To Singapore WITHOUT a visa: how to obtain transit entry for 96 hours at Singapore airport in 2021

Do I need a transit visa for a layover in Singapore?

To do everything correctly, you need to understand what transit is and what nuances should be taken into account in order to minimize possible complications at the border. Firstly, transit is an arrival in Singapore from one country, followed by a transfer to a third. Not a transit:

• departure from Yekaterinburg to Changi Airport (Singapore) with a subsequent flight to Moscow;
• flight from Pattaya (Thailand) to Singapore with a transfer to Bangkok (Thailand);
• departure from Russia with a connecting flight in Cambodia, then landing in Singapore and the next flight to another airport in Cambodia is also not transit.

It is almost impossible to transit to Singapore via the land border.

At border control, you will encounter a lot of questions from border guards about the purpose of the visit, the exact final destination, a detailed check of documents, and the availability of accommodation reservations. It may turn out that you are missing some document that you didn’t even know about. The bus will not wait until you solve your problems with the border guards, so it’s better to discard this idea right away.

The Republic of Singapore has a tropical climate, which speaks for itself. Taking the chance to stay here for only about 4 days, you can enjoy the always warm sea, sunbathe on the beaches, they are all clean, landscaped, and even free. All this is decorated with palm trees and views of skyscrapers, the coast and dozens of ships at sea.

A popular place is Marina Bay (bay) and the island of entertainment, which has attractions of all types, as well as museums and monuments. There are many ancient historical buildings in Singapore, but also modern buildings are built to resemble antiquity, which often misleads tourists.

There are 2 types of work visas to Singapore for Russians: Entre Pass (entrepreneurial visa for individuals planning to conduct business in the country) and Employment Pass (visa for employees). For the very first time, a permit is issued for a period of up to 2 years. If you change employer, you must submit a new visa application .

There are three types of Employment Pass: P1 Pass, P2 Pass, Q Pass. The salary and qualifications of the future employee influence the type of permit issued. To obtain a Singapore business visa, you need to be a truly high-profile specialist, have proven experience in your specialty and a fairly high income.

Family members (children and spouses) of business visa holders receive a Dependant's Pass visa.

A visa to Singapore for Russian students can only be issued through the institution where the applicant plans to study. A student permit is required for studies longer than 4 weeks. The Student's Pass is not needed only in a situation where you already have a Dependant's Pass.

Each educational institution has its own procedures for inviting international students, so it is better to consult with its staff before submitting documents.

All papers are sent electronically. You will need:

1. Questionnaire (an example of filling out the form in the required format can be found on the Internet);
2. Color copy of a foreign passport;
3. Color photography of good quality and digital resolution;
4. Hotel reservation (or invitation from the employing company, from a citizen of Singapore);
5. Copies of plane/ship/bus or other ground transport tickets;
6. If desired, a medical insurance policy;
7. Copy of education document (for work visas);
8. Resume (for work visas).

For Entre Pass applicants, there is an additional list of documents, which includes a business plan, company registration documents, letters of recommendation from partners.

The cost consists of two components - a consular fee of thirty Singapore dollars (this amount is equivalent to approximately 23 USD ) and a fee for the service of an authorized agency.

The price also depends on the method of obtaining a visa. If you want to receive a document using an air carrier company, it will cost approximately 40 USD . If a visa is needed urgently, the price will double.

Types of visas

As in any country, in Singapore there is a visa regime for Russian citizens crossing the country's border. There are the following methods for obtaining a visa.

Electronic visa

It can be obtained via the Internet, online method. It looks like an electronic document, which after payment is sent to the mailbox specified by the tourist. To obtain this type of permit, you must attach the following documents along with the application for its execution:

• confirmation of the availability of paid tickets to Singapore;
• booking a hotel room for each night of your stay in the country;
• a copy of the tourist’s identity documents;
• medical insurance against accidents, as well as a bank account statement as confirmation of the citizen’s financial solvency.

