It is not for nothing that Singapore is called the “state of the future”. Technological breakthroughs have made the country one of the most advanced; people here already live in “tomorrow” and amaze tourists with their way of life. Do Russians need a visa to Singapore - yes. The country's visa regime is considered one of the strictest, but knowing the rules, compatriots easily cope with difficulties. In addition, there is always the opportunity to contact specialized companies that will handle the paperwork. Even more interesting things on the Travel247 portal.
Important! Russians have the opportunity to enter Singapore using a transit document. It is received at the airport and is valid for 96 hours.
What changes have appeared in the entry regime into Singapore?
What changes have appeared in the entry regime into Singapore?
As of today, transit flights, as well as planned vacation tours, are prohibited. The country has completely closed its borders to tourists, with the exception of people who work in the country.
Entry permits are obtained through the ministry and embassy. It is impossible to circumvent the law; current information is posted on the official website of the state.
But sooner or later the borders will be open, and the flow of tourists will once again fill the streets of the city-state. Some people will want to stay in a developed country longer, go to study, work, or move permanently. Moreover, Russians can visit Singapore without a visa.
How to travel to Singapore without a visa
Traveling to Singapore without a visa
According to standard rules, compatriots can enter the country only with a visa. But there is an opportunity to do without a document - a transit trip. In accordance with the conditions, citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to stay in Singapore for 96 hours (4 days).
What you need for a transit visit to the state:
- A foreign passport, which is valid for another six months, starting from the date of entry;
- A plane ticket to the next country on the trip, that is, Singapore should be a “transfer point” and not a final stop; Moscow-Singapore-Moscow tickets are not considered;
- Bank certificate in English.
A certificate may not be required, but customs officers have the right to inquire about the financial stability of the traveler, so having it in your pocket will not hurt.
The main nuance is not to forget about visiting a “third” country. Transit entry is issued only in the case when a tourist after Singapore flies somewhere else, but not to his homeland. The Moscow-Tokyo-Singapore-Moscow route will not be accepted, it is not transit, but Moscow-Singapore-Cambodia-Moscow is ideal.
Experienced travelers warn that choosing an air carrier requires a special approach; charter companies may require a visa. The transit issue is resolved successfully only after long explanations, discussion of the legality of the requirements, etc.
The second point is that travel must be by plane; land and water modes of transport are not accepted. There is no legal prohibition as such, but a tourist can easily be denied transit if he is traveling by bus, ship, or train. On the Internet you can find “rules for circumventing prohibitions” from experienced travelers, but it is better not to take risks and certainly not to get into disputes with customs officers.
If the trip takes place by bus, car, ship, a visa to Singapore is issued.
Are there visa refusals?
It is extremely rare for Russian citizens to be denied the opportunity to visit the Republic of Singapore. Refusal is possible for the following valid reasons:
- Errors were made in the completed application form, incorrect information was provided, or an incomplete list of papers;
- Your previously issued Singapore visa has not expired;
- Visa regulations were not followed during previous visits to the country.
In the absence of these situations, the chances of obtaining a visa to Singapore are as high as possible.
How to apply for a tourist visa to Singapore
Tourist visa to Singapore
To obtain a visa to Singapore, apply not to the embassy, but to special organizations. The embassy of the city-state does not accept visa applications; accredited firms handle this.
FAQ
How much do intermediaries charge for paperwork?
The cost depends on the complexity of the procedure, the number of people and starts from $100 US.
The list of verified companies is posted online on the official portal of Singapore; the right to request a visa belongs to only a few international companies:
- Air carriers: Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airline;
- Pony Express courier service;
- Authorized agents in the country - Singaporevisa.
Important! If someone offers to send a request through the Asian Visa Application Center, Qatar Airways, Helen Tours, Aquavita - this is a scam. The listed companies are deprived of the right to request.
And a few more points:
- All submitted documents are converted by scanner or camera into digital format, then sent by email to an accredited company.
- In order not to scan the package of documents yourself, they go to the office of the Poni courier service, a visa center for Asian countries. These centers scan documents at a very low cost.
- Air carriers that can request a visa do not convert texts into digital data and accept ready-made documents.
The courier service and visa center for Asian countries only accept the application form electronically, but can help with scanning documents; air carriers do not scan documents, but they require you to fill out the application form in their offices.
How to get a visa yourself?
It will not be possible to obtain a visa to Singapore on your own. Direct submission of documents to the diplomatic mission is not provided. The package of documents must be provided to official intermediaries:
- VFS Global visa center;
- Pony Express CC;
- Aviareps AG airline;
- travel companies Fregat-Aero, Mandarin.
The Singapore visa is sent to the applicant by email in PDF format. The document is assigned a unique number. The paper must be printed and presented at the checkpoint.
Please note that obtaining a visa does not guarantee 100% successful border crossing - the final decision whether to let a traveler through or not is made by an authorized border checkpoint officer.
