Singapore (Changi) · Currency Exchange Guide · Last checked 22 October 2026

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) Currency Exchange: Operators, Rates and Rules

Changi's exchange operators advertise no commission, but one source that compared the counters found that their rates differ. We found no measured current SIN rate, so we do not name a best counter or give a percentage for the airport gap. We did not measure any rates ourselves.

The short version

• A travel guide (THAIest, updated 25 November 2025) lists UOB and ChangiFX in Terminal 1, UOB and Travelex in Terminals 2 and 3, and UOB alone in Terminal 4. It says they all charge 0% commission, so the cost sits in the rate.
• The same guide found that rates were not identical. In Terminal 2 Travelex was better for US and Canadian dollars and UOB was better for euro, pound, Australian dollar and others. Against mid-market it found major currencies about 0.8% to 2.6% lower and less common currencies 5% to 10% lower, on one undated visit.
• Changi's own ATM page lists ATMs from DBS, OCBC, UOB and other banks in every terminal, all open 24 hours. It names no money changer.
• A ChangiFX page of February 2026 says ChangiFX is run by Changi Travel Exchange Pte Ltd, licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and that online orders can be collected at Changi Recommends booths in the Level 2 departure hall of Terminals 1 to 4.
• ICA's page says you must report physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments worth more than S$20,000, on entering or leaving, by submitting Form NP 727 to the Singapore Police Force.
• We found no source for the Singtel counter, the Terminal 4 shuttle or the Orchard Road changers.

Why "the same rate everywhere" does not hold

The THAIest guide says the operators charge 0% commission. That does not mean the rate is the same, because with no commission the cost is in the rate, and the guide shows the rates differ.

In Terminal 1 the guide found UOB and ChangiFX nearly identical, with ChangiFX slightly better when buying back foreign currency. In Terminal 2 it found that Travelex offered a better rate for US dollars and Canadian dollars and UOB a better one for euro, pound, Australian dollar, New Zealand dollar, Swiss franc and others. For Terminal 3 it gave no comparison. It describes the differences between operators as small unless you exchange a large sum.

So the better statement is narrower than the old one. At Changi the operators seem to compete closely, so the gap between two counters is probably small, but we cannot say it is zero and it may favour different counters for different currencies. The guide's visit date is not given.

Who runs the counters

The THAIest guide lists by terminal:

• Terminal 1: UOB and ChangiFX, with branches in the Arrival Baggage Hall, the Level 2 public area and the departure lounges near the C and D gates.
• Terminal 2: UOB and Travelex, in the Arrival Hall, the departure lounges near the E and F gates and the Departure and Check-In Hall.
• Terminal 3: UOB and Travelex, in the Level 1 public area, the Level 2 public area and the departure lounges near the A and B gates.
• Terminal 4: UOB, in the Arrival Hall, the Level 2 Departure Transit area and the Level 2 public area.

We could not check this list against Changi's own site, whose ATM page does not name money changers.

ChangiFX

The ChangiFX page on the Changi Recommends site (4 February 2026) says ChangiFX is run by Changi Travel Exchange Pte Ltd, licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and is for travel only. You order online and collect at Changi Recommends booths in the Level 2 departure hall public area of Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, which the page calls 24/7. It says orders paid before 11 AM on a business day can be collected from 6 PM the same day, while the page description says same-day collection applies before 4 PM, so the cut-off is unclear. It says its rates are often better than airport counters and can rival city money changers, and offers a promo code.

That is the company's own claim, on the airport's marketing site, and we have no comparison to back it. If you plan to use it, check the cut-off time and the rate when you pay, since the page says to pay within 20 minutes to lock in a rate.

Hours

The THAIest guide says all the money changers are supposed to be open 24 hours. The wording suggests the author did not check each one. Changi's own page gives hours only for ATMs, all listed as open 24 hours daily. If you land late at night, an ATM is the safer plan, and a counter that looks closed may open at a set hour.

ATMs

Changi's ATM page lists ATMs by area and bank. Terminal 1 arrivals has DBS, OCBC, UOB, State Bank of India, HSBC and ICBC. Terminal 2 arrival south has DBS, OCBC, UOB and Citibank, and arrival north has OCBC, UOB, Maybank and HSBC. Terminal 3 arrival north has OCBC, UOB and Maybank, and arrival south has HSBC, Bank of China and ICBC. Terminal 4 arrival hall central has DBS, OCBC, UOB and HSBC. There are more in departure halls, transit areas and Jewel. The page gives no fees. Check your own card's fee schedule and the fee on the screen. If a machine offers to charge you in your home currency, choose Singapore dollars. Our guide to dynamic currency conversion explains why.

What the sources say about rates

The one comparison we found is the THAIest guide's, from a single visit with no date.

• US dollars: about 2.6% below mid-market. Euro: about 1% on the day, which the author thinks is about 2% on a normal day.
• Pound: about 0.8%. Australian dollar: about 2.2%. Canadian dollar: about 2.3%.
• Less common currencies such as Thai baht, Indian rupee and Chinese yuan: the author says 5% to 10% lower.

