ETIAS Visa Waiver for Travelers from Singapore

In November 2021, it was announced that travelers from Singapore will join the 60 countries that require ETIAS to travel to the EU. Under the new European Travel Information and Authorization System, Singaporeans need a valid ETIAS visa waiver to visit Schengen zone nations.

Singaporeans must properly research this visa waiver system, planned for launch in 2021. This article and the rest of ETIAS.org’s excellent output can formulate a sizable proportion of this research.

ETIAS is intended for short-term travel to the EU only. Singaporeans can use it to travel to all the ETIAS Schengen countries and defacto Schengen zone states for up to 90 days. They must make this travel within three years of being awarded the ETIAS visa waiver. There are 26 states included within this and these are…

Acquiring the necessary ETIAS requirements will be simple for the vast majority of Singaporeans, who will likely already have access to their passport, a digital photograph that is different from their passport photograph, and their proof of address.

Extra documentation is rarely needed and if it is, finding it should not be challenging. The Singaporean will be told exactly what additional documentation they need to provide in an email and will be given ten days to send copies of that documentation. Singaporeans should not worry if they are asked for additional documentation. It simply means the EU wishes to clear any confusion and it should not be taken as a rejection.

The questions that the Singaporean must answer when applying for ETIAS online application are more complex as they are relied upon to check if the Singaporean poses a criminal, terrorist, or human trafficking threat to the Schengen zone. The COVID-19 pandemic has also forced the EU to enquire about the infectious diseases that Singaporeans may carry. These questions are important, but the ETIAS system only gives 10 minutes before time-out to answer them. This short limit indicates the questions shouldn’t take too much thought.

The lines of enquiry are threefold. Firstly, the EU will check the background of the Singaporean person. They will ask about terrorist convictions in the last 25 years, criminal convictions in the last 15 years, human trafficking affiliations, and past travel to war zones.

Secondly, the EU will check on the Singaporeans behavior the previous times they were in Europe. They will ask for detail on any previous trips, allowing the EU to enquire with local police departments if they had any run-ins with the Singaporean in question.

Finally, the EU must make sure the Singaporeans is travelling to the Schengen zone in good faith and with good intentions. They will ask for a comprehensive travel itinerary, hoping to discover exactly where the Singaporean will be in Europe at any given time. The Singaporean must keep to this travel itinerary while in the Schengen zone, and their ETIAS may be void if they don’t.

The EU will then use this information in cross-references with Interpol and police databases to conclude as to how safe the Singaporean is, and if it is acceptable to grant them entrance to the Schengen zone.

A small number of Singaporeans will find the additional information and documentation given do not suffice. These Singaporeans may be asked to attend an interview within 72 hours of submitting their application to clear up any discrepancies. Again, this should not be taken as a guarantee the Singaporean’s application will be rejected. However, if they do not attend the interview, they should not expect acceptance.

There is a multitude of reasons for rejection, ranging from simple errors made by the Singaporean while completing their application to serious concerns about the Singaporean’s terrorist activity. These reasons are listed below. Head to ETIAS.org for an even more comprehensive list.

Just 5% of Singaporeans will have their application rejected but they will receive detailed information on what they can provide to reopen their application. Many Singaporeans will have an application accepted after making the changes as requested within 96 hours. However, they must wait four weeks for a response.