EZ-Link Card for Tourists vs Singapore Tourist Pass: Which to Get in 2026

Most visitors to Singapore do not need an EZ-Link card at all: if you have a contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express or NETS card, you can tap it at the MRT gates and on buses and pay regular adult fares. A SimplyGo EZ-Link card makes more sense for longer stays or if you do not have a suitable bank card, and the Singapore Tourist Pass only pays off if you plan to ride a lot every single day. This guide compares all three with current prices and rules so you can pick the right one before you land.

One thing applies to everyone. There is no cash at the gates and no paper tickets. Sale of standard single trip tickets was phased out from 1 January 2022, so every rider taps a card or a phone. Cash still has a use, though: you can use it at station ticketing machines and ticket offices to top up a stored value card such as an EZ-Link card.

EZ-Link card vs Singapore Tourist Pass vs bank card

EZ-Link card for tourists

The SimplyGo EZ-Link card is the same stored value card that residents use. You load money onto it and each trip is deducted at regular adult fares, the same fares a bank card pays. It works on the MRT, LRT and buses, and it avoids the daily fee that foreign Mastercard and Visa cards attract.

How much an EZ-Link card costs

A new SimplyGo EZ-Link card costs S$10. That is made up of a S$5 card cost, which is not refundable, and S$5 of travel value that you can spend on fares straight away. So the real cost of owning the card is S$5; the rest is your own fare money.

Where to buy an EZ-Link card

You can buy one at SimplyGo Ticket Offices at MRT stations and bus interchanges, at 7-Eleven, Buzz and Cheers shops, from SimplyGo vending machines and at some retail outlets such as Changi Recommends.

If you want a card as soon as you arrive at Changi Airport, these are your options:

• The SimplyGo Ticket Office at Changi Airport Terminal 2 station
• Changi Recommends
• 7-Eleven, Buzz and Cheers shops, which you can also use later in the city

Minimum balance and top ups

An EZ-Link card needs at least S$5 balance before you can start a trip. If your balance drops below that, the gate will not let you in until you top up, so keep an eye on it.

The minimum top up at machines is S$2 in cash or S$10 by NETS, credit or debit card. Foreign bank cards are not accepted at the top up kiosks, so if your cards are issued outside Singapore, plan to top up with cash. Station ticketing machines and ticket offices both take cash for top ups.

Getting your balance back

Before you fly home, you can have any unused travel value refunded at a SimplyGo Ticket Office. The S$5 card cost is not refunded. If you expect to return to Singapore, you might simply keep the card for next time.

Singapore Tourist Pass

The Singapore Tourist Pass gives unlimited rides on the MRT, LRT and basic bus services for a fixed number of days. These are the current prices:

The rules worth knowing before you buy:

• There is no deposit, and the pass is non-returnable and non-refundable.
• The days must be consecutive. You cannot save a day for later in your trip.
• Each day runs from your first use until the end of that day’s train and bus service, not for 24 hours. Starting at dinner time gives you only a few hours on day one. Our guide to MRT operating hours shows when service ends.
• It is not valid on the Sentosa Express, express buses, or premium or niche bus services.
• After it expires, it works as a normal EZ-Link card that you can top up.

You can buy the pass at SimplyGo Ticket Offices at selected MRT stations, including Changi Airport Terminal 2, Bugis, Chinatown, City Hall, HarbourFront, Orchard and Raffles Place. There are also Tourist Pass kiosks at Changi Airport Terminal 2 and 3, Bugis, HarbourFront and Orchard stations.

When the Tourist Pass pays off

MRT fares are distance based. Adult card fares, in force since 27 December 2025, start at S$1.28 for trips up to 3.2 km and go up to S$2.57 for trips over 40.2 km. You can look up exact journeys in our MRT fare table and station to station fare calculator.

Take the 1 day pass at S$17:

• S$17 divided by the shortest fare of S$1.28 is about 13.3. You would need 14 of the shortest trips in one day to beat the pass (13 trips cost S$16.64, 14 trips cost S$17.92).
• S$17 divided by the longest fare of S$2.57 is about 6.6. You would need 7 of the longest trips in one day to beat the pass (6 trips cost S$15.42, 7 trips cost S$17.99).

The longer passes cost less per day. The 5 day pass works out at S$9 a day: that is 8 of the shortest trips (S$10.24) or 4 of the longest (S$10.28) each day to come out ahead.

There is a catch that makes the pass harder to justify. When you change between trains and buses, the trip counts as one journey and one distance fare if you tap in again within 45 minutes of tapping out, with up to 5 transfers and the whole journey within 2 hours. So a route with a bus and two train lines may be charged as one fare on a card. That means you are usually charged for fewer trips than the number of rides you take, and the pass has to beat a smaller total.

