How we wish each country that we wanted to visit had visa on arrival for Indian passport holders. Unfortunately, doesn't work in real life.
Singapore is not a part of VOA countries for Indian passport holders and getting a Visa from Bangalore is little tricky as unlike a lot of other countries who have registered agencies like VFS for VISA processing, there is no registered visa agency for Singapore in Bangalore.
As we decided to go to Singapore , first thing first was to start doing research for Singapore Visa from Bangalore. While doing research, we realized that the consulate of Singapore doesn't accept the visa application from individuals rather they accept visa through their approved and recognized travel agencies. Boom !
We researched more, read through some blogs and found out Hermes agency who helped in filing our tourist Visa from Bangalore. Let us explain you some more details on Singapore Visa.
~~Singapore Tourist Visa~~
Singapore visa is a paper visa (which means it is not STAMPED on your passport) that you need to carry with you when you enter Singapore. It is issued if your purpose is travel & leisure or Business visa with a validity of 30 days from the day of entrance in Singapore .
~~Documents required for Singapore Tourist Visa~~
-A duly filled visa application form 14A.
-Passport ( (valid for at least six months from the date of your entry into Singapore)
-A clear photocopy of passport first, last & any observation
page.
- Two copies of 3.5cm X 4.5cm passport-sized photos (Matte finish)
- Passport copies of the Invitee 6 months bank Statement.
- Confirmed return air ticket Confirmed hotel reservation copy.
- Original covering letter including the purpose of visit, date of travel, no of passengers, details of land itinerary, place of stay in Singapore and applicant's employment details.
-If you are on staying on rent, then copy of your rent agreement.
- HR letter stating your local address ( As our passports are not issued in Karnataka).
-Last three month updated bank statement
-Address proof in the company's letter head & Leave approval letter (Original)
-MTNL, BSNL bill of last month Electricity bill of last month
~~How to apply for Tourist Visa in Bangalore~~
Via Singpass Account : If you are visiting any family member or Friends, you can ask them to file a visa for you using their Singpass or a CorpPass account. Same set of documents as above are required to file the visa via Singpass Account. Unfortunately, we don't have any family or friends in Singapore who could help us filing the visa, so that we had to apply through the approved travel agencies.
Via Authorized Travel Agents : There are total 32 agents who can help you filing visa from Bangalore naming few
- Makemytrip.com
- Thomascook
- Cox and Kings
- Trawell.in
- Hermes
However, we applied our Singapore tourist visa via Hermes To Chennai consulate (residents of South India are supposed to apply to the Chennai consulate) . They picked up our documents from our doorstep and they were quick in checking the documents and filing the e-visa for us. We paid the visa fee to the agent and our e-visa was filed the very next day in the Chennai consulate.
~~Visa Fee for Singapore Tourist Visa~~
The official VISA fee as printed on the VISA is $30 per application + Travel agents are authorized to charge you service fee of INR 300 for their services. Visa processing fee and visa service fee are paid upon application of the visa.
Tip: The total fee of visa varies from agency to agency. We would suggest if you have plenty of time in your hand before your travel date go for the cheapest quote . we applied for visa one month before so got a fair deal. Having said that, applying for Visa much before hand can save you lot of bucks.
~~Visa Processing Time~~
Generally, Singapore Visa takes about 5-7 working days to process. Our Visa was processed within 5 working days after the submission of documents from our agent. If your application is approved, your authorized visa agent can provide you a copy of your e-Visa.
~~ When to submit the visa application~~
Earlier the better!! You are recommended to apply for an entry visa within 30 days prior to arrival in Singapore. It is recommended to apply at least one week before a trip during the non-peak season and two to four weeks before a trip during the peak season (i.e. March to May).
~~Validity period of a Singapore Visa ~~
Every application for a visa, including the duration of the visa granted, will be considered on its own merits and subject to approval.
Hope this post will help you in filing your Singapore visa from Bangalore if you are an Indian passport holder. If you have any more questions on the Singapore visa application from Bangalore , feel free to share with us in comments .
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We are Vic and Krupa, Indian travel bloggers from Mumbai, HR by profession with an insatiable case of wanderlust. We've spent the past few years crossing the globe with a map in one hand and a camera in the other. This is where we share our travel tales with the hopes of inspiring you to travel.