What visa are you given as a Singapore visitor if you travel to Malaysia and back into Singapore?

Question

My mother is European and visiting me in Singapore and she would like to extend her stay for an extra 30 days past her automatic short-term visit pass (which was 90 days). I have applied for the extension online and waiting for an outcome. What can I do in case for some obscure reason the extension is denied?

If you travel in and out of Malaysia or any other neighbouring country are you granted a new visa to go back into Singapore? Not an expert on this but would be a shame for my mother to have to go back before, especially since we have already postponed her flight.

Answer 1

The good news is that your extension is likely to be granted. Given your mother's age and (I presume) European nationality, she will not be considered high risk for illegally working or overstaying, although you'll want to word your application carefully: eg staying longer to help with childcare could be construed as "working".

The bad news is that if the extension is denied, trying to work around it by doing a visa run to Malaysia is certain to be spotted when they return to Singapore.

Anecdotally, if you are suspected of visa running in Singapore, the first time you are given a warning and possibly a limited entry (a few days/until flight out), with only repeat offenders denied entry. Obviously I would not recommend counting on this though, especially since in a sense they already had their "first warning" when the extension was denied.

The way to legally bring in your parents for an extended period of time is to apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) instead of relying on the standard STVP. However, the big catch is that you can only sponsor one for your parents if you are a Singapore permanent resident or citizen. If you're regular EP holder, you can sponsor your parents if your salary is greater than 12k SGD per month.

Answer 2

First to answer your question, when you go to Malaysia, and go back to Singapore, you might get a regular tourist pass. Or you might be denied entry altogether.

What you are attempting is a visa run, which works in countries like Thailand but not so much in Singapore, where that practice is frown upon.

Before she came, she had to file an "SG Arrival Card & Health Declaration". Then she received an acknowledgement, stating she was getting 90 days. She also had to mention her date of departure. If that date has already passed, ie her flight was well before the 90-day mark, there will already be a suspicion of deception. She received before arriving a reminder by email to update the declaration if there were changes to her travel plans.

Now if the extension is refused, which is possible, even probable, she will have to leave by day 90. She would have, while in Malaysia, to submit another SG Arrival Card & Health Declaration. And considering there will be her record of her applying for an extension, on top of the 90 days spent in Singapore, that might even get denied. Or later, in Singapore. If ICA flags her passport, and she's redirected to a manned counter, she'll be asked about why she's used up all 90 days, and did a visa run. She might be denied altogether, and sent back to Malaysia, or given a visa for just a few days, enough to get her plane ticket sorted out.

There used to be a social pass or something like that, which allows a visitor to stay up to one year. Not sure it still exists, but if it does, that's what she should apply for. Next time. For now, make sure she goes back home within the 90-day limit. You'll save her a lot of hassle.