Another New Measure: From 29 Mar, 11:59pm: Even Long-term Pass Holders Must Seek Approval Before Returning to S’pore

By
Sabrina Chua
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Due to the worsening of the COVID-19 outbreak, many countries have imposed stricter regulations to curb the spread of the highly contagious and deadly virus in their countries.

Singapore, too, has imposed more regulations, and here’s the latest measure to be announced.

It affects all long-term pass holders, and this includes those who hold long-term visit passes, student passes, as well as those who have been granted in-principle approval for a long-term pass.

Even Long-term Pass Holders Must Seek Approval Before Returning to S’pore

According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM), all long-term pass holders who would like to enter or return to Singapore after Sunday, 29 March, 11.59pm, will have to seek entry approval from ICA first.

This includes those who have been granted in-principle approval.

They can seek approval by submitting their application to enter Singapore by sending an email to ICA.

Those who are existing student pass holders, you won’t be excluded from this either, even if you have been granted in-principle approval.

You will have to seek approval from MOE before you can start making your way to Singapore. You can do so by submitting your application to your respective educational institution, and it will be forwarded on your behalf to MOE.

A statement said, “MOE will take into consideration the course in which the student is enrolled, and prioritise entry approval for those studying in publicly-funded Institutes of Higher Learning.”

This new measure will also apply to all work pass holders, who will also have to seek MOM’s approval before heading here. Your employer is required to help you apply for your entry approval online.

And by the way, it doesn’t what country you’ve come back from: you still need approval.

Why Is This Measure Being Imposed?

After careful consideration, this measure was imposed because of the rising number of imported cases we have in Singapore. It was previously even predicted that there will be even more COVID-19 cases in Singapore as more than 200,000 Singaporeans return from overseas.

As such, there is a need to control this number, so the government has made it a point that only those who have sought approval will be allowed to enter Singapore.

I Have The Approval Of Entry, What Next?

Now that you have received permission to enter Singapore, you will be given an approval letter of entry that is valid for two weeks.

So as long as you enter Singapore within these two weeks, you will be safe. 

The next step would be to submit a health and travel declaration online before you fly to Singapore.

Next, the day of your flight.

You will have to show the letter to the airline staff once you check-in at the departure airport and you will also have to show the immigration officer at the checkpoint when you arrive in Singapore.

Afterwards, you will automatically be required to serve a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) where you would have to remain at home at all times so as to ensure the safety of you and others in Singapore.

If you noticed that you’ve started having some symptoms, please seek immediate medical attention and practise social distancing.

And by the way, if you’ve come back from the US or UK, you’d have a “Stay-Hotel Notice” instead and it’s a stayca you’d probably love.

What Happens If I Fly To Singapore Despite Not Having The Entry Approval?

If you choose to disregard what the Government has said and go ahead with your plans to enter Singapore without the entry approval (why!?), let’s just say that the outcome probably wouldn’t be very pretty.

You will not be allowed to clear immigration, and you will have to pay for another flight ticket out of Singapore within 48 hours.

The statement said, “If they fail to comply, ICA will cancel their pass or rescind their in-principle approval.”

And if you’re a work pass holder, do take note.

“Work pass holders whose application for entry approval has been rejected should not enter or return to Singapore yet. They should apply again for the required approval. Those who do not comply and fly to Singapore nevertheless will have their work pass revoked and will be barred from future employment in Singapore.”

So if you don’t want to screw up your chances of working in Singapore again, I would advise you to just comply with the regulations.

The COVID-19 situation is clearly very bad now, and all it takes is for one COVID-19 carrier to spark off another chain of infections.

Let’s all do our part and be socially responsible so that this battle against COVID-19 can finally end.

Following instructions isn’t that difficult, isn’t it?

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Sabrina Chua
[email protected]