Two more things to weigh. If you tap in at an MRT or LRT station before 7.45am on a weekday that is not a public holiday, the card fare is 50 cents lower. And from 26 December 2026, adult card fares go up by 12 cents for trips up to 3.2 km or 13 cents for longer trips, which will narrow the gap slightly for anyone travelling after that date.

Paying with your own contactless card

American Express, Mastercard, NETS and Visa cards with the contactless symbol are accepted at MRT and LRT gates and on buses, including cards issued outside Singapore. No registration is needed. Maestro and Cirrus debit cards are not accepted. Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay all work too. Apple Pay Express Transit mode is not available, so your phone must be unlocked or authenticated as for a normal payment.

Foreign-issued Mastercard and Visa cards pay a Foreign Bank Card Admin Fee of S$0.60 per day of use. It is charged once per day you travel, not per trip. Your own bank may add its own foreign transaction fee on top. Here is how the S$0.60 adds up:

• 3 travel days: 3 × S$0.60 = S$1.80
• 5 travel days: 5 × S$0.60 = S$3.00
• 7 travel days: 7 × S$0.60 = S$4.20
• 9 travel days: 9 × S$0.60 = S$5.40

Compare that with the S$5 you lose on an EZ-Link card. Up to 8 travel days (S$4.80), the bank card fee costs less. From 9 travel days, the fees pass the EZ-Link card cost.

Fares on bank cards are added up and billed later: Visa, American Express and NETS daily, and Mastercard every five days or after S$15 of fares, whichever is earlier. Charges show as BUS/MRT on your statement. If you add the card to a SimplyGo account in the SimplyGo app, you can see each trip and fare for the last 180 days.

Always tap in and tap out with the same card or the same device. A physical card and the same card in your phone wallet count as different cards. If you do not tap out, the system cannot work out your trip and you are charged a higher fare for that incomplete trip. Our guide on how to pay for the MRT covers every payment method in more detail.

Which card should you get?

A 1 or 2 day stopover

Tap your contactless bank card or phone. On a foreign Mastercard or Visa, you pay S$0.60 for each day you travel, which is less than the S$5 card cost of an EZ-Link card. The Tourist Pass only makes sense if you are planning a very full day, such as 14 short trips or 7 long ones on the 1 day pass.

A 3 to 5 day holiday

A bank card is still usually the simplest choice. Five travel days on a foreign Mastercard or Visa add S$3.00 in fees, still under the S$5 EZ-Link card cost. Consider the Tourist Pass if you will ride from morning to night every day, and remember the days must be consecutive and it does not cover the Sentosa Express. Download our free PDF MRT map to sketch out your route and count the trips you expect to take.

A stay of a week or more

An EZ-Link card starts to pay for itself. From 9 travel days, the S$0.60 daily fee on a foreign Mastercard or Visa comes to more than the S$5 card cost, and that is before any fee your own bank adds. Top up with cash at station machines, since foreign bank cards are not accepted at the top up kiosks, and claim back the unused travel value at a SimplyGo Ticket Office before you leave.

Travellers without a contactless card

If your card is Maestro or Cirrus, or has no contactless symbol, buy a SimplyGo EZ-Link card for S$10 and top it up with cash from S$2 at a time. The Tourist Pass is another option if you will ride a lot, and once it expires it works as a normal EZ-Link card you can top up. To plan your rides, use our interactive MRT map or find the closest station to your hotel with the nearest MRT station finder.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an EZ-Link card in Singapore?

No. Contactless American Express, Mastercard, NETS and Visa cards, including cards issued outside Singapore, work at MRT and LRT gates and on buses without registration. You need an EZ-Link card or Tourist Pass only if you have no suitable card, or if the card or pass works out cheaper for your trip.

How much is an EZ-Link card for tourists?

S$10. That is a S$5 card cost that is not refundable plus S$5 of travel value you can spend on fares.

Is the Singapore Tourist Pass worth it?

Only with many trips a day. The 1 day pass at S$17 needs 14 of the shortest S$1.28 trips or 7 of the longest S$2.57 trips to beat paying per trip, and transfers within the rules count as one fare, so you are charged for fewer trips than rides.

Does the Tourist Pass cover the Sentosa Express?

No. The pass is not valid on the Sentosa Express, express buses, or premium or niche bus services.

Can I get my EZ-Link balance back before I leave?

Yes. Unused travel value can be refunded at a SimplyGo Ticket Office. The S$5 card cost is not refunded.

What is the minimum balance on an EZ-Link card?

You need at least S$5 on the card before you can start a trip. The minimum top up is S$2 in cash or S$10 by NETS, credit or debit card at machines.