When planning a trip, it makes sense to make sure in advance that there is no ban on traveling abroad on the Nevylet.rf website.
Registration online
For those who do not want or are unable to appear at the office of the authorized visa agents of the Embassy, you can submit a request online on the website of the trusted partner of the Singapore Migration Department - Global Singapore.
Singapore
To do this, you need to fill out a form and attach all the necessary documents, according to paragraph 5 of this article. The finished solution in the form of an electronic visa will be sent to your personal e-mail.
Attention! The Asian Visa Application Center is not authorized by the Embassy to accept Singapore visa applications from December 2021. Qatar Airlines, Helen-Tours, Akvavita, and Vipservice Travel also lost their powers.
How to get a work visa to Singapore
Work visa to Singapore
To get a job, a citizen of the Russian Federation applies for a work visa. Receipt is available in one of 4 options:
| № | Visa | Who gets | Peculiarities |
| 1 | Employment Pass | Issued to highly qualified specialists. A business visa is requested by TOP managers who show a salary of 2,000 Singapore dollars per month (SGD). The applicant is required to confirm a scientific degree and high qualifications (an ordinary work record book and diplomas will suffice). There are two types of Employment Pass visas: P1 – for specialists with a salary of 8000 SGD/month, P2 – if the salary is 4500-8000 SGD/month, Q1 – salary 3000-4500 SGD/month. | Specialists applying for a Q, P visa are entitled to obtain a visa for family members. Entry permits for people of retirement age are accompanied by a letter of sponsorship. |
| 2 | Entre Pass | The permit is issued to people wishing to transfer their business to Singapore. If the enterprise turns out to be profitable and successful, the city authorities have the right to extend the visa; if it goes bankrupt, they will refuse. | Entre Pass visa holders can request residence permit documents after a certain time |
| 3 | Entre Pass | This permit is issued to able-bodied citizens with secondary education, but employed in state firms. To confirm your education, a diploma from a vocational school (college) is enough. | They will require a salary certificate of at least 1800 SGD/month |
| 4 | PEP | The document represents a work permit and visa | There are no restrictions on the type of activity or salary. The holder has the right to change his place of work without submitting a request for a new visa |
Question to the expert
What is the fastest and most reliable way to get a work visa to Singapore?
The fastest option is to apply for a business visa or Entre Pass to transfer your business to the country. As for reliability, Russians are rarely refused; the reason can only be a violation of customs rules or problems with the law.
How much does a visa to Singapore cost?
The consular fee for a Singapore visa is S$30. Intermediary firms charge a fee for the service of obtaining an entry permit to Singapore in the amount of no more than 1,500 rubles. To urgently order an entry permit, the indicated amounts must be paid in double amount.
Singapore
Submitting documents online through the Global Singapore website will cost US$60 (consular fee included). Urgent application – 98 US dollars.
If a visa application is rejected, the money paid will not be returned.
How to apply for a Singapore visa for students
Singapore visa for students
For Russians, study visas are issued by educational institutions. The document is required for people who plan to study in the country for more than 28 days (4 weeks). Foreign citizens submit a request for a student visa at the time the result of admission to the course is announced.
But there are a number of exceptions:
- The student plans to study at a university operating on a foreign basis.
- The citizen has an Immigration Exemption Order.
- The student is asked to take a short course of study.
The package of required documents depends on the type of educational institution. They ask the dean for exact information and look at the university website, but there are standard documents that are always required:
- Questionnaire. It is filled out electronically, the form is downloaded from the website of the country's embassy.
- Photo (scan) of passport. They take photos of pages with a photo of the person, registration and other basic data. If the passport expires earlier than 6 months from the date of visa issuance, permission will not be given. They will refuse if the passport is damaged - missing pages, stains, unreadable data, etc.
- Confirmed hotel reservation. The document is requested from the hotel administration. The application is written in English and asked to send a confirmation letter for hotel reservation. An exception is made for people who have relatives or friends in Singapore. You can do without a reservation - friends will write an official invitation (in English).
- Digital photos of airline tickets. If the camera is not clear, scans are taken.
- Color photography.
Insurance covering expenses in the amount of $30,000 (USA) will be a significant addition to the package of documents, but this is not necessary; you can do without an insurance policy.
What documents are needed for a Singapore visa?
Applying for a Singapore e-visa requires the following documents:
- international passport;
- A completed application form;
- 1 photo;
- health insurance policy;
- round-trip air tickets with closed dates;
- hotel reservation or invitation.
For each child who will participate in the trip, a separate form is filled out and a package of documents is generated, regardless of whether they are included in the parent’s passport or have their own travel document.
Special rules and requirements for filling out documents
Rules for applying for a visa
All forms will have to be filled out, without errors, in the photo make sure the images are legible, etc. A mistake will result in an increase in the period for obtaining a permit, which results in lost time for study and recreation.
