Singapore Situated north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, is an island city-state that is sovereign since 1965. But its history goes way back to the early nineteenth century. It is believed that it was founded by British statesman Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. In the early years, it was used as a trading post by the British empire. After the Second World War went into power turmoil, it was handled in different countries. But in the end, it gained independence in 1965. Since then country embodies multiculturalism. In Singapore, there are many groups with different nationalities, beliefs, races, and languages. Therefore the only way to pursue its independence was to enshrine multiculturalism in the constitution. Four languages are considered official languages, and they are English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil. Singapore has a lot to offer to visitors. This country is a great example of the green city concept. The densely populated city with many skyscrapers is full of trees as well. Singapore offers so much variety regarding food. It seems like this multiculturalist environment had its effect on Singapore’s cuisine too. The harmony of nature and city life creates a unique place with a lot of things to discover. What is more interesting is that it is one of the safest places in the world. Considering most parts of Asia are not that stable, this factor attracts much attention to Singapore. Especially it is an allure for businessmen and investors. Aware of this, we decided to cover a Singapore visa for business. In this article, we are going to touch on Singapore business visa requirements, Singapore business visa validity, fees, processing time, and documents for Singapore business visas. We know you have questions in mind, like how to get a Singapore business visa and how to apply for Singapore business visa. To get detailed information on Singapore business visas, we should first have a look at the visa policy of Singapore.
Visa policy of Singapore
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Singapore's visa policy varies depending on its mutual relations with other countries. It is considered to be visa friendly country. However, we can divide countries on their status regarding visas into two groups, and they are visa-free countries and e-visa countries. E-visa countries are:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Moldova, Morocco, Nigeria, North Korea (DPRK), Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
Many visa types are depending on the nature of the travels. However, we can simply put them into four groups, namely, e-visa, short-stay visas, long-stay visas, and transit visas. The particular visa type we are interested in belongs to the short-stay visa group. Without further ado, let's have a look at Singapore business visa, Singapore business visa requirements, Singapore business visa fees.
Singapore business visa, requirements and fees
As we mentioned earlier, a business visa is a short-stay visa that is granted for short-term travel. Depending on the purpose of travel, short-term visas can change. To be more explicit, they are tourist visa, business visa, cultural/scientific/sports event visa, visiting family or friend visa, short-term study visa, and short-term work visa. A business visa is essentially given to people who intend to attend or engage in business-related activities such as business meetings, negotiations, trainings, conferences, exhibitions, scientific or research, etc., under the condition of not exceeding 30 or 90 days long stay (depending on your nationality). If your intended travel lasts longer than a given period, no worries, there is another option which is called EntrePass, to extend the visa. You might be wondering how to get a Singapore business visa? This is a tricky one, normally you apply to a consulate or embassy of Singapore in your country, but in our case, you can not apply for the visa on your own. To be eligible for application, you will need to contact an approved visa agent or strategic partner, or local contact in Singapore. Once you find the needed visa agent, then you can move on next step, which is presenting required documents to a visa application center or embassy/consulate. To apply for Singapore business visa, you will need to meet requirements. Required documents for Singapore business visa are given below:
- The application form should be completed, signed by the applicant. It should be filled out in English.
- The passport should remain valid for 6 months after you leave Singapore. It should bear the signature of the applicant. The passport should not be older or issued more than 10 years. It should have one or two available pages to be processed. Pictures of the applicant have to be attached to the passport.
- Two photos that are taken not more than 6 months ago. The size of the photo should be 3.5x4.5. Face coverage should not exceed 70-80% of the photo. A uniform and white background is a must. The photo should cover your eyes clearly. The person must show no facial expression.
- Duplicate of your ID. ID should remain valid for at least two months after you leave Singapore.
- In case your citizenship and the country you reside in is different, you should present a residence permit or your visa copies.
- Copies of previous visas alongside the main page of the passport
- Ticket booking – dates of entry and leaving the Singapore area should be shown.
- The document prooving your accommodation for the travel – if you are going to stay in a hotel, it should be a hotel reservation. If you rent a house, a tenancy agreement should be presented.
- The letter provided by the local employer stating the occupation of the applicant. In this letter, the name, contact details, status of the employer should be given. The name, contact details, the status of the applicant should be given too.
- Financial prove that you have enough financial means during your stay in the country. For that, the applicant can present different verified methods. It can be a personal bank statement showing financial activity for the last 3 months or a credit card, cash, etc.
- Documents indicating the purpose and nature of the travel. Reasons for a business trip and the explanation of existing business relations. If the applicant is invited by a company in Singapore, an invitation letter giving detailed information on the company. Information on congress, meeting, or the event that the applicant is invited to. If the applicant’s travel is sponsored, then the information on coverage of expenses.
- Yellow fever vaccination, if you are from or you have been in the following countries six days before your travel to Singapore: Angola, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Chad, French Guiana, Liberia, Colombia, Gambia, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Guyana, Mali, Sudan, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Argentina, Mauritania, Suriname, Burundi, Peru, Uganda, Brazil, South Sudan, Benin, Congo, Trinidad and Tobago, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- If the applicant is a minor, then he or she should present a birth certificate. Furthermore, they need to prove their parents’ consent on the travel by presenting the letter of consent if she or he travels unaccompanied.
Singapore business visa validity can change from 30 days to 90 days, depending on your nationality. Singapore visa processing time is also not stable. It varies from 3 to 20 days, depending on your application country. Singapore business visa cost is changeable. The number can be between 25 and 100 USD.
Earlier, we mentioned EntrePass. It is for people who intend to open new business ventures in Singapore. It enables foreign entrepreneurs to launch their business ideas. However, to be able to take advantage of EntrePass, you need to meet certain requirements. First, you should be at least 21 years old. You should at least hold 30 percent of the shareholding in the company. You have to present the following documents as well:
- The application form - completed, signed, and filled out by the applicant. It should be filled out in English.
- The passport which valid for 6 months after you leave Singapore. It should bear the signature of the applicant. The passport should not be older or issued more than 10 years. It should have one or two available pages to be processed. Copy of the main page is also required.
- Two passport-sized photos that are taken not more than 6 months ago. Face coverage should not exceed 70-80% of the photo. A uniform and white background are needed for clarity. The person must show no facial expression.
- Copy of past Employment testimonials in English
- Business plan
- Supporting documents
