MOM Entry Approval

You mean you are requesting ICA to approve your arrival entry to Singapore. Under DP, you are eligible returning to Singapore. Can you ask your sponsor (EP holder) write a letter to ICA and seeking their email confirmation on your entry. The EP holder can mention the reason you were outside of Singapore and the reason you want to return now. If they allow then you will have to home quarantine for specific days. Good luck

Hi surya2k, currently we are trying to get MOM approval via HR following the steps in this link: https://www.mom.gov.sg/covid-19/advisor … -employers
It is said that EP/DP issued by MOM should get the approval from MOM, is it possible to get approval through ICA for my case?

Is it possible DP issued by MOM get approval entry from ICA? cos recently I just got the info, seems it's easier to get approval from ICA?

With DP in hand, it’s not required ICA approval from an ASEAN countryman but in this pandemic situation, you may check current arrangement between Singapore and Indonesia. Whether you can travel then serve home quarantine or how is it? Does Singapore requires advance confirmation from ICA before traveling from your country or anything else? These are specific questions linked to pandemic arrangement at ICA, who manages the immigration process.

You may also follow the guidelines from MOH (Ministry of Health). Detailed are published in ICA website, read through the below guidelines and follow accordingly:

https://www.ica.gov.sg/docs/default-sou … asures.pdf

Hi,

Has anyone recently got the entry approval from MOM? Mine is keep rejecting from October 2020 until now.

I am a EP holder but my husband is in SG, Is it possible to get entry approval from ICA? My employer is applying entry approval from MOM but it is keep rejecting.

Thanks.

You or your husband can reach out ICA and inform them that you want to enter Singapore with approval IPA and join your husband.

Then, send an email with all your details, IPA letter and request to approve. Let’s see if this works. Good luck

Hi, Thank you.

I am an existing EP holder. No IPA. Can I still ask ICA approval?

I checked ICA website. Its written pass holders need to get approval from MOM.

I had informed in another thread couple of days back that irrespective of your workpass status, if you are outside of Singapore then you have to get prior approval from ICA before you return to Singapore.

Yes, you may follow the earlier instruction. Please ask your husband to call ICA before you can provide the details   in your email. Good luck

Hi surya2k,

As you advised, we try to call ICA but their number is always busy so I wrote to them and they said in reply WP is not under them and directed to MOM.

I have already talked with MOM and wrote few times but MOM is MOM.

So far still no luck in getting approved entry approval.

And I think again MOM is not considering pass holder for entry approval after they had more imported Covid-19 cases.

because why I am saying this is because again their rejection reason is changed from this---->

"You can consider changing the arrival date to at least 3 weeks later and submit a new request for our consideration. Please wait for MOM’s approval before confirming the flight/transport and arranging for the pass holder to enter Singapore."

to this (I noticed when MOM change reason to this then they don't consider at all, (may be I am wrong)) ----->

"As the chances of an approval are very slim, please defer the pass holder's entry into Singapore until the situation has stabilised."

Regards
RS786

Not sure what was your mail to ICA. Did you tell them that I’m an EP pass holder, went outside Singapore due to “state your reason”. Now, want to return. I’m seeking ICA approval through email so that I can produce the confirmation email at immigration check point.

Not sure what’s MoM role here. It’s ICA who is giving prior entry clearance before any work pass holder could enter Singapore (due to pandemic situation).

surya2k wrote:

Not sure what was your mail to ICA. Did you tell them that I’m an EP pass holder, went outside Singapore due to “state your reason”. Now, want to return. I’m seeking ICA approval through email so that I can produce the confirmation email at immigration check point.

Not sure what’s MoM role here. It’s ICA who is giving prior entry clearance before any work pass holder could enter Singapore (due to pandemic situation).

My employer has informed me that my friend and I are now being applied for MOM entry approval. After reading through this forum, I asked my employer on whether we had to get ICA approval as well. They told me there was no need, as MOM-issued pass (e.g. work pass, IPA) holders only required MOM approval. Only ICA-issued pass (e.g. LTVP, STVP) holders need ICA entry approval.

My friends (fellow EP IPA holders, different companies) who previously managed to be granted entry into SG (one in Jun 2020, two in Dec 2020 and one on the upcoming 2 Jan 2021) did get it from MOM only. Upon boarding the plane and at Changi immigration check point, they only had to show MOM entry approval (ICA entry approval was not requested), and they were good to go.

Maybe, in the "background", MOM consults with ICA as well before rejecting/approving the entry approval? Or in another word, ICA does not need to be DIRECTLY involved with the applicants in granting entry approval for non-ICA (MOM/MOE) issued pass holders. CMIIW.

Yes, that could be the case where MoM internally takes approval from Immigration Checkpoint Authority (ICA)  before gives to the work pass holder.
ICA has authority to grant you to enter Singapore or not. Because ICA has all the records of your entry and exist (even they have access to various other data sources for background information including Interpol for tracking drugs traffickers and other various criminal fugitives.

So, RS786 can reach out MoM then. Good luck

Hi tes_ang,

If you don't mind can I ask about your friend entry approval criteria.

How your friend managed to get MOM approval? do you know for how long they were applying entry approval? Is there any specific criteria they mentioned? from which country your friend was arriving?

In my case, My employer has been applying for entry approval from Oct 2020 and since then more than 30 entry approvals MOM has rejected so far including from 2nd Jan to 28 Jan.

Even I contacted MOM, they have their general answers. Not sure how MOM access application and based on what they reject, its country specific or how long the pass holder was outside SG.

I am not sure what wrong we are doing in entry approval application.

Regards
RS786

RS786 wrote:

Hi tes_ang,

If you don't mind can I ask about your friend entry approval criteria.

How your friend managed to get MOM approval? do you know for how long they were applying entry approval? Is there any specific criteria they mentioned? from which country your friend was arriving?

In my case, My employer has been applying for entry approval from Oct 2020 and since then more than 30 entry approvals MOM has rejected so far including from 2nd Jan to 28 Jan.

Even I contacted MOM, they have their general answers. Not sure how MOM access application and based on what they reject, its country specific or how long the pass holder was outside SG.

I am not sure what wrong we are doing in entry approval application.

Regards
RS786

All my friends stated above are IPA holders, IT staffs and Indonesians, