Singapore is a state that is striking in the contrasts of its culture and nature. It is not surprising that this state is incredibly popular among travelers from different regions of the world. Do Russians need a visa to Singapore? Yes, I need it. How to apply for a Singapore visa to a Russian citizen yourself? We consider all the subtleties of this process in more detail below.
What is a visa?
A visa is a small mark placed on the pages of a passport. It can be presented both in the form of a stamp, and in the form of a special paste.
What is a visa in nature? This is a kind of pass to the territory of a certain country, which gives the tourist who has it the right to stay within the state for a certain period.
A visa is issued by specialized authorities - representative offices of a particular state in Russia. As for specifically the visa to Singapore for Russians, it is provided in the form of a printed document, which is issued in response to an electronic application.
Singapore Visa Features
The main feature of the Singapore visa for Russians is that it is issued not at the consulates as permission to enter many other countries, but on a specialized website. This portal of the Singapore Immigration Service is a kind of intermediary between the consulate of this state and the citizens of Russia. In addition, tourists can also apply to specialized visa centers, however, as practice shows, a considerable amount of tens of euros or dollars will have to be paid for the services of intermediaries.
Another feature of the Singapore visa for Russians is that it is not glued to the passport. In addition, it is not even presented in the form of a stamp. Issued on a specialized site, an electronic visa to Singapore for Russians should be printed on an ordinary sheet. It is in this form, if necessary, that it will need to be presented to specialized state bodies, upon request.
When is a visa not required?
In certain cases, a visit to Singapore for Russians without a visa is possible. First of all, such a right applies to those who have official passports. Among these are representatives of diplomatic departments. However, there is a certain restriction for them, which consists in the fact that a visit to Singapore without a visa for Russians of this category is possible for no more than 30 calendar days.
In all other cases, tourists who plan to travel to this very bright and interesting country will definitely need a visa. Further, we will consider what types of it are and what package of documents must be provided to obtain permission to enter and stay in the country.
Tourist visa
Most often, a tourist visa is requested on the site of the Immigration Service. This document gives the tourist the right to stay within the territorial border of Singapore for 9 weeks. The rules also indicate that after this period the tourist has the right to extend his right to stay for another 30 calendar days. As practice shows, this time period is enough to get acquainted with all the available attractions, visit the most famous resorts, and enjoy your vacation to the fullest.
The Russians obtain a visa to Singapore through the official website of the Immigration Service of the country - it is sent in PDF format. Upon receipt, the document should be printed. His presentation must be requested where passport control will be carried out. In parallel with it, an immigration card should be presented to the regulatory authorities, which by that time should be filled out in the prescribed manner.
Visa for business
A business visa to Singapore for Russians is also issued in electronic form. Turning to the Immigration Service, you should clearly determine the purpose of obtaining it, since there are two types of permits that have a significant difference between themselves. So, people who plan to travel to Singapore in order to get a job as an employee must get a document that is classified as an Employment Pass. The document, called Entre Pass, is intended for those who wish to conduct business in Singapore. The rules indicate that, subject to the initial application for one of these types of permits, a visa to Singapore for Russians is only a couple of years.
In addition, if the employee was employed in Singapore, but then at some point changed his employer, he is obliged to apply for the document again, and he will be given a new permit, also for a period of two years.
As for the visa for employees, there are three types: P1 Pass, P2 Pass and Q Pass. The permission category directly depends on what level of specialization the applicant has. Practice shows: in order to become an owner of a business class visa it is necessary to have a very high level of specialization, as well as good experience in this field. In addition, the presence of high income also positively affects the adoption by the Immigration Service of an affirmative decision regarding the issuance of the desired document.
In some cases, Russian citizens have a desire to move to Singapore with their family. In such a situation, it will be appropriate for all family members to request a visa for dependents. Children, as well as the spouse or spouse of the future employee, have the right to receive one.
Student
To obtain an education in Singapore, a visa is also required. What visa does Singapore need for Russians to study at local educational institutions of varying degrees?
First of all, it is necessary to precisely determine the educational institution in which the training will be carried out. It is in it that an official request should be submitted, in response to which the application for a visa should be sent for a person who wants to receive an education in it.
Do I need a visa to Singapore for Russians who have dependent status? No, its presence is not required.
Experts in the tourism sector recommend that you clarify in advance all issues related to the specifics of obtaining a permit of this type, since in each accounting institution this procedure is carried out differently and for its implementation not one and the same package of documents is required.
Departure of the child
When issuing a tourist visa to Singapore for Russians, one also needs to take into account the circumstance associated with the entry of young children into the country, if such a condition is provided for. What is necessary in order to get into the territorial borders of the state with the baby?
In resolving this issue, it should be understood that even for the smallest child a visa should be issued. Unlike the rules established by many countries, when obtaining permission to enter for a child with one of the parents, there is no need to write a notarized power of attorney given by the second parent. However, in the event that it is planned to remove the child without his parents, the presence of such a document, given on behalf of two parents, is mandatory.
Transit visa
Do Russians need a transit visa to Singapore ? It should be noted that citizens of the Russian Federation should not draw up this type of permit. This is due to the fact that, quite legally, tourists from the Russian Federation have the full right to stay in Singapore for 4 days without special permission. As practice shows, it is quite possible to make a transfer to another country (usually Indonesia or Malaysia).
