Nov 22, 20226 min read

[FAQs] Private Investigator In Singapore

Updated: Jan 26

In this article, we will cover all things to do with Private Investigators (PIs) in Singapore. FAQs, what they can do, and what are the most common cases for PIs in Singapore. Asia Top Investigation is Singapore's leading Matrimonial Private Investigator with over 30 years of experience and our founder, Vincent Tan was Personally Trained Under Ex-Police Asst Commissioner, Ex-FBI Agent, Ex-CPIB Officer.

What is a Private Investigator?

Private Investigators operating in Singapore provide investigative services to legal firms, insurance companies, corporate companies, and private individuals to gather evidence and information. Litigation support is also a type of investigation service Singapore Private Detective offer to lawyers.

Private individuals hire Private Investigators (PI) for many reasons such as locating missing people, conducting background checks, gathering evidence for adultery, conducting general surveillance, and many others.

Most Singapore Private Investigator's scope of work is in conducting surveillance, field investigation, and conducting online searches. Pretext phone calls are often used by Private Investigators to confirm the information and gather data on the subject.

In Singapore Private Investigation Agencies Are licensed by the Police Licensing & Regulatory Department located at Police Cantonment Complex, 393 New Bridge Road, Singapore 088763.

How To Become A Licensed Private Investigator In Singapore?

A Private Investigator's license is required if you are employed to perform any of the following functions:

Obtain and furnish information on the personal character or actions of any person or as to the character, nature of the business, or occupation of any person;
Search for missing persons;
Obtain and furnish information on the causes, the origin of, or responsibility for fires, libels, losses, incidents, damages, or injuries to real or personal property;
Locate or recover lost or stolen property or obtain information on that property; or
Secure evidence for use in civil or criminal proceedings.

A licensed Private Investigator is not allowed to solicit services on his own. Only the licensee of a Private Investigation Agency can advertise to provide private investigation services.

Can You Legally Hire A Private Investigator In Singapore?

Private Investigators are legally required to undergo training and hold licenses issued by the Singapore Police (PLRD). As a result, a PI will be able to advise the client as to the legality of the methods used in the investigation. ... As of 2019, there are no specific privacy laws in Singapore.

By law, certain investigations require special permits for a PI agency before their conduct their work. Such cases include assignments like investigating political figures, foreign diplomats, consuls, or their families, as well as the conduct of surveillance on certain protected (or militarily sensitive) places, foreign consulates, government buildings, departure and entry checkpoints, or certain private schools, require the special approval of the Singapore Police.

It is also a legal requirement in Singapore for Private Detectives to be licensed by the Private Investigation Agency Licensing & Regulatory Department (PLRD). The License is always on display in the office or most Private Detectives will save a copy on the phone. Do some research on their experience and expertise before you meet up with them. Read more in-depth on their website and ask some questions about their experience and their success rate.

List Of Services A Private Investigator Can Provide

1. LOVE OR MONEY SCAM

2. PRE-MARITAL CHECKS

3. INFIDELITY INVESTIGATION

4. BACKGROUND CHECKS

5. CHILD CUSTODY / FAMILY

6. COVERT SURVEILLANCE

7. TSCM (DEBUGGING OF SPY DEVICES)

8. EMBEZZLEMENT INVESTIGATION

9. MISSING PERSON

10. GENERAL INVESTIGATION

Cost Of Hiring A Private Investigator In Singapore

In order to understand how the Singapore Private Investigation industry charges we have to understand these basics. In Singapore, most private investigation agencies that advertised need to have a private investigation agency license issued by Singapore Police Force.

If you searched for "private investigators" on Google there are some foreign private investigation agencies that claim they are licensed to conduct investigations in Singapore and operate with an overseas address and phone number. Those foreign private investigations might not have the license to operate in Singapore. To be on the safe side ask for the private investigation license number issued by The Singapore Police Force.

Next, there are licensed private investigation agencies that charge by package. Be sure to understand more as some might charge for written reports and end of the day you will find that it cost more. A private investigator is unlike a spa, beauty, or foot reflexology business in which you buy a packet and you will know how much you spend after each visit.

To conduct a private investigation you need skill and advanced equipment to gather the evidence you need. For example, if a private investigator conducts surveillance on your target and does a lousy job you might lose the chance to gather the evidence you need. Worst still you might end up paying for the package and will not be able to gather further evidence.

Generally, Singapore private investigators charge between $100 to $200 an hour for conducting surveillance. To conduct a basic investigation starts from $600 onward.

Before you engage a private investigator spend some time reading through their website and accessing them by giving them a call. If possible, arrange a meeting with them personally in their office.

Here are examples of packages private investigator charges to attract potential clients:

- 20 hours package $2200 to $3000 for surveillance.

*After you have committed most of the time you need to top up and by the end of the Investigation you will end up paying more. Some even charge additional for the report. To a potential client, the most important thing is to get the evidence they need.

Be careful as some private investigators will just deploy 1 part-time or 2 private investigators by paying them $7 to $14 an hour. These part-time investigators are mostly new in the industry and if they fail or begin to discover while conducting the surveillance it will be even more difficult to get the evidence again.

How To Hire An Experienced Private Investigator?

Hiring an experienced private investigator to conduct investigations is important, especially in surveillance. Those trained surveillance operatives are invaluable when conducting surveillance to gather evidence and reveal the truth to clients.

There are some private investigation agencies that rely on "floating" or freelance private investigators to conduct surveillance. Private investigators specializing in surveillance skill is usually far superior to those freelancer private investigators.

A skilled surveillance operative requires years of surveillance experience and training. If surveillance is not conducted correctly, it can jeopardize the whole case. Surveillance techniques used by private investigators range from physical observation to audio monitoring of conversation. The audio surveillance technique is a more sophisticated type of surveillance, used by most private investigators.

The fees of a skilled surveillance operative are only slightly above the market rate. Private Investigator Steven Tan with 20 years of surveillance experience in conducting local and oversea surveillance. Steven Tan has trained more than 60 private investigators in the art of surveillance.

Private investigator Steven Tan explains that surveillance operatives must be able to follow the subject and have the ability to capture video evidence of the subject and work within legal compliance. They are also trained to handle complicated matters that may arise while conducting surveillance. Private Investigator Steven Tan says this quality of the surveillance operative's skills far out weights the cost. Private Investigator Steven Tan gives an example when female surveillance operatives conduct the surveillance operation she must be able to disguise as a pregnant woman in 10 seconds.

All surveillance operatives must be trained in handling the evidence-gathering equipment and must be able to capture critical evidence even if the subject is next to him/her.

Most Common Cases Handled By Private Investigators In Singapore

Ever wondered what are the most common cases a Private Investigator in Singapore takes on? Well, for obvious reasons, we cannot reveal the details, but in this article, we will share an overview of the most common cases a private investigator does.

Established in 1990, Vincent has been in the private investigation industry since the 1990s. Over the years he has undertaken thousands of cases on Matrimonial and Commercial cases and is now leading one of the best private investigations agencies in Singapore, Asia Top Investigation.

Vincent Tan is a certified International Private Investigator and was awarded Asia Top Investigator in May 2012. With a combination of 45 years of investigation experience and using Artificial Intelligence to provide clients with one-stop professional investigation services.

If you're looking for an experienced PI to help solve your case or if you need some advice on an ongoing case, you may contact Asia Top Investigation at vt@asiatopinvestigation.com or 📱 +65 8820 0007