Transit visa to Singapore

It is a stamp affixed by passport control officers when crossing the country's border. To obtain it, you must meet a number of conditions. For example, the validity period of a foreign passport is more than six months after visiting Singapore.

This is what the stamp that is affixed when crossing the border looks like:

Entry permit obtained from the consulate

For a Singapore visa, this method is not acceptable.

Features of a Singapore visa for 2021

Singapore is often a transit zone on the way for tourists to Indonesia or Malaysia. A transit visa to Singapore for Russians in 2021 is not needed; according to the rules, citizens of the Russian Federation have the opportunity to freely stay in the country without permission for 4 days (96 hours) . At customs control you must present:

1. Foreign passport with a visa of the final country of residence;
2. Valid air ticket to a third country.

According to the changes of 2013, visa-free transit is also possible when using land vehicles and water transport.

As of 2021, citizens of less than forty countries, including Russians, are required to obtain a visa to Singapore. Residents of most of the planet can visit this country without any permits. However, they will also have to provide evidence that they do not plan to stay to work illegally.

For a small island city-state that imports drinking water, the problem of illegal migration is very acute, so all arrivals are required to have return tickets. Otherwise, visiting Singapore is very easy to organize.

It is worth noting that Russians and citizens of a number of other countries can visit Singapore without a visa. To do this, it is enough to take a transit flight with a connection of no more than 96 hours.

Being one of the most modern countries on the planet, Singapore requires traditional visas only from citizens of several countries considered troubled or associated with terrorism. These, for example, are Somalia, Afghanistan, Egypt, Tunisia and some other Arab and African states. For Russians in 2021, a visa to Singapore is required, issued electronically.

The innovation has caused some confusion among many travelers, even those with extensive experience in obtaining entry permits. All documents are submitted electronically on a special website, and the result is a PDF file that should be printed and inserted into your passport. For this reason, today most Russians prefer to obtain a visa to Singapore through an intermediary, for example, the Unified Visa Center. This will help to correctly prepare all the documents, which in turn significantly reduces the likelihood of refusal, since most negative results are associated precisely with incorrect submission of the request.

Tourists who decide to independently obtain a visa to Singapore should prepare for some difficulties, since the document requirements are very strict. However, their list is small, which in some way compensates for the difficulties.

Russians are required to provide a foreign passport, which expires no later than 6 months before applying for a visa. The passport can be of any date of issue.

Important: only a diplomatic passport and a sailor’s passport are equivalent to a general civil passport, but their holders do not need a visa to Singapore for transit.

If a person has received a residence permit in Russia, he must apply for a foreign passport for transit through Singapore to his country. This creates inconvenience for citizens of CIS countries, but these are customs rules. Holders of temporary residence permits in the Russian Federation must also obtain a foreign passport in their country.

The second important document is an air ticket with a fixed date. When applying for a visa, it must be presented. Documents with an open date will not be accepted.

A transit visa holder can:

• Enter Singapore by any means of transport - water or air;
• Leave the country only by plane;
• Fly only to a third country, and not return to the one from which you flew.

Example: a Russian citizen flies from Thailand to Singapore to return to Thailand within 96 hours. His visa must be a tourist visa, not a transit visa, as he does not meet the requirement that the flight is to a third country.

When going on a trip, you need to print out tickets to a third country and a hotel reservation if your stay in Singapore exceeds 12 hours and you will need to spend the night in the country. There is no need to download migration cards; they will be handed out on the plane.

The migration card indicates:

• Full name and surname in Latin, as indicated in the passport;
• Country of birth;
• Place of registration;
• Date of Birth;
• Place of residence in Singapore in accordance with the hotel reservation;
• Current flight number;
• Country of arrival after transit;
• Nationality.

What do you need to get a transit visa on arrival in Singapore?

To prepare documents for obtaining a transit visa at the airport, I used 2 websites: Singapore Immigration and Civil Aviation Authority Singapore (I gave a link to it above).

The official document from the Civil Aviation Authority Singapore states the following requirements:

1. The country from which the tourist arrives must be different from the country to which he flies from Singapore;
2. You can arrive in Singapore by any means (by sea, land or air), but you only need to leave Singapore by plane;
3. The passenger must have a passport valid for at least 6 months, a confirmed paid ticket and a visa to a third country;
4. The passenger must have enough money to stay in Singapore;
5. The connecting flight to the third country must be within 96 hours of transit through Singapore and must be supported by a paid air ticket;
6. The passenger must satisfy all entry requirements for Singapore.

The same rules are duplicated on the website of the Russian Embassy in Singapore.

As you can see, everything is simple. It is enough to have a valid passport, paid tickets to a third country and money (about $80 for a day of stay in Singapore). Additionally, at passport control we were asked to show our paid hotel reservation. We stayed at the 5 foot way inn project overlooking Marina Bay (our hotel review).

⭐ What to see in Singapore in 1-2-3 days

Visa to Singapore for Russians: how to get to one of the best countries in the world

Some time ago, a visa to Singapore was not provided to those flying with low-cost airlines Air Asia and Tiger Air. Such travelers had to generally apply for a tourist visa and receive it on the website through electronic registration, paying a fee of 700 rubles.

This rule has now been abolished, and there is no such information on the website of the Singapore Immigration Department.

Some companies refuse to allow Ukrainian citizens to board planes to Singapore, pointing out that there is no transit visa for them. You must print out the immigration rules in advance and take them with you.

The problem is that foreign airline employees may misunderstand the term "Commonwealth of Independent States" as used by Singapore legislators. It is obvious that citizens of Russia, Ukraine and other CIS member countries enjoy the right to a transit visa.

There may be errors when obtaining a visa due to the fault of the person flying into the country. Many people book a flight back to their country of departure via Singapore and are surprised to learn that a visa cannot be obtained and entry is prohibited.

The exception is when the passenger spends up to 96 hours in Singapore. Then he can take a transit ticket and not apply for a visa, and airline officials have no right not to let him on the plane.

If problems arise at the airport counter, the passenger simply shows the ticket to the next country and indicates that they have tickets for less than 72 hours.

Tatyana: I am a citizen of Ukraine. At the Hamburg airport I was boarding a low-cost airline, and the girl at the counter refused to let me board, since we allegedly did not have the right to obtain a transit visa. I explained that Ukraine is a CIS country and showed a printout from the Singapore Embassy website. In my presence, the guy was not put on the flight without such a printout; he was Belarusian. I can advise all travelers to immediately take a printout with them and not try to explain something by pointing at their phone.

Andrey: I recommend stocking up on cash dollars in advance. I flew into Singapore to transit to Bali and the customs officer asked for money to prove I could spend the day in the country. Enough American dollars. By the way, Singapore is a rather expensive city, it is called the “country of millionaires,” but I managed to buy lunch there cheaper than in Moscow. I downloaded the guide and it took me to an inexpensive place in the city where I ate with Russian money for 340 rubles. Coffee in the city costs about 200 rubles, mineral water costs about fifty dollars. To stay in Singapore, it is worth exchanging a little for local money; it is not the American, but the Singapore dollar that is used in this country.

Irina: I didn’t have any problems with the transit visa. They said that low-cost airlines are closed to this country, I read a lot about this on the forums. Despite the fact that I was flying on Tigerair, I was not even asked about the purpose of the visit either upon boarding or at the airport. I just gave the officer my documents and that’s it. They put a visa in my passport, made a note that I was warned about the death penalty for drugs (they cannot be brought into the country), and that’s it, I went for a walk around the airport. By the way, for my taste, this is the best airport in all of Asia. You can sit in an artificial garden and look at the birds of paradise, Wi-Fi is available everywhere, you don’t have to walk long distances, as there is something like a metro running, the food is tasty and inexpensive, not like in Domodedovo. There is something to keep a child busy; a free playground with slides and toys is reminiscent of what is available in various children's centers.

Vasily: I had to apply for a transit visa when I was flying through Singapore with a transfer. I had a day in the country, and I booked the hotel myself via the Internet. Upon arrival, they asked to show a printed reservation. A small life hack - it’s useless to show it on your phone, at the airport everyone only looks at pieces of paper, so travelers print everything out - customs rules, tickets. In front of me, a guy told me that he once flew through Changi with an open date, and he was not given a transit visa, a customs officer came and he had to quickly buy a ticket with a fixed date via the Internet. So you won’t be able to talk yourself out of it from the customs officer, and buy a ticket according to the rules.

Singapore is not only a country of millionaires, but also a major Asian transport hub. Applying for a transit visa is simple; citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other countries are issued it easily. The main thing is to prepare documents in a timely manner and carefully study customs rules.

In our opinion, transit is an ideal option for getting to know the country-city. For Russians in Singapore, there is a visa-free transit system for 96 hours, and during this time it is quite possible to explore the main attractions. And there is a chance that after four days you will have at least something left in your wallet. Don't forget that Singapore is an expensive destination.

There is a very important subtlety in a transit visit: the country from which you fly to Singapore and the country you then fly to cannot be the same! That is, if you travel Bangkok - Singapore - Bangkok, you will not be able to visit Singapore without a visa. But the flight Bangkok - Singapore - Kuala Lampur will be considered a visa-free transit.

There is no need to prepare any documents in advance. Just fill out the immigration card at the airport and that’s it. You must have a valid passport and a return air ticket to another country with you.

Last year, the requirements for issuing visas to young unmarried girls were tightened with a funny wording: “Due to the increasing incidence of illegal activities of some female citizens under 30-31 years of age in the Republic of Singapore, the consideration of documents for this category of persons is being tightened.”

In fact, everything is not so scary, you just need additional documents:

1. Certificate from place of employment indicating salary and position, vacation dates.
2. Certificate from the bank about the status of the account.
3. Write the entire program of your stay, indicating the duration of the trip and the approximate budget - with a signature and date.
4. A young woman traveling with her husband must provide a marriage certificate.

It would seem that this is already clear to everyone - weapons, piercing objects, liquids, etc. If everything were so, we would not dwell on this point. But at Singapore customs you will not be allowed through with regular chewing gum! Therefore, please read the list of prohibited items for import into Singapore:

• chewing gum
• chewing tobacco, electronic cigarettes
• pistol shaped lighters
• fireworks
• then everything is according to standard

Do I need a visa for transit?

Residents of more than a hundred countries have been allowed to visit Singapore without a visa. There are a lot of cultural and religious attractions here. It is noteworthy that many of these masterpieces were created relatively recently or in our time.

A transit visa for Russians to Singapore in 2021 is not required, TIMATIC rules clearly state this. It is enough to have the necessary package of documents with you and board the plane.

Unfortunately, not all airlines fulfill their obligations and require a preliminary visa. Most often this happens when using flights of small Singaporean low-cost airlines. In this case, you need to be ready to enter into a dispute and prove that you are right by referring to the rules, but not in the section dedicated to entry, but specifically to transit.

Based on transit, Russians are allowed to stay in Singapore without a visa for 96 hours from the moment they enter the country; they cannot stay longer.

For which Russians will the “corridor” to Singapore open?

Children over 14 years of age travel with their own passports. Younger minors may be included in their parents' documents. Children's visas are issued in the same way as adults: a separate application form is filled out for each child indicating the parents' passport information. Also attached is a scan of the page from mom or dad’s document where information about the children is written down.

If a minor travels with only one parent, consent to leave the Russian Federation from the second is not required. Such a document is needed (and only from one parent) if the child travels to Singapore with a third party, for example, with a grandmother.

Russians will not need a transit visa if their stay in the country lasts no more than 96 hours. The traveler must have air tickets with a specific departure date, a visa to a third country and funds for accommodation in Singapore (or a hotel reservation for the entire period of stay).

Arriving and departing to the same country is not considered transit, and in such situations a regular visa is required. For example, the Moscow-Singapore-St. Petersburg route is not a transit crossing of Singapore.