In the event of a transit transfer in Singapore, tourists are required to present a passport at the customs control point, in which a note will be made about the availability of a visa to the country where the Russian is traveling. In addition, it is necessary to provide evidence that will indicate the intention of departure or departure to this state, for example, tickets.
Documents required for obtaining a visa
When applying for a Russian visa to Singapore by yourself, you should accept the fact that the application must be filed electronically. In this regard, and all documents that are attached to it must also be presented in this format. So, scanned copies of which papers should be attached to the application?
First of all, the applicant is required to fill out a questionnaire. You can find her form on the official website of the Immigration Service, in a special section on the issue of permits for entry and stay in Singapore. As for filling out the form, there are no special requirements for this. Their minimum is reduced to the fact that the document must be filled out in electronic form, in Latin letters. In addition, the Immigration Service is especially scrupulous about the correctness of data entry. That is why it should be strictly monitored so that all the information presented in the questionnaire clearly coincides with that indicated in the passport.
In addition to the completed questionnaire, a color scan of the passport should be included in the general package of documents. It will take all the pages of this document, including those that bear marks on visits to other states.
One color photo of the applicant, made in good quality, must also be attached to the general list. Separate requirements are also imposed on the photo. They consist in the fact that the face on the card must be strictly in full-face position, the person's ears should be clearly visible. The frame should also be missing various accessories in the form of hats or sunglasses. Only medical transparent glasses and expressionless lenses are allowed.
A Russian applying for a visa to Singapore must necessarily present documentary evidence that will confirm the purpose of the trip indicated in the questionnaire. These may include scanned copies or documents in PDF format of official requests and invitations from companies or citizens of Singapore, certificates on the availability of real estate in the country, on engaging in certain types of activities within its territorial limits, etc.
If we are talking about a tourist visa, then the traveler must first book a hotel room or ticket for certain dates, and then provide information on the availability of this fact. In order to confirm their intentions to return back to Russia, tourists must attach copies of tickets (or confirmation of their reservation) for any type of ground transport going to a third country or directly to Russia. The type of transport in this case does not matter.
As for the medical insurance policy, its application is not at all mandatory for obtaining a visa. You can make a scan copy of it, but this is done solely at the request of the traveler. However, various travel agencies say that the presence of such a document allows the traveler to significantly protect themselves from various troubles. This is due to the fact that the services of medical specialists in Singapore are very expensive.
As for people who plan to obtain work visas, they must include a resume as well as a color copy of the document on education and on the degree, if any, in the general package of documents.
Special requirements for women
How to get a visa to Singapore for a woman who has not reached 32 years of age? It should be noted that the Singapore Immigration Service is especially attentive to young tourists, especially if they make their trip unaccompanied by their legal spouse or at least one of their parents. Such persons, in the process of submitting documents for granting permission to enter the country, are obliged to provide data on their financial solvency. An example of a document confirming this can be a certificate of employment indicating all the names of the company occupied by the traveler's position, as well as the amount of average wage. In addition, it is necessary to provide an extract from a bank account opened in the name of the applicant. It should indicate the amount of funds placed in the account, which will be enough to spend the planned length of time in Singapore.
It should be noted that in the case of the provision of such documents, the risk of rejection is significantly reduced.
Price
One of the important points in the procedure for obtaining permission to enter and stay in the state is to pay a special fee, which must be paid to the account of the Singapore Immigration Service (you can find it on the official website).
Many tourists ask questions about how much a visa to Singapore costs for Russians? It should be noted that the fee for the provision of document review services is charged in Singapore currency and amounts to $ 30 (this amount is equivalent to 23 US dollars). Payment is made in rubles at the exchange rate.
How to quickly get a visa to Singapore for Russians? This procedure is possible only on condition of submission of documents with a special indication “for urgent consideration”. In this case, the application will be considered within 24 hours, but the cost for the procedure immediately doubles - it will be about 45-46 US dollars.
As noted above, resorting to the services of intermediaries, tourists significantly reduce the red tape associated with the provision of documents, as well as with their execution. However, in this case, the customer must pay the services provided by the intermediary. The average cost of assisting in granting a permit will be around $ 40.
Any tourist who submits an application for a visa to the state under consideration should also understand that the above fee is charged solely for the procedure for studying the documents submitted by the applicant, and in no case for making a positive decision. That is why it should be borne in mind that in case of refusal to grant a visa to Singapore, the tourist does not receive the money paid back by him. In such a situation, he has the right to make adjustments to the documents, correct all the indicated defects, and then re-submit the application, having again paid the amount of the fee.
Terms of consideration
With regard to the timing of consideration of the submitted application, this procedure is completed in a relatively short period. So, from the moment a tourist submits an application until a decision is made, it usually takes about three days. However, practice shows that this period can be significantly increased if minors are involved in the trip or if a second trip to the country is planned.
After a small amount of time, the applicant will receive an official letter with his decision, as well as with an electronic visa with a unique barcode, by email. This document must be printed.
If a refusal was received
Statistics show that after considering applications with documents attached to them, tourists, as a rule, receive affirmative answers. However, in some cases, potential travelers may be denied. In what cases does this happen?
Entry to Singapore will be problematic for persons who previously resided in the territory of this state, but who violated the law. The same applies to those on the list of violators of the visa regime.
In the event that a person has a business visa, but he has substantial debts under articles of taxation, then he also has no right to enter Singapore anymore.
One of the reasons for the refusal of a visa may be errors made in the process of filling out the application form. In addition, this situation is possible in case of failure to provide some mandatory documents.
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