Singapore is a small yet high standard economy having various avenues of tourism. Tourism contributes a significant part in the GDP of Singapore. It is the 5th most visited country in the world that annually attracts international tourists more than three times its population. The process of getting an e-Visa for Singapore is simple. Let’s go through it briefly.
What is e-Visa?
e-Visa is an electronic visa that enables foreign people to enter into a country and stay there for a particular period. Generally, e-Visa allows you to stay in a foreign country for a short time.
Whenever people plan to visit abroad for short purposes like tourism, business trips, ceremonies, etc., they probably get worried about the typical and lengthy process of documentation. Therefore, the government and ICA( Immigration and Checkpoint Authority) of various countries started this e-Visa facility to provide a hassle-free visa process to the citizens.
e-Visa in Singapore
ICA allows and provides a facility in which a local person, contact or an authorized agent can print an approved visa. A “Status Enquiry” facility help you take a print of your Visa. Thus, you avoid a visit to ICA premises only to collect Visa.
Who Can Get e-Visa?
Singapore has categorized the eligibility of foreign visitors into two groups.
Assessment Level One (AL1) Countries
People who come under AL1 countries are free to apply for or obtain a visa through local Singaporean contact or strategic partner after arriving in Singapore. For this purpose, you need to hold an ordinary passport or travel document issued by your country.
Assessment Level Two (AL2) Countries
If you are a citizen of AL2 nations, you need to apply for a passport in advance. Moreover, you will receive your Visa in 3 working days, and a visa vignette will be affixed on your passport.
Documents Required for e-Visa
Before the application of e-Visa for Singapore, you are required to get some documents ready. These are –
- A passport of six months validity at the time of entry in Singapore,
- a roundly filled visa application form (14A) signed by yourself,
- Two passport-sized photos of 3 months older,
- The Letter of Introduction(LOI) in prescribed form V39A,
- The local contact in Singapore who minimum 21 years old and either a permanent resident or a citizen of Singapore.
How to Apply for e-Visa?
- Visit the official website of ICA (Immigration and Checkpoint Authority) of Singapore.
- Fill all the necessary details in the 14A form along with V39A form,
- After filling the details, provide your valid email id required for verification. You would get a pdf copy of your visa application to the same email id.
- At last, proceed to payment with a visa/master debit or credit card. You can also pay with your PayPal account.
The Takeaway
It takes 3-7 working days to complete your process. However, don’t forget to check the status of your application regularly. Also, note that you will get a maximum of 30 days to stay in your e-Visa after that, you must have to either return to your country or extend your visa limit.