 including GST at a participating shop and show your original passport so it issues an eTRS transaction. Then apply at an eTRS kiosk at Changi or Seletar Airport within 2 months of purchase: before check-in if the goods go in your hold bag, after immigration if they are in your cabin bag.
Q: What is the minimum purchase for a GST refund in Singapore? A: S$100 including GST, about INR 7,520. You can combine up to 3 same-day receipts from shops with the same GST registration number and shop name.
Q: How much GST refund will I get in Singapore? A: Less than the 9% GST you paid, because a handling fee is deducted. A card refund arrives within 10 days, an Alipay refund is immediate, and cash is paid at Changi’s GST Cash Refund counter after immigration.
Q: Is Mustafa Centre open 24 hours? A: Mustafa’s own website says it is open 24 hours, while the Singapore Tourism Board describes it as open till late, so check before a late-night visit.
Q: Are electronics cheaper in Singapore than in India? A: Not always. On 2026-09-17, Apple listed the iPhone 17 at S$1,449 in Singapore, about INR 1,08,965, against INR 99,900 in India, while the iPhone Air and iPhone 18 Pro cost less in Singapore. Compare the same model and storage, and count the GST refund.