How to fill out the form
How to fill out an application for a visa to Singapore
The form is filled out electronically, do not skip fields, but indicate:
- FULL NAME;
- Current email address (there can be only one address, regardless of the number of tourists);
- Family status;
- Nationality (citizenship);
- Country of residence with full home address, zip code;
- Kind of activity;
- Education;
- Purpose of the trip;
- Exact dates of entry and exit to Singapore.
Then the questionnaire will ask you to familiarize yourself with information about deportation, answer questions and clarify whether there were problems with the law. After filling out the form, enter the captcha, check the specified data (there should be no errors or fraud), attach a copy of the passport and photo to the letter, and press the send button.
How to take a photo correctly
How to take a photo for a visa correctly
To apply for a visa, you only need one photo in color weighing up to 60 kB. Additional photo requirements can be viewed by right-clicking on the photo:
- The photo parameters are 400x514, the dimensions are adjusted in Paint.
- Black and white photos are not accepted, color photos are needed, scans with an extension of 96 dots per inch (dpi designation), checked by clicking the right button on the photo.
- They make copies without glare, with readable letters and numbers.
In order not to redo documents several times, contact specialized companies that will help you quickly assemble a package of documents. As for the timing of obtaining an entry permit, it all depends on the type of visa:
- A classic permit is issued within 7 working days. Cost $51 (USA). Payment is accepted at the time of submission of documents, the consular fee is included in the specified amount.
- An urgent visa will be issued in 2 days. Price: $110 (USA).
If the tourist has already been to Singapore, the registration period may be extended. The completed visa will be sent to the applicant’s specified email address.
What are the requirements for females under 31 years of age?
Requirements for women under 31 years old
To enter Singapore, women under 31 years old without a husband or parent (parent) require a package of documents:
- Certificate from work. The certificate states the salary, position, type of trip - vacation or business trip. A sample form is requested on the website of the country's embassy.
- Certificate from the bank.
Women under 31 years of age traveling to the country unaccompanied by a man or parent may be refused entry without explanation.
What are the requirements for documents for a child?
Requirements for a child's documents
Children without adults will not be allowed into the country. Accompanying persons must be parents, parent, guardians (acquaintances, relatives) with consent in the form of a power of attorney from the parents.
Documents for children are prepared in the same way as for adults. Parents have the right to include their child in their foreign passport, but they can also immediately issue a separate document - this does not affect the cost of the permit. If the child is included in the parents’ passport, they scan the pages; if they have a separate document, they scan all the pages.
If the requirements are met, the visa is issued within 3 working days and sent to your email address in pdf format. The applicant prints out the document and presents it to customs.
The visa is issued for 30 days, the cost starts from $51 (USA).
You can obtain a visa through:
- Visa centers (for example, onlinevc.ru). The resources operate around the clock, and detailed instructions are provided for users. The visa is issued in 3 days.
- At the office of the courier company Poni Express.
- At the country's embassy (for residents of the capital of the Russian Federation).
Reasons for refusal of an entry visa to Singapore
Why a visa may be refused
Permission is rarely denied; the reasons may be:
- Your previous visa has not expired;
- There were violations of customs and visa regimes;
- Errors in the application form or other documents;
- Bad photo;
- Problems with the country's legislation;
- There are still outstanding debts at home.
The specific reason for the refusal will be found out in the Department; the embassy does not answer questions.
What you can and cannot bring into Singapore
The country's customs regulations are quite strict.
The following is allowed for transportation:
- 1 liter of strong drink for travelers over 18 years of age. Alcohol must be from the list of permitted drinks in the country. An exception is made for tourists arriving from Malaysia or staying outside Singapore for less than 2 days.
- 200 pcs. tobacco products for personal use. They are not subject to duty, but smoking mixtures and other substitutes (vapes, electronic, etc.) are strictly prohibited.
- Video, audio content. It receives special permission from the Media Development Department.
- Medicines. Permission from the Medical and Sanitation Authority of Singapore is required.
- According to a certificate from the country's veterinary department, food/non-food products of animal and plant origin are transported.
- If you need to import equipment for radio and television broadcasts, you will have to obtain permission from the Information and Communications Authority of Singapore.
There is also a ban on the import of a number of products and items:
- Chewing gum;
- Psychotropic substances;
- Counterfeit goods;
- Artificial currency;
- Copyright infringing and other illegal materials.
Singapore is a country of strict laws. It is not customary here to violate the rules of conduct; it is not recommended to enter into disputes with the police or customs services. Any violation of recommendations and requirements is equivalent to criminal punishment. Perhaps this state is the only one where legislative norms are the same for everyone and are strictly observed. And if some requirements seem “ridiculous” to the traveler, they simply need to be fulfilled without going into questions or details.
