Singapore has the 6th largest economy and 3rd largest foreign exchange reserves. Every year thousands of tourists visit this tiny city-state and are left awestruck at its pristine beaches, cleanliness, and rule of law. The obsession and commitment to cleanliness and discipline of the nation can be understood by the government’s action to ban chewing gum in 1992.
The leading sectors of Singapore’s economy are financial services, manufacturing of IT components such as integrated circuits (ICs), oil refining, chemicals, and mechanical engineering services and equipment. Singapore exports the over-produced goods across the world as it enjoys cordial and friendly terms with almost every country on the planet!
Traveling to Singapore requires an entry permit as well as a visa. For most countries a visa is issued on arrival, however, pre-entry permission has to be obtained before arrival. Furthermore, a pre-entry pass does not guarantee entry into the country as the entry permission and duration of stay are determined by the ICA staff at the immigration counter at Singapore Airport.
Although detailed information is available on ICA’s official website: https://www.ica.gov.sg/, it may be confusing for many readers. Here we discuss the visa requirements and procedure to obtain entry and stay permission in Singapore to lend clarity to our readers and aspirants who plan to visit Singapore.
Basic requirements for a visa application
- The officially prescribed form 14-A is to be duly filled and signed by the applicant.
- Application to be based on the information provided in the form 14A
- Passport-sized color photograph with a blue or white background that shall not be older than three months
- Photocopy of all the pages of the applicant’s passport
- The passport shall have at least 6 months of validity from the time of arrival
- A duly filed form V39A issued by a local Singaporean contact currently residing in Singapore
- Depending on the case, the embassy may demand additional documents that shall be produced timely and in the prescribed manner
- All documents must be in English, if otherwise documents shall be translated and notarized, and attached with the original
- Confirmed return or onward airline reservations
- Hotel reservations
- Bank statements for the last 6 months
- Proof that the applicant can maintain decent subsistence during their stay
- Itinerary and trips (if so required)
- Contact details of the local contact (if applicable)
- Yellow fever vaccination (and other inoculations as may be prescribed by the ICA)
Procedure to apply for Singaporean Visa
One way of applying for a Singapore entry visa is through e-Service; either through ICA’s strategic partner or a local Singapore national residing in Singapore. The applicant must ensure that he/she applies for the entry visa at least 30 days before arriving in Singapore.
Another method is by submitting a physical application at the nearest Singapore Overseas Mission or their agent. Note that the procedure will vary depending on the specific visa type you are applying for (business, education, travel, work, etc.).
The processing fee for the application for any type of visa is USD 30 (at the time of writing this article and must be rechecked from the official website mentioned above). The processing fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee success in any way.
Usually, unless there is some issue with the application or the documents attached, it takes up to 3 working days for completion of the process; the day application is submitted is not counted. Once your application is approved the same will be notified to the medium you applied through.