The author's summary is that major currencies are around 2% to 2.5% below mid-market and that the differences between operators are small. The guide promotes the Wise card and carries affiliate links, and rates move every day, so these are not figures to plan around. They do show that a Changi counter is not a free exchange, whatever the commission says. The way to know for your sum is to ask for the final amount and compare it with the mid-market rate on the day.

A worked example, with made-up numbers

The figures below are invented. They only show what a percentage gap costs.

Say the mid-market rate is 1.30 Singapore dollars to 1 USD, and you sell USD 300.

• At the mid-market rate you would get 390 dollars.
• At a rate 2% below mid-market (1.274) you would get 382.2 dollars, which is 7.8 less.
• At 5% below (1.235) you would get 370.5 dollars, which is 19.5 less.

If you are buying Singapore dollars with a different currency, the same percentage gap applies to the amount you get back.

How to check a rate yourself

This section is our advice, not a sourced fact.

1. Look up the mid-market rate for your currency pair on the day you travel.
2. Ask the counter for the final amount in Singapore dollars for your exact sum, including every fee.
3. Divide the counter's rate by the mid-market rate. A result of 0.98 means 2% below.
4. If a sign says "no commission", ask for the final amount anyway, because the margin may sit inside the rate.
5. Keep the exchange receipt, and keep the amount small if you can wait for a better rate in the city.

Carrying cash into or out of Singapore

ICA's page says you must report if the total value of physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments you carry exceeds S$20,000, or the equivalent in a foreign currency, on entering or leaving Singapore. The duty applies whether you carry the money for yourself or for someone else, and whether you travel alone or with others. You submit Form NP 727 to the Singapore Police Force online, within 72 hours before arrival or departure, through the e-727 e-service, the MyICA mobile app or the Singapore Arrival Card. The page says paper submission is no longer required from 13 May 2024. Failing to submit a full and accurate report is an offence, with a maximum fine of S$50,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both, and the cash may be seized and confiscated on conviction. The page was last updated on 29 September 2026.

If you use an older guide

The older Changi guides repeat the idea that every counter is identical, which is why we are explicit about it. A second point is that Changi has several terminals and an operator list can differ by terminal, so a guide that says "at Changi" may mean only one. The practical test is to ask for the final amount at the counter in front of you and compare it with the mid-market rate. The guide you are reading should say when it was written and where its rates came from.

Our reading of the sources

This section is our reading. It is not a sourced fact. Changi is a competitive airport for exchange, with two operators in most terminals and a bank in all of them, and the one comparison we found suggests the counters are close to each other and a couple of percent from the market for major currencies. That is more orderly than many airports, but it is not the same as a fair rate. The usual logic holds on cost. A counter at an airport is convenient, the rate is probably not the best available, and the cost scales with the amount. A small sum for a train ticket and a first meal costs little. For a larger sum, a card with low fees or a licensed city changer is likely to cost less, though we did not measure either in Singapore.

What we could not confirm

• Whether the operator list by terminal is current, and whether Travelex is also in Terminal 4.
• Whether any counter is open 24 hours every day.
• The rates and the gap between counters today. The one comparison is undated.
• Whether ChangiFX rates are better than the counters.
• Whether an SG Arrival Card can be edited after submission.

A simple plan

1. Check your terminal, and look for the operators listed for it.
2. Ask for the final amount in Singapore dollars for your exact sum, and compare it with the mid-market rate. If two counters are close, ask both.
3. Change only what you need for the first hours if you can wait for a better rate in the city.
4. At an ATM, choose Singapore dollars if offered a choice, and check your own card's fees first.
5. If you carry more than S$20,000 in cash, report it on Form NP 727 within 72 hours before you travel.

FAQ

Is the exchange rate the same at every Changi counter?
No source supports that. One guide found different counters better for different currencies, though the differences were small.

Who runs the money changers at Changi?
A travel guide lists UOB and ChangiFX in Terminal 1, UOB and Travelex in Terminals 2 and 3, and UOB in Terminal 4.

Is there a commission?
The guide says the operators charge 0% commission, so the cost is in the rate.

Are ATMs available around the clock?
Changi's ATM page lists its ATMs as open 24 hours daily.

Do I have to report cash in Singapore?
ICA says to report physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments above S$20,000, on Form NP 727.

Sources and how we checked them

Checked on 22 October 2026. Where we call something confirmed, at least two of these sources agree, or an official source says so directly. THAIest carries affiliate links, and the ChangiFX page is the company's own marketing.

• THAIest, travel site, Currency exchange at Singapore Changi airport, updated 25 November 2025.
• Changi Airport Group, airport operator, Banking services and cash machines page (undated; footer 2026).
• Changi Recommends, airport marketing site, Exchange money online with ChangiFX, collect at Changi Airport, 4 February 2026.
• Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore, official, Cross border cash movement page, updated 29 September 2026.

Editorial note: The counter, rate and airport information in this guide is editorial and is not paid for. Rates and fees change, so confirm the final rate at the counter before exchanging.