Singapore Expats

Hi,

i am in the final stages of negotiation for a role in SG, the company has asked me what my expectations for relocation expenses are.

I will be moving with my wife and two small children, I am waiting on quotes for shipping but was hoping someone on this forum has a rough idea of the costs.

Apart from airfare, shipping your stuff what else should I be asking for ?


Thanks

I assume temp and/or perm housing is already included?

Extra luggage allowance, along with some other kind of allowance for incidentals when you get here? When I came, my relo package had an extra $1000 for extra luggage (on Cathay from US, that would have been 6 or 7 max-weight suitcases...) and $5000 for 'incidentals'. Not a fortune, but extra $ is extra $.

We are about to do the move on Monday from Perth.

We asked for:
Airfares
Excess baggage allowance
Transfers (to airport in perth and from airport to Serviced Apartment - baggage means normal taxi won't do)
6 weeks in a serviced apartment
Rental accommodation search (2 days with an agent organising all the viewings)
1 day tour of area to show banks, supermarkets, playgrounds etc.
transition allowance - about a month's salary (for incidentals)
visa application support (a company did it all for us)
sea shipping of household effects. (basically a 21' container and removalists at each end)

Hope that helps.

elspike wrote:We are about to do the move on Monday from Perth.

We asked for:
Airfares
Excess baggage allowance
Transfers (to airport in perth and from airport to Serviced Apartment - baggage means normal taxi won't do)
6 weeks in a serviced apartment
Rental accommodation search (2 days with an agent organising all the viewings)
1 day tour of area to show banks, supermarkets, playgrounds etc.
transition allowance - about a month's salary (for incidentals)
visa application support (a company did it all for us)
sea shipping of household effects. (basically a 21' container and removalists at each end)

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the info, there's a few things in there I hadn't thought of. Can you give me a ball park figure on the container shipping, it's taking ages to get quotes back. Good luck with your move on Monday

Thanks.

elspike wrote: Rental accommodation search (2 days with an agent organising all the viewings)

1 day tour of area to show banks, supermarkets, playgrounds etc.
transition allowance - about a month's salary (for incidentals)

visa application support (a company did it all for us)

On the above three, be careful what you wish for.

I had the same also. For the top two, they came together. A tour of neighborhoods with rental viewings. The problem is if you find something, you're locked into using the agent who gave the tour and into paying his agent fee. Be aware agent's fees are negotiable, but they'll default to telling you it is 1 months rent (plus GST) for a two year lease. So just know your rights, and talk about the fee up front. Maybe ask for the neighborhood tour but then look for rentals on your own then.

For the last item, it is up to the company to handle the visa, not you. You're not responsible for a single thing, except providing your particulars. You'll need to do this whether your employer's HR group or an outsourced agency does this. (Most MNCs outsource this anyway, probably to SantaFe). So don't negotiate this into your move, or think that your company is "giving" you something by doing this for you.

Everything else suggested is good.

spr015 wrote: Thanks for the info, there's a few things in there I hadn't thought of. Can you give me a ball park figure on the container shipping, it's taking ages to get quotes back. Good luck with your move on Monday

Thanks.

I think it was about 10-12K. I didn't actually see the quotes. Just had a maximum it could be which we were a fair bit under. Also don't forget insurance on your effects as they are in transit. We ended up doing a completely itemised (down to the last teaspoon) inventory which added up to a lot more than the $15/lb that they initially offered by default.

You say you are relocating with kids, don't forget about schools! If you plan to send your kids to an International School, fees can run around $25,000/year, plus $3500 or so per kid in application fees. Parents I know who didn't think to or were unable to negotiate the fees into their package struggle with the costs.