Singapore visa requirements for Australian citizens - Options, fees, and more

Singapore is a world class tourist destination, and an enviable place to live, study and work. Plus, it’s one of the shortest flight times possible from Australia. So, as an obvious choice for a holiday, do you need a visa for Singapore from Australia? And if you’re thinking of using Singapore as a break in a longer journey to Europe, do you need a visa for a Singapore layover, to pop into the city and make the most of your travel time?

This guide covers all you need to know about visas for Singapore. You can also learn more about the Wise card, an easy way to stretch your dollars when paying in foreign currencies.

Do Australians require a visa for Singapore?

Australians headed to Singapore have a few common questions. Firstly, do you need a visa for Singapore from Australia if you’re heading there for a short tourist visit? Secondly, as Singapore’s Changi Airport is a major transit hub, do you need a transit visa for Singapore if you’re just passing through?

Helpfully, the answers here are No, and No.

If you hold an Australian passport, you do not need a visa to enter Singapore for tourism or business meetings, for up to 90 days¹. If you intend to stay longer, or if you’re going to Singapore to work or study, you will need a visa - we’ll look at some common visa options for Australians in Singapore shortly.

Entry requirements for Singapore

To enter the country for a tourist visit of 90 days or less, you’ll need:

• Your passport with at least 6 months remaining validity
• A completed digital SG Arrival Card²

At the border you might also be asked to prove you have enough funds for your intended stay, and a way to leave - such as a return flight ticket and a valid visa to enter your next destination if you’re not coming back to Australia afterwards.

If you’ve been in a high risk area in the 6 days prior to coming to Singapore you may also be asked to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate³. This isn’t an issue if you’ve only been in Australia for the last week or so.

As we’ve seen, there’s no need to get a visa for Singapore if you’re going as a tourist for up to 90 days, but this may be different if you’re not an Australian citizen, and just a resident.

That said, the Singapore visa waiver applies to over 150 countries - so the authorities actually list out the countries where the waiver is not available, rather than the long list of eligible countries. Check official sources like the Singapore Immigration Control Authority⁴ to be sure for your home country.

Type of Singapore visas/passes available for Australians

Let’s move on to a closer look at some of the common types of Singapore Visas/Passes available for Australians, to work or study in Singapore.

Employment Pass (EP)

To get an Employment Pass (EP)⁵, you’ll need to first be offered a job by an eligible Singapore employer. They’ll initiate the application for the EP on your behalf, and then you can enter Singapore with an ‘in principle approval’ letter, to collect your EP when you arrive.

To be eligible for this, you must be offered a job with a fixed monthly salary comparable to the top one-third of local professional salaries. This is adjusted as needed, but at the time of writing starts from 5,000 SGD/month, and increases progressively with age, up to 10,500 SGD/month for applicants in their mid-40s. If successful, your EP is issued for 2 years initially with the option to review for 3 further years.

S Pass

The S Pass⁶ is another work permit, but this one is aimed at ‘skilled’ workers, rather than ‘professionals’. This means that the monthly earning targets are somewhat lower. New candidates need to earn at least 3,150 SGD a month. Employers have fixed quotas of the number of passes they can issue, making this a competitive visa to apply for.

As with the EP, individuals can not apply for this visa themselves. You must be offered a job by an eligible employer in Singapore, and then they’ll be able to apply for the visa on your behalf.

Other work passes

There are also many other work pass types, which are managed by the Ministry of Manpower and split out by the kind of job. These passes include⁷:

• EntrePass - for foreign entrepreneurs and venture-backed or innovative businesses
• Personalised Employment Pass - for high-earning existing Employment Pass holders
• Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) - For top talent in areas like business, academia and research
• Work Permit for Migrant Workers - for domestic workers and skilled or semi skilled workers in construction and similar sectors
• Training passes - for foreign professionals training in Singapore while also being paid

To learn more about any of these visa types, look on the Ministry of Manpower website.

Student Pass

If you’re coming to an educational institution to pursue full-time studies in Singapore and don’t have another suitable pass already, you will need to apply for a Student Pass⁸. This applies for students from kindergarten age right through to higher education, when studying in private sector institutions in particular.

What do you need to apply for a visa for Singapore?

When you apply for a Singapore visa for Australian citizens, there will be a suite of information and paperwork you need to support your application. If you are applying for a work permit or pass, the company who is planning to employ you will often take the lead on the application - you will need to give them some documents, but the actual application is done by the business.

As we’ve seen, many Singapore work passes have a minimum salary amount to be eligible to apply. This will be covered in the application process, and the company will have to agree to meet this minimum.

For an EP you must usually also pass the points-based Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS). This assesses a candidate’s qualifications, experience and other factors to ensure they’re properly qualified for the job and the visa.

Once you’re sure you fulfil these criteria, for an EP as an example, the company - which makes the application on your behalf - will need to provide the following:

• Your passport
• Proof of your relevant qualifications
• Details of the company’s information registered with ACRA

How much is a visa for Singapore?

If you have an Australian passport you don’t need a visa for Singapore for a short visit as a tourist. If you have another passport type, you may need a visa - the costs can vary depending on the country that issued your passport.

If you’re applying for a visa to work in Singapore, the employer will make the application - and pay the fees in most cases. Fees vary and are available to the employer when they complete the application.

For a student pass, there’s a 60 SGD issuance fee⁹. If you have another visa type for Singapore, contact the issuing authority - usually Ministry of Manpower or the Immigration Control Authority - to ask if a fee applies.

Heading to Singapore? Get more SGD for your AUD with the Wise card

When planning your trip, it's crucial to consider how you'll spend in Singapore. High foreign transaction fees or unfavorable exchange rates can quickly inflate your travel costs. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 7x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up AUD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in AUD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

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