Hi, welcome to Choco Med Journal.
I’m a medical student from Japan, and I’ll be spending approximately one month in Singapore for a research internship.
In this post, I’m sharing how I prepared for the internship, including the visa process, accommodation, flights, budget, and the practical decisions I had to make before leaving Japan.
If you’re a medical student, university student, or young researcher considering an internship or research stay abroad, I hope this gives you a realistic idea of what the preparation process can look like.
Note: Some details, including the institution, exact dates, and research team, are intentionally kept private.
- What You’ll Find in This Article
- How I Got a Research Internship in Singapore
- Visa Application: The Most Complicated Part of My Preparation
- Finding Accommodation for One Month in Singapore
- Why I Chose a Serviced Apartment
- I Checked the Commute Using Google Street View
- Flights: Using Miles for One Direction
- My Pre-Departure Budget for One Month in Singapore
- Was It Necessary to Spend ¥400,000 on Accommodation?
- What I’m Preparing Before Departure
- What I’ve Learned From Preparing for an Overseas Research Internship
- More Singapore Research Internship Posts Coming Soon
- Support My Research Journey
What You’ll Find in This Article
- How I got the opportunity to do a research internship in Singapore
- The visa application process
- How I searched for accommodation for a one-month stay
- How much I spent before departure
- How I booked my flights
- What I considered when choosing where to live
- Practical tips for preparing for a research stay abroad
How I Got a Research Internship in Singapore
My research internship did not begin with a formal internship application.
I had previously been in contact with a researcher based in Singapore. When I mentioned that I would have approximately one month available, I was offered the opportunity to join the research environment there for that period.
The project I’ll be working on is mainly related to AI and medical research.
One thing that made the decision easier for me was that I had already spent time abroad before and was comfortable communicating in English.
For students considering an international research experience, I think relationships with researchers can sometimes be just as important as searching for officially advertised internship programs.
Attending conferences, joining research projects, and staying in touch with researchers you meet can unexpectedly lead to opportunities later.
Visa Application: The Most Complicated Part of My Preparation
The visa process was probably the part that required the most effort.
One issue was that my university in Japan was not included in the university database used during the application process.
Because of this, I had to provide additional documentation to show that my university was an officially recognized institution.
This included documents such as proof of enrollment and information related to my university.
I also had to contact the relevant parties several times to clarify what documents were necessary.
Initially, I was told that processing could take around three weeks and potentially longer if additional information was required.
Fortunately, in my case, the process moved faster than I expected.
Another thing that surprised me was how quickly emails were answered in Singapore. Many of the administrative communications were handled very efficiently.
What I Learned From the Visa Process
If you are applying for a visa or work-related pass for an internship abroad, I would recommend preparing:
- Proof of university enrollment
- Official university information
- Any required English-language documents
- Internship or host institution details
- Additional time in case further documents are requested
Visa requirements can vary depending on nationality, university, internship type, and host institution, so always check the latest official information for your own situation.
Finding Accommodation for One Month in Singapore
Accommodation was one of the biggest decisions I had to make.
Singapore has many options for short- and medium-term stays, including:
- Hotels
- Serviced apartments
- Co-living accommodation
- Hostels
- Capsule-style accommodation
- Shared apartments
At first, I looked at a wide range of options using Trip.com, Google Maps, and online reviews.
There were much cheaper options available, including shared or capsule-style accommodation.
However, because I would be staying alone for around one month while commuting to a research institution, I personally prioritised comfort, privacy, and a living environment where I could properly rest after work.
This is a personal preference rather than a statement about any particular neighbourhood being unsafe.
【Find flights to Singapore on Trip.com】
Why I Chose a Serviced Apartment
In the end, I chose a serviced apartment in the Orchard area.
My main priorities were:
- A convenient location
- A window
- Access to a kitchen
- Good security
- Reliable reviews
- A comfortable surrounding environment
- Easy access to public transportation
Once I increased my monthly accommodation budget into roughly the ¥300,000–¥400,000 range, the number of comfortable long-stay options increased significantly.
Many serviced apartments also provide facilities such as:
- Weekly cleaning
- A gym
- A swimming pool
- Shared or private kitchen facilities
- Laundry facilities
For a one-month research stay, I felt that these features were worth paying more for.
I Checked the Commute Using Google Street View
One thing that helped me a lot was Google Maps Street View.
Before booking my accommodation, I checked not only the location itself but also the route I would take to the research institution.
I looked at the surrounding streets, pedestrian routes, nearby shops, and the general atmosphere of the area.
This made me much more comfortable booking a place before actually arriving in Singapore.
On days when the weather is good, I’m planning to walk part or all of the commute, which would take around 40–50 minutes.
When it is too hot or raining, Singapore’s MRT system gives me another option.
For longer overseas stays, I highly recommend checking the entire commute rather than only looking at the distance shown on Google Maps.
Flights: Using Miles for One Direction
For my outbound flight from Japan to Singapore, I used airline miles.
However, an award ticket is not completely free because taxes and other fees still need to be paid.
For my return flight, I booked a regular paid ticket through Trip.com.
Including the fees for my award ticket and the cost of my return flight, my total airfare-related out-of-pocket cost was approximately:
¥200,000
This is important because it is not the same as saying that a normal round-trip ticket cost ¥200,000.
Part of the journey was booked using miles.
My Pre-Departure Budget for One Month in Singapore
The two biggest expenses before departure were accommodation and flights.
| Expense | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|
| Accommodation for about one month | ¥400,000 |
| Flight-related expenses | ¥200,000 |
| Total major pre-departure costs | Approx. ¥600,000 |
The flight cost includes taxes and fees for an award ticket as well as a separately purchased return ticket.
This ¥600,000 does not include all of my expenses in Singapore.
I will still need to account for:
- Food
- Local transportation
- Mobile data / SIM or eSIM
- Travel insurance
- Daily necessities
- Laundry
- Leisure and sightseeing
So I plan to publish another article after the internship with the actual total cost of living in Singapore for one month.
Was It Necessary to Spend ¥400,000 on Accommodation?
Definitely not.
It is possible to stay in Singapore for much less.
My decision was based on my own priorities.
Since I would be staying alone for around one month and going to a research institution regularly, I wanted a place where I could comfortably sleep, study, work, and recover after long days.
For someone travelling mainly for sightseeing, a hostel or lower-cost accommodation could make much more sense.
For me, however, the accommodation was part of creating a stable working environment.
That is why I decided to spend more on housing and save money in other areas where possible.
What I’m Preparing Before Departure
Besides accommodation, flights, and the visa, I’m also preparing the smaller things required for everyday life.
These include:
- Travel insurance
- Internet access
- Payment methods
- Clothes suitable for the research environment
- Documents
- Medication and basic health items
- Electronics and chargers
- Items for a one-month stay
I’ll cover these in more detail in separate articles because the packing list for a one-month research stay is quite different from packing for a normal holiday.
What I’ve Learned From Preparing for an Overseas Research Internship
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that preparing for a research internship abroad involves much more than simply booking a flight.
Visa requirements, accommodation, commute, insurance, documents, and finances all need to be considered.
At the same time, going through this preparation has made the upcoming experience feel much more real.
I’m especially looking forward to experiencing how research is conducted in a different country and working in an international environment.
More Singapore Research Internship Posts Coming Soon
I plan to share more about my experience before, during, and after the internship.
Upcoming posts will include:
- How I chose accommodation for a one-month stay in Singapore
- My actual one-month living expenses
- What I packed for a one-month research internship
- SIM and eSIM options in Singapore
- Daily life during a research internship
- What I learned from working in an international research environment
If you’re considering studying, researching, or doing an internship abroad, I hope these posts help make the process a little easier to imagine.
Support My Research Journey
If you found this article helpful and would like to support my international research journey and future content, you can support Choco Med Journal here.
Your support helps me continue sharing practical resources for students interested in international research, study abroad, and travel. Thank you for being part of the journey!
Choco Med Journal
From Med School to the World
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