Three pieces of advice
Talk to your Bank
Talk to your Bank
Talk to your Bank
You are already dealing with enough with your ill father, it is best to let the experts deal with the foreign exchange. Frankly saving a few bucks with this transaction will not be worth it.
Deal with the "
international" team at your local bank. They will be able to advise you of your options. You may be able to open a SGD account here which is domiciled in Singapore and swap the money immediately. All local banks have deals with overseas banks for this specific purpose. Stay away from your local branch - these people are not trained with these sorts of issues in mind.
If your bank looks at you quizzically, then go to HSBC. They know this space well. They also have foreign currency accounts in SGD that can be domiciled here or in Singapore.
Some points to consider
- Trying to withdraw dribs and drabs from ATMS will be painful and expensive.
- Charging up your wizard card will "freak out" GE (the card issuer) and they will freeze your card
- Moving large sums of cash through customs WILL get you on border security
- Moving "lumpy" sums of money around will raise the ire of Austrac and you will have some explaining to do.
What is the cash for? Im assuming it is for your fathers treatment? The hospital will be able to accept a Telegraphic transfer from your local bank here which you can instruct them to send when appropriate. You will be at the mercy of the banks "spot rate" but there is not much you can do about that.
More important is your Fathers health and well being.
Good luck and look after yourself.