Obtaining a Short Term Visit Pass

Visiting Singapore: Obtaining a Short Term Visit Pass

If you’re thinking of travelling to Singapore, you’re not alone. Despite its small size, over 15 million travellers arrived in Singapore in 2015. Whether you’re thinking of visiting the country for business or pleasure, or whether you’re considering moving here entirely, we’ve compiled all the necessary information and procedures you’d need to know before you book those tickets.

Applying for an Entry Visa

According to Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), travellers holding passports from 37 countries or regions need to apply for an entry visa before their arrival.

Each visa application involves a non-refundable S$30 processing fee. Aside from the necessary paperwork, a security deposit ranging between S$1,000 and S$3,000 may be collected, and refunded within 4 weeks from date of departure if no conditions have been breached. An approved duration of stay will be stated in the visa.

One of the trickier components of an entry visa application is the Letter of Introduction (LOI). This document has to be furnished from a local contact in Singapore. If you’re here on a business trip, the LOI contact has to be a representative from a business entity that is registered in Singapore. However, if you’re unable to obtain an LOI, please seek help from your country’s embassy to obtain this document.

If you belong to the category below, please apply for a business or social visit visa (here).

Visa Application (Assessment Level 1)

1) Armenia
2) Azerbaijan
3) Belarus
4) Georgia
5) Holders of Hong Kong Document of Identity
6) India
7) Kazakhstan
8) Kyrgyzstan
9) Holders of Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) travel permit
10) Moldova111) Myanmar
11) Myanmar
12) Russia
13) People’s Republic of China
14) Tajikistan
16) Ukraine
17) Uzbekistan

If you belong to the category below, please apply for a business or social visit visa (here).

Visa Application (Assessment Level 2)

1) Afghanistan
2) Algeria
3) Bangladesh
4) Egypt
5) Iran
6) Iraq
7) Jordan
8) Lebanon
9) Libya
10) Mali
11) Morocco
12) Nigeria
13) Pakistan
14) Saudi Arabia
15) Somalia
16) Sudan
17) Syria
18) Tunisia
19) Yemen
20) Holders of Palestinian Authority Passport, Temporary passport issued by the United Arab Emirates and Refugee

Applying for a Short-Term Visit Pass

Citizens who do not belong to the 37 countries and regions listed above, generally do not require an entry visa in order to travel to Singapore. Upon their arrival, they would be given a short term visit pass. This is of course subject to ICA’s approval upon the traveller’s fulfilment of miscellaneous conditions, such as having sufficient funds to cover the duration of the trip, a passport valid for the following six months post-entry, and so on.

Applying for an Extension of my Short Term Visit Pass

Let’s say you fall madly in love with Singapore during your stay here. Did you know that you could extend your visit and remain here for up to 89 days in total? Provided that you had not obtained a prior extension of stay on the same trip, and that you would not be returning to Singapore within five days from the final departure date, you may be eligible for this extension.

Please note that nationals of 20 countries (listed above in the Visa Assessment Level 2 category) require a local sponsor to endorse their extension. Without a local sponsor, the applicant can seek help from their embassy to fulfil this requirement. All applicants must also submit their requests at least three working days, excluding weekends and public holidays, before their short term visit pass expires.

Apply for it online (here) or at the Visitors Services Centre at the ICA Building:

Visitor Services Centre
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
4th Storey, ICA Building
10 Kallang Road
(Next to Lavender MRT station)
Singapore 208718

Operating Hours:
Monday to Friday : 8.00 am to 4.30 pm
Saturday : 8.00 am to 12.30 pm

14 May 2016
Rayne