Written by Cheryl Ng, Advocate & Solicitor
Why this is the first question
If the country asking has no arrangement with Singapore that has been given effect under the Act, there is no lawful route to extradite at all. It is one of the first things we check, and it is relevant more often than people expect.
The current position
Singapore can extradite under bilateral treaty or agreement to the United States, Germany, the Hong Kong SAR and Indonesia.
It can extradite to around 40 declared Commonwealth territories under the London Scheme, including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
It can extradite to certain other countries for offences covered by particular multilateral conventions only.
Malaysia and Brunei are dealt with separately, under a reciprocal arrangement for endorsing warrants rather than by treaty extradition. See Malaysia and Brunei.
Only two pre-independence British treaties apply to Singapore — those with Germany and the United States.
This position is current as at July 2026. Extradition arrangements are brought into effect by Gazette notification and change from time to time.
Being on the list is not the end of it
The treaty determines the scope of the Act as applied to that country, and can limit it.
Where a treaty lists the offences it covers, that list controls. The treaty applied to the United States lists 27 categories, and a requesting country cannot use Singapore’s domestic threshold to reach conduct outside it. In In the matter of Avanish Kumar Jha and Rajnish Kumar Jha [2025] SGMC 3, counts fell away for exactly that reason.
Multilateral conventions can widen a treaty’s coverage, but the additional elements have to be proved. And some treaties are worded so that they move with changes in domestic law, while others are not.
Identifying the country is the beginning of the analysis.
If someone close to you has been arrested in Singapore on another country’s request, the steps taken in the first days can make a real difference. Contact us to arrange a discussion about your situation.
The information on this page is general in nature and may not reflect the latest developments. Extradition arrangements change, and the law develops over time. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice, and reading it does not create a solicitor–client relationship. For advice on your own situation, please contact us.