Meeting New People in Singapore

Why it feels hard

Singapore is easy to live in and surprisingly hard to meet new people in. Working weeks are long, many social lives revolve around colleagues and school friends, and people who moved for work often arrive without a network at all.

It is also a place where many people are planning around uncertainty — an employment pass, a posting that might end, a decision about whether to stay. That can make people cautious about starting something new.

Join something regular

Regular activities beat one-off events. Running clubs, climbing gyms, sports leagues, volunteer programmes, language classes and community centre activities put you in the same room as the same people every week, which is how friendships — and sometimes more — form.

Pick something you would enjoy even if you met nobody. You will keep going, and people notice who keeps showing up.

Community and culture

For many Indians and other South Asians in Singapore, temples, cultural associations, alumni groups and festival events — Deepavali in Little India, Pongal, Onam, Navratri — are where they meet people who share their background. If shared language or culture matters to you, these are worth your time.

Singapore's diversity is also a chance to meet people from very different backgrounds. Many lasting relationships here are between people who would never have met at home.

Using apps well

Apps widen the circle beyond your office and neighbourhood. Choose one where people state what they are looking for, and be clear yourself. On Wrati you can choose your intention, list your languages, and control who can see your profile.

Be upfront about your plans. If you might leave Singapore in a year, say so; if you are settled, say that. It is one of the most important compatibility questions here.

Easy first meetings

The MRT makes almost any first meeting practical. A coffee near a station, a hawker centre meal, or a walk along a park connector or at the Botanic Gardens is easy to suggest and easy to end. Keep it short and relaxed; you can always plan something bigger next time.

Be patient with yourself

Building a social life in a new city takes months, not weeks. Small, regular steps — one activity, a few good conversations, one new friend — add up. And the friends you make often become the people who introduce you to someone special.

Wrati is free to join for both men and women: creating a profile, photo verification, discovering people, matching and starting conversations cost nothing. Premium is optional.