It is worth considering that the final decision on the possibility of a transit stop in the country without a visa is made by a border guard officer.

Russian tourists do not need a visa to Singapore only if they plan to stay in this country for no more than 96 hours and their route falls into the transit category. That is, only the travel option “Country A – Singapore – Country B” is considered transit. If you want to visit Singapore without a visa from Thailand and return back, this route is not considered a transit route. To get a visa to Singapore yourself, just read the information on this page and collect the necessary documents. It's not difficult and inexpensive. The price is 30 SGD, and you may need to pay a service fee, it all depends on where you will apply for your Singapore visa.

• ✔ Transit period is strictly up to 96 hours
• ✔ Departure by plane only
• ✔ Have a paid air ticket to a third country

This is enough in theory. But in practice, when you take off at the check-in counter, you are asked, “Where is the Singapore visa?” Therefore, it is important to prepare for such questions in advance.

What is the process of obtaining a visa to Singapore?

In fact, there is nothing difficult about this process. A visa to Singapore for Russians is issued in three days and does not require the preparation of any special documents. This means that if your trip is planned for 2021, you can start preparing each document closer to next year.

As noted earlier, the visa in question for Russians is issued online, which means that the key issue in this entire process is filling out the visa application form. In fact, even this is not complicated - this is another difference from a Schengen visa. Fill out the form, send scans of the necessary documents (passport, hotel reservation, air tickets, income certificate, medical insurance), pay the consular fee of $45 and after three days you receive the coveted visa to Singapore.

Transit visa to Singapore 2021. How to fly to Singapore without a visa

• Possible: Moscow-Singapore-Bali. Not allowed: Moscow-Singapore-Moscow (not even with a connection somewhere in Qatar or the UAE)
• You can: Phuket-Singapore-Kuala Lumpur. Not allowed: Phuket-Singapore-Bangkok (or Phuket, Samui, Krabi, Chiang Mai and other cities in Thailand)
• Possible: Bangkok-Singapore-Jakarta. Not allowed Bali-Singapore-Bali (and other cities in Indonesia)
• Possible: Bali-Singapore-Philippines. Not allowed: Manila-Singapore-Boracay (Cebu, Palawan, Davao, Manila and other destinations in the Philippines).
• Possible: Hong Kong-Singapore-Bangkok (from Hong Kong to Thailand is possible). Not allowed: Hong Kong-Singapore-Hong Kong (you cannot return to Hong Kong).
• Possible: Hanoi-Singapore-Phuket (transit from Vitenam to Thailand) Cannot: Hanoi-Singapore-Ho Chi Minh City (no return to Vietnam)

Citizens of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan can obtain a transit visa for a 96-hour stay if a number of conditions are met:

• You can arrive in Singapore by any means of transport (bus, plane, cruise ship), but you only by plane from one of the country’s 3 airports.
• You are flying to a country different from the one you came from.

Your passport will be stamped upon arrival at Changi Airport free of charge. It seems that everything is simple and tempting - 96 hours is enough to explore Singapore, but there is one problem.

On forums and reviews, there are sometimes reports of problems with transit from neighboring countries unfamiliar with Singapore visa rules.

Thai Lion Air, AirAsia, Jetstar and some other Asian low-cost airlines may refuse boarding on a flight to Singapore without an e-visa. After all, according to the rules, if you have problems at passport control in Singapore, they will be forced to take you back at their own expense.

This happens very rarely, but... you decide.

Personally, I also applied for an electronic visa because I wanted to go to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, for a couple of days by bus.

You cannot leave the country by bus with a transit visa.

A plane ticket costs $200 for two, and a bus ticket costs $40. The bus ride takes only 5 hours, and from the bus window you can admire the non-tourist areas of both countries.

Women under 32 years of age traveling alone, without a husband or parents, need a certificate from work. It must indicate the position, length of service, salary and vacation time with retention of the position.

You also need to provide a bank card statement.

The Singapore e-visa is valid for 9 weeks from the date of issue. The visa is multiple entry and allows you to stay in the country for 30 days with each entry.

