Singapore is one of the best countries to visit with family and kids. Many nationals require a valid tourist Visa to visit Singapore. So do Indians. VISA processes often require a lot of paperwork. And they are time consuming and confusing. But here’s the good news. Getting Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians seems to be very simple. At least compared to the process of applying for a Schengen VISA from India where a whole lot of documentation is required. And also each individual needs to be present for biometrics. Although, it will be so much hassle free with a visa on arrival for Indians in Singapore. As a lot of Indians tend to travel to and fro between India and Singapore. Anyways, as of today, a Singapore tourist VISA for Indians is required in case they want to visit Singapore for tourism purpose.
We recently went through the process to obtain Singapore Tourist Visa from India . And we did apply for a VISA for our kid as well as our parents traveling with us. Thus, applying for Singapore Tourist VISA for family. So, here we list the steps required for obtaining the Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians. Hope this post will help provide the readers a simplified and hassle free steps to get Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians.
Processing time for Singapore Tourist VISA for Indian
The Singapore Tourist VISA application form for obtaining Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians can be filed at max a month before your travel dates, not prior to that. The Singapore Tourist VISA processing time is upto 5 working days. Which means you can apply as late as 5 days before your travel. And get your visa before you travel. However, it will not be good to wait for the last moment to apply your VISA. Since, it might happen that the embassy asks you for few extra documents after you apply for the VISA. And then you will have to send those documents. Which can elongate the application processing to 7 working days or 10 working days. So, our recommendation is that you file for the Singapore Tourist VISA at least 15 days in advance to your travel.
Book the flight tickets
The prerequisite to get Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians is to have your return flight tickets done. So, book your flight tickets as a first step. And then attach a copy of your return flight tickets along with your Singapore VISA application form. Flights operate frequently between almost all the major cities of India and Singapore. But, it’s always good to book in advance, in order to score economical flight tickets.
Connect with an authorised agent to get Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians
The applications for Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians are processed via authorized agents. You can find the list of authorized agents for processing the VISA application on the website of the Singapore Consulate for your region. For example, here is the list of authorized agents for Delhi region. So, you can lookup and decide which agent you would want to get your VISA application processed with. We tried the Thomas Cook Singapore VISA service for our Singapore VISA application processing. But, we found certain shortcomings with the agent. These being:
The Thomas Cook Singapore VISA service for India
- There is no pickup and drop facility for the VISA application and supporting documents. This means, you have to take out time to visit their office to submit your application. Also, after your VISA is obtained you will have to once again visit their office to collect your passports.
- They have a huge backlog. At least in Bangalore. Which means, even if you submit your VISA application with them way in advance, they will take their own sweet time for filing your VISA. And mostly, they will file it only 5 working days before your travel date. I am a paranoid person. Since whatever has to go wrong, does go wrong with me. So, I never wait for the last moment to get my things done. As a result, I had to follow up hard with them to get my VISA processed a little in advance. So that I could get the VISA with a few days buffer in hand before my travel dates. Another reason I wanted my VISA application to be processed earlier was parents application. Since, my parents were filing with me for the VISA, from Bangalore. But, their passport is issued from a different town. So, I was a little skeptical if their VISA processing will go smooth in a single shot.
There are other agencies which provide door pickup and drop of your documents and process the VISA application immediately as you submit them. So, our recommendation will be to approach 2-3 agencies. Get all their quotes. Also, enquire about their services. And then compare and decide which one you want to go with.
Singapore Tourist VISA documents required from Indians
Following is the list of Singapore Tourist VISA documents required from Indians. This is not an exhaustive list though. Depending on your situation, in certain cases, the embassy might want some more documents. Or might demand other supporting documents after VISA filing. If that is the case, they will inform you by email. Or you can also check the VISA application status to know the details. So the list of documents goes as follows:
- Duly filled VISA application form (can be obtained from agent)
- One cover letter for the whole group traveling together. The format of the cover letter can be obtained from the agent.
- Return flight tickets to Singapore
- In case you are an employee with a regular job in India, you will need to submit one proof of your employment – id card or employment letter or any other document that has the company name and address on it.
- Your passports (latest and any old passport(s))
- A copy of your passport
- 2 photographs (size as specified in the VISA application)
Enquire with your agent if they require anything else apart from the above in order to apply for the Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians. Having your documents sorted, up to date and ready will help expedite the process of obtaining your Singapore VISA.
Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians in case of minor
In case you have a minor or kid traveling with you, then the kid’s application form needs to be filled and duly signed by both the parents. In case the kid is traveling with only one parent then the consent letter from the other parent should be included.
Status check for your Singapore tourist VISA application
Once your agent has filed your application for Singapore Tourist VISA, they can share you the application reference number. Using this reference number, you can check your VISA application status online on their official website using the link “Status Enquiry”.
Obtaining the VISA and collecting back your passports
Once your Singapore Tourist VISA application is processed, you will know it from the status enquiry section above. You can as well print the e-VISA online. However, to get your passports, you should contact the agent. Within a day or two of your VISA application processing, the agent will get your passport back at their office. Then you can arrange for pickup of your passport. This can be done either by visiting their office or asking them to drop to your doorstep. (Given they have this facility).
Notes
PS: There is no biometrics collected at the time of filing the application for Singapore Tourist VISA for Indians. So, if you are traveling in a group with family or friends, any one person can go and submit the signed application form along with all the required documents on behalf of the whole group. Similarly, any one person having the receipt of application filing with the agent can go ahead and collect back the passports.
PS: Depending on various factors, you will be given multiple entry Singapore Tourist VISA ranging from one month to two years from the date of issue of the VISA. Even if a group of people apply together for the VISA, their VISA validity might vary. The reason as to why a certain period VISA is issued is internal and not disclosed to the applicant. Nevertheless, 4-5 days are sufficient to plan an effective trip to Singapore. So, you need not worry about the duration of your Singapore Tourist VISA validity. And most probably, you will be visiting for this much time only.
Hope this information helps you obtain a hassle free Singapore Visa. Keep Traveling!
Summary of our Singapore Trip
In case you want a Singapore Tourist Visa and you are reading this article, chances are that you will soon be embarking on a trip to Singapore. So, I thought to include this summary of our own 5 days trip to Singapore from India. For detailed itinerary, you can refer to this post on our 5 days Singapore trip Itinerary. Here’s a glimpse of our bookings:
Hotel: Hotel Parc Sovereign (Link to book: Booking.com , Agoda.com)
A trip to Gardens by the bay & This trip to Marina Bay and Merlion
Universal Studio Singapore visit
An action packed day with visit to the 4 attractions – Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park
Visit to the Singapore SEA Aquarium
Butterfly park and Insect Kingdom with other Sentosa Island Attractions
Adventure Cove Water Park Tickets
PS: If you have more time at hand than just 5 days, you can try other attractions in Singapore including Comic Con Singapore
, Adventure Cove Waterpark, Changai Airport Attractions, Singapore river cruise, skyline, cable car sky pass, The Maritime Experiential Museum, Snow City Singapore, Sightseeing Bus Tour , Pororo Park and Trick eye museum. We have saved these to try on our next trip to Singapore 🙂 . In case you are exploring many attractions, it’s a good idea to go for an uber pass like an Unlimited attractions pass because it includes the entry to many of the attractions. It will give flexibility and will be economical too.
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