How to Apply for Singapore Visa?

Singapore is an utterly beautiful country with a rich culture and dozens of exciting places to visit. It is not surprising to know that people from all over the world travel to Singapore for various reasons- tourism, for work, or studies. Of course, to be able to enter the country, you will need to apply for a Singapore visa. 

Here is everything you need to know about applying for a Singapore Visa. 

What Documents Do You Need to Get to Apply for a Singapore Visa?

In general, these are the documents that you will require if you are looking to apply for a Singapore visa. However, keep in mind that you may be asked to provide other documents as well, depending upon your country of travel and different rules applied to them. 

The documents required are: 

1. A valid passport (it should have a validity of at least six months and should have at least one blank page)
2. Two passport-sized recent digital photographs of the individual applying for the visa (at least three months recently taken)
3. A hotel booking (the hotel must be at least three stars)
4. A copy of your inbound as well as outbound flights airline tickets
5. A credit card or a debit card or PayPal account 
6. A duly completed Form 14A signed by the individual 

Upon submitting these documents along with the visa processing fees, the individual will have to wait for the processing time of 3 to 5 working days. The visa application will be submitted to the High Commission online, after which you will get your visa. 

However, it would help if you kept in mind that a Singapore visa is not an immigration pass. Granting of an immigration pass will only be done at the point of entry by the ICA officers. 

Applying for an eVisa:

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) introduced a Singapore visa, which allowed an authorized visa agent, a strategic partner, or a local contact to print out the approved visa electronically without actually having to go to collect a physical visa sticker.

The eVisa system allows individuals to apply for a Singapore visa online, allowing them to use from absolutely anywhere in the world. The individual has to follow the instructions to apply for the visa online, pay the processing fee, and they can quickly receive their Singapore eVisa. 

Remember that obtaining the Singapore eVisa does not immediately allow the individual to enter Singapore. The ICA may grant or refuse entry to any individual at the checkpoint in case they feel that the individual is unable to fulfil any of the immigration requirements.

Entry can also be denied in case the ICA officers think that the individual’s presence might be contrary to national security or national interests. 

The Singapore eVisa is valid only for 63 days after the date of issue, and it will allow the individual only a maximum of 30 days stay per entry. However, it should be noted that due to reasons of rejection, the eVisa may be processed only of those individuals who plan on visiting Singapore for not more than 15 days per entry. 

How to Check the Status of Your Visa Application:

After you have submitted your visa application, along with the processing fees and all other necessary documents to an authorized visa agent, you may check the status of your application after you have obtained the application reference number.

Here is how you can do it: 

Step 1- visit the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority website www.ica.gov.sg

Step 2- on the homepage of the site, go to Frequently Accessed Services and click on Visa (SAVE)

Step 3- scroll down and click on the option Status Enquiry 

Step 4- type in your Application Reference Number along with your Travel Document Number 

Step 5- Now, you can check if your visa has been approved or not. If yes, then you can choose to print out your eVisa. 

Important Points to Remember:

• The individual must have a valid reason for visiting Singapore and should mention the purpose of the visit to the visa authorities.
• You should ensure that the reason for your visit complies with the laws, rules, and regulations of Singapore. 
• There are only two situations where an individual does not need to apply for a Singapore visa- 

1. If you are coming from one of the 34 visa-exempt nations (you can visit entire Singapore without a visa for a period of 30 to 90 days)
2. If you are coming from one of the 15 countries whose nationals are eligible for a Singapore eVisa

Singapore is a great country to visit, and getting hold of your Singapore visa does not have to be an overwhelming process at all. You can choose to do the process online and get in touch with the Visa Experts.

They can guide you through the process and help you out with any queries that you might have regarding your visa application. You can also visit the Embassy to do the procedure in person and to get any help that you need from the experts there. 

Before travelling to Singapore, ensure that you have a proper hotel booking done through appropriate and trustworthy websites. You must also ensure that you have enough Singapore currency and other forms of forex.

In case you are travelling to Singapore on a Business visa, you will be required to provide other additional documents, which will be told to you beforehand. 

To make the process as easy as possible, you can always take the help of experts and ensure that you have all of the appropriate documents ready several weeks before you need to submit them.

Now, thanks to technology, you can do most of these processes in the comfort of your own home, by doing them online. 

In case you are travelling for purposes other than tourism, you should always have the contact information of your friend, relative or local contact in Singapore in case you require any help. Of course, you can still get help from the authorities as well, making your travels to Singapore easy and fun.