Visa applications are accepted no earlier than 3 months before the start of the trip, and no later than 7 days before entering Singapore. The processing time for a visa application is usually 4-6 working days.

The entry permit is obtained electronically. Thus, a stamp is not placed in the passport. You will be given a confirmation with a unique identification number. It is printed on white A4 paper and presented to the border guards at the airport.

You can check the authenticity on the official website of the Singapore Department of Migration and Control.

Instructions on how to get a free transit visa at Singapore airport

1. Print out your paid airline ticket reservation (we booked tickets through Aviasales) and hotel reservation (hotel reservation only if you are staying in Singapore for more than a day).
2. Make sure that you do not need a visa to the third country you are flying to after Singapore, or that you have a visa.
3. Fill out the migration card on the plane.

Upon arrival in Singapore, we go to the border control counters.
There is no special counter for transit travelers. We give the officer the passport and all documents. The border guard checks your documents and, in rare cases, may ask you to show money. Five minutes and you have a transit visa in your passport!

Visa to Singapore for Russians in 2021

→Except for unmarried women under 35 years of age applying for tourism.

1. Color scan of the first page of a foreign passport (scan larger than 899x1199 pixels). Valid for at least 6 months at the time of entry and with at least one blank page;
2. An electronic copy of a photograph on a white background in jpeg format measuring 400x514 pixels (original file, not scanned);
3. Ticket or round-trip ticket reservation (or we enclose);
4. Hotel reservation indicating the address and telephone number of the hotel, reservation dates, surname of each applicant;
5. Questionnaire >>> (fill in);
6. For children under 18 years of age additionally: a color scan of the birth certificate and consent to travel from the second parent (if the child is traveling with one of the parents).

Friendly and close cooperative relations have been established between the Russian and Singaporean states. Both countries are members of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). However, this did not affect the weakening of the visa regime.

To visit the Republic of Singapore, Russian citizens need a visa regardless of the purpose of the trip.

An exception is made for holders of official and diplomatic passports - a visa is not required if you stay in the country for less than 30 days. To stay in Singapore longer than this period, you must contact the Singapore Embassy in Moscow and pre-issue an entry permit.

Also, transit travelers do not need to worry about obtaining an entry permit - they are allowed to stay in the country without a visa.

The Singapore authorities have provided for the issuance of several types of visas depending on the purpose of the trip. Each category has its own characteristics and rules for receiving.

This type of entry permit corresponds to the following purposes of travel: tourism, visiting friends, relatives, participation in conferences, seminars. A multiple-entry visa is issued. The validity period of the permit is 9 weeks, but you are allowed to stay in the country for no more than 30 days at a time.

There are two main types of business visa:

• for entrepreneurs (Entre Pas);
• for highly qualified workers, directors, leading managers who plan to work in Singapore companies (Employment pass). Their salary level must be at least S$2.5 thousand.

Family members of a business visa holder of any type are entitled to obtain a dependent's visa (Dependant's Pass).

Photo requirements include digital photography parameters, requirements for the applicant’s appearance:

• size up to 60 KB, jpeg format, resolution no less than 400x514 pixels;
• the photograph must be taken no later than 3 months before the date of submission of the visa application;
• the background of the photo is light, plain;
• the image of the face should occupy most of the photo;
• without a smile;
• without wearing hats, glasses, or other items that can cover the face or part of it (except for cases stipulated by religious beliefs or medical indications).

Visa to Singapore on your own: where and how to apply

If four days is still not enough for you, you will have to apply for a visa. The Singapore Embassy itself does not accept documents. On the website you need to look at the list of accredited centers that have the right to issue visas. In Moscow it is:

• Asian Visa Application Center
• Singapore Airlines
• Pony Express
• Vipservice

All others are either intermediaries or scammers.

The difference from the usual Schengen is that all documents (or rather scans of them) can be submitted online. Therefore, it is very important here to follow all instructions regarding the quality of the images that you will submit. If you wish, you can come to the accredited company in person with printed documents. But why waste your time?