Move to Singapore from Europe - Legal Assistance for Europeans
Move to Singapore from Europe
Updated on Sunday 24th July 2022 Rate this article
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The procedure to move to Singapore from Europe will vary greatly based on the nationality of the Europeans relocating here. This is due to the fact that Europe is divided between 2 main categories of countries.
These are: 1) countries that are part of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), and 2) European countries outside these structures.
Also, the immigration procedures will vary based on the 2 conditions mentioned above, but also based on the duration of stay: stays of maximum 90 days and stays of more than 90 days.
For in-depth information concerning how Europeans can relocate here, our lawyers in Singapore remain at your service.
How can Europeans relocate to Singapore for short-term stays?
For short-term stays, immigration procedures for Europeans are divided into 2 categories: 1) the Europeans who do not have to apply for a visa and 2) the Europeans who must obtain a visa.
Nationals of certain European countries must obtain a visa for Singapore regardless of the duration of the stay and its purpose. Thus, European nations included in the Assessment Level I list have to obtain a visa.
This is imposed to nationals of countries such as: 1) Albania, 2) Ukraine, 3) Belarus, 4) Moldova. For these countries, visa exemptions can appear only if the persons will move to Singapore from Europe as diplomatic passport holders or other similar reasons regulated by the Singapore law.
European nationals who are citizens of EU countries or nationals of Norway or Switzerland can move to Singapore for short-term stays without any visa obligations.
Please mind that Singapore generally allows visa exempt nationals to stay here for maximum 30 days, but for visa exempt Europeans this right is granted for a period of 90 days.
However, even in the case of a visa exemption, Europeans who will move to Singapore from Europe must comply with certain basic legal requirements, as follows:
- have a valid passport;
- have sufficient funds to live in Singapore for the period of stay;
- have a confirmed return ticket.
The travel document must be valid for at least 6 months since the day of arrival in this country, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore.
What are the visa requirements in Singapore?
In the case of persons who need to apply for a visa, basic criteria must be fulfilled. Europeans who will move to Singapore from Europe should comply with minimum visa requirements in all cases (both in the case of those who need short-term visas and long-term visas).
Our law firm in Singapore has prepared a list that presents few of the basic aspects all visa applicants should know:
- it is recommended to start the online visa application formalities with minimum 30 days before arriving here;
- persons who will move to Singapore from Europe who have a sponsor above 21 years old who is a Singapore citizen or permanent resident can conclude the online application through the Submission of Application for Visa Electronically (SAVE);
- the advantage of the SAVE system is that it has a very fast processing time – of only 1 to 3 days, for eligible applicants;
- Europeans can apply for a visa by applying in person to the consular missions of Singapore in their respective countries – working hours are from 9 AM to 1 PM from Monday to Friday and applicants can be received only if they have booked an appointment;
- there is a processing fee of $22 per application, regardless if the application is accepted or denied.
Persons who will apply through an embassy or a consular mission must complete an application form (Form 14A). Applicants must submit a recent passport photo.
The passport photo must respect the next requirements: 1) be taken in the last 3 months, 2) have a size of 35x45 mm. Please contact our Singaporean lawyers if you want to know more on how to move to Singapore from Europe.
