Singapore consists of the main island of Singapore and some 63 offshore islands. It is situated between latitudes 1°09'N and 1°29'N and longitudes 103°36'E and 104°25'E approximately 137 kilometres north of the Equator. The main island is about 42 kilometres from east to west and 23 kilometres from north to south. Singapore's total land area, including that of the smaller islands, is 697.1 square kilometres.

Singapore's immediate neighbours are Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia to the North, Sarawak and Sabah to the East), Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. Being very close to the Equator, Singapore's climate is characterised by abundant rainfall, relatively uniform temperature and high humidity throughout the year. December is the coolest month of the year while May is the warmest. The mean daily temperature is 26.8°C.

The resident population of Singapore, comprising Singapore citizens and permanent residents, was estimated at 3,608,500 in June 2006. Singapore is a multiracial society. Malays form 13.8% of Singapore's population, while Chinese and Indians make up 76.2% and 8.3% respectively. Other races make up 1.7% of the population. The official languages in Singapore are Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil and English. Malay is the national language and English is the language of administration. The Constitution allows every person the right to profess and practise his religion and to propagate it. The main religions in Singapore are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism.

Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary system of government. A written constitution provides for the organs of state, namely the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. President S R Nathan is the current Head of State. The current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, leads the Cabinet in the administration of the Government. The Prime Minister and other Cabinet members are appointed from among the Members of Parliament, of which there are currently 84.

The flag of Singapore consists of two equal horizontal sections, red above white. In the upper left canton is a white crescent moon beside five white stars within a circle. Red symbolises universal brotherhood and equality of man, while white signifies pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the ascendant, illuminated by the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality as signified by the five stars.

Visa Application

The Visa offices of the Singapore High Commission and Consulates process visa applications for Indian Nationals and other foreigners who require social or business visa to enter Singapore. Visitors holding ordinary Indian passports will need to apply for a Singapore entry visa prior to their visit to Singapore. Visitors holding official and diplomatic Indian passports are exempted from this entry visa requirement.

Fees

A processing fee of Rs580/- is levied on each visa application submitted. The processing fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application and should be made upfront at the time of submission of the application. If the visa application is approved, the processing fee will be inclusive of the visa to be issued and no separate fee will imposed on the visa issued. All authorised submission agents should make the payment via demand draft/cashier's order (including pay order) only.

Processing Time

Three Working days for Indian Passport Holders (inclusive of the day of submission)

Submission and Collection of Visa Applications

Visa applications must be submitted through the authorised submission agents only and not directly to the High Commission. The authorised submission agents should file the visa applications online and submit the applications to the Visa Office between 9.30am to 11am on Monday to Friday. Please note that the Visa Office is closed on weekends and Public Holidays. The collection time is on the third working day from 3pm to 4pm.

Documents Required for Visa Application

• Valid passport with at least six months validity on the date of departure from Singapore.
• Complete an application form (Form 14) and letter of introduction (Form V39A) together with 2 recent passport-sized color photographs. Please note that the photograph must be 35 mm by 45 mm high without border and taken within the last 3 months. It has to be taken full face without headgear (unless the applicant habitually wears a headgear in accordance with his/her religious or racial custom but the headgear must not hide the applicant's features). The facial image must be between 25 mm and 35 mm from chin to crown taken against a plain white background. The photograph finishing should be matt or semi-matt. Please ensure that your form is properly completed. Any incomplete submission or false declaration will result in the application being rejected.
• Confirmed onward air-ticket.Airline staff travelling on open air-ticket need to produce a no objection letter from the airline concerned together with his/her staff identity card at the time of submission.
• Valid entry visa to the next destination.
• Ensure that your passport have at least one blank page for the visa to be pasted on. We do not issue visa on page insert/additional sheet
• Sufficient funds for the period of stay in Singapore and
• Applicants will have to personally furnish additional documents as and when necessary.