In recent years a record number of overseas travellers visited the unique island nation of Singapore. In normal times, nearly twenty million tourists experience the wonders of Singapore annually, and there are a number of very good reasons for that.

It’s Easy to Get Into Singapore

Because tourism and business expansion are so important to the government of Singapore, every part of your entry experience is enjoyable. Changi International Airport has been voted the best airport in the world and has the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. But not just that: Singapore operates one of the most welcoming entry policies in Asia. It groups travellers into one of four categories, and chances are you’re in the first three.

1. The most extensive offering is 90-day visa-free entry to around thirty countries. This includes not only the USA, UK and Australia, but every member of the European Union too.
2. Singapore also extends 30-day visa-free access to over 130 more countries. This encompasses Singapore’s partners in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), including the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
3. A further 15 countries, including India, Russia and China, are able to apply for an electronic visa (e-visa). You apply for this sort of visa through the online portal of Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)’s or, for business people, through a local Singaporean contact or a strategic partner in Singapore.

If you are from a country that falls within this group, you can also visit the Singapore consulate in your country to process the paperwork. For both eVisas and the paper-based ones, the Singaporean government pledges to turn around applications in just a day.

1. Citizens of around 20 countries like Bangladesh, Iran, or Yemen need to make a full visa application at a Singaporean embassy or consulate.

So that’s your visa requirements worked out. Now let’s look at the other key document for Singapore – the SG Card.

The SG Arrival Card

Even if you’re visa-free for Singapore, you still won’t get in without something called an SG Arrival Card. This is an electronic arrival card that you have to complete before you enter. You do it online and the application process is pretty straightforward. It also encompasses the health information that is so important for travellers these days. Once you’ve got your SG Arrival Card, that should be all your paperwork sorted.

The information that you’ll need to share when applying for your Arrival Card is:

• Standard passport information:
  • Full name
  • Passport number and expiry date
  • Date of birth
  • Gender
  • Nationality
• Contact information:
  • Place of residence
  • Email address
  • Phone number
• Travel information:
  • Dates of arrival and departure
  • Flight number
  • Accommodation details
  • Any other countries you’d have visited immediately prior to Singapore
• Health information:
  • Covid vaccinations and other details on communicable diseases

You can apply for your SG Arrival Card up to three days before you arrive. It is a Single-Entry document, so that means you can’t use it to enter more than once, but the applications aren’t difficult if you need to make two or more applications.

Fun Things to Do Once You’ve Entered Singapore

And now you can explore the country that prides itself on being the most developed in Asia. Here are ten things not to miss when you’re here!

1. Gardens in the Bay: The total antidote to the rest of the busy city-state, this  101-hectare space of verdant greenery was created as a vast park for Singaporeans to enjoy rest time. Experience the huge botanical displays and the greenhouses, or sample the views from the very top of Cloud Mountain. It gives you a breath-taking vista of what seems like the whole country.
2. The Night Safari: As many wild animals are nocturnal, you really get to experience them differently at the world-famous Night Safari. With tigers and rhinoceros, as well as less endangered species, no tourist forgets this rather special experience.
3. Raffles Hotel: One of the most famous hotel landmarks in the world is a must for any visit. Step inside and feel the decades fall away as you ease back and enjoy one of the renowned Singapore Slings!
4. Embrace the history: Singapore has some of Asia’s best museums. The National Museum of Singapore tells the nation’s story in fascinating detail. Meanwhile, the unique ArtScience Museum cleverly blurs the lines between artistry and technology, with exhibitions like Future World: Where Art Meets Science.
5. A day at Sentosa: This adventure park is a really fun experience, with something for everyone from Universal Studios Singapore through to the hugely impressive SEA Aquarium. Maybe a day won’t be enough to experience this epic tourist epicentre!
6. Experience Little India: Some amazing dishes are available in the Indian quarter, with tastes that are so authentic that you always see Indian tourists there.
7. Shop on Orchard Road: This is the main up-end shopping strip of the vibrant city. Plenty of nice eateries to choose from too if you need to rest your feet.
8. Hang down in Chinatown: Singapore’s Chinatown area is as bustling and intriguing as any other in the world. There’s a tantalising selection of shopping bargains and authentic Chinese cuisine, all lit by enchanting street lanterns. There’s even an extensive Chinese Heritage Centre to explore.
9. Stroll Marina Bay Sands: An evening stroll on the seafront is the perfect way to round off a busy day of sightseeing. And if you haven’t done enough shopping, there’s always plenty of luxury bargains available there.
10. And there are beaches: You might not have expected it, but Singapore has created its own beaches too! The most famous are magical Siloso and the more tranquil Tanjong.

Singapore is easy to enter, easy to get around, and easy to enjoy. Have you booked your vacation yet?