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Singapore - Visa

Social Visit Pass:
If you come to Singapore with a partner (who has an employment pass) but are not legally married (i.e  you don’t have a marriage certificate), then you cannot stay long-term in Singapore unless you obtain an employment pass in your own right. You may apply for a Social Visit Pass which will allow you to stay in Singapore for up to six months at a time.

  • Visitor Services Centre Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
    4th Floor, ICA Building
    10 Kallang Road
    Singapore
    208718
    Tel: + 65 6391 6100

Visitor Visa:
Entry Requirements
All visitors need to go through immigration clearance on arrival at Singapore.
Visitors need to satisfy the following requirements before they are allowed to enter:

  • Valid passport for at least six months.
  • Confirmed onward/return tickets.
  • Sufficient funds to maintain themselves during their stay in Singapore.
  • Visa, if applicable.
  • Entry facilities, including visas, to their onward destinations.

For more information go to the website of the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority at: app.ica.gov.sg/travellers/entry/entry_requirements.asp

Travelers coming from Western Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Asean countries can visit Singapore for a short period without a visa. On entry your passport will be stamped with a 14 to 90 day visitor visa.
For a list of counties whose citizens will need a visa to enter Singapore go to: app.ica.gov.sg/travellers/entry/visa_requirements.asp

On arrival you will need to fill out a Disembarkation/Embarkation form. At the immigration counter, the visitor must present the completed D/E Card together with his travel document to the immigration officer. An endorsement indicating the period that the visitor is allowed to enter and stay in Singapore is stamped on both portions of the D/E Card as well as on the passport. The Embarkation section of the card will be placed in your passport and you will need to hand it back to an immigration officer when you leave the country.

Foreigners visiting Singapore for the purpose of a social visit or to attend short business negotiations and discussions who require a longer stay can apply for a visa extension at:

  • Visitor Services Centre Immigration and Checkpoint Authority
    4th Floor, ICA Building
    10 Kallang Road
    Singapore
    208718
    Tel: + 65 6391 6100

Employment based Visa
To live permanently in Singapore it is necessary for one family member to hold an Employment Pass. To obtain an employment pass you must have a local sponsor who is usually your employer. Before you arrive in Singapore you must obtain an “Approval In Principal” Employment Pass. On arrival this is converted to an Employment Pass. Holders of P1, P2 and Q1 employment passes can apply for a Dependents Pass for their spouse and children. P pass holders can also apply for long-term social visit passes for their aged parents and parents-in-law.

Employment Pass P1
For a P1 Pass, you need to have acceptable professional qualifications or specialist skills in a professional, administrative, executive or managerial capacity. Entrepreneurs and investors also fall into this category. You must have a basic monthly salary of more than S$7,000.

Employment Pass P2
For a P2 Pass, you need to earn between S$3,500 and S$7,000 per year.

Employment Pass Q1
A Pass Q1 if for foreign employees who are skilled workers or technicians, or you must have specialized skills needed by the economy. They must earn a basic monthly salary of more than S$2,500.

Dependants Pass
The spouse and children of an employment pass holder can apply for a Dependent’s Pass which will be stamped in their passport and will usually be valid for two years.

Documents required
1. Form 12 (Dependant pass application form) completed and signed by applicant (in black ink).
2. Copy of official marriage certificate (for spouse applying)
3. Copy of official birth certificates of children showing both the parents’ names and the child’s name.
4. One recent passport-sized photograph of the applicant taken within the last three months. No photograph required for children less than 12 years old.

For non-English certificates/documents, 1 copy each of the certificates/documents and the official English translation (certified by the respective embassy) must be submitted together.

Permanent Residence

  • Non-Singaporeans can become Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) by obtaining an Entry Permit (an application for an Entry Permit is an application for Singapore Permanent Residence). The normal processing time for most applications is three months.
  • Many employers are now encouraging their foreign employees to apply for Permanent Resident status in Singapore. This offers some advantages for taxation and retirement and medical benefits, especially if you are earning a ‘local’ salary.
  • One issue to be aware of here, is that male children of permanent residents may have to perform two years of National Service in the Singapore Army. 

The following categories of foreigners are eligible to submit applications for Permanent Residence:

  • Spouse or unmarried children (below 21 years old) of a Singapore Citizen/Permanent Resident
  • Aged parents of a Singapore Citizen
  • Employment Pass (P or Q Pass) Holders
  • Investors/Entrepreneurs
  • Hong Kong residents who satisfy certain guidelines
  • Submit personally your completed application form, together with all the required documents to:

    PR Service Centre
    5th Floor, ICA Building
    10 Kallang road
    Singapore
    208718
    Tel: + 65 6391 6100
    website: www.gov.sg/mha/sir/pr_sc/pr_app.html

All the information in this section may seem complicated, but can be summarized as follows:

  • For a reconnaissance visit no documentation is needed in most cases – see section on Visitor Visas
  • On your arrival in Singapore to take up employment one adult family member must have obtained an "Approval in Principal" employment pass. (See Employment Passes). This requires a local sponsor who is usually the local employer.
  • After arrival in Singapore the Employment Pass is stamped into the passport and is usually valid for two years.
  • Other family members may apply for Dependents Passes once they arrive in Singapore. Dependents Passes are also stamped in the passport and are also usually valid for two years.
  • Dependent partners who do not have a legal marriage certificate should see the section – Social Visit Pass

Identity card
Employment Pass Holders and their dependents are issued with identity cards. All Singaporeans must carry an identity card and you will need to show this when you; buy a telephone, are admitted to hospital, join the library etc. This card must also be shown to immigration officials along with your passport when you leave or re-enter the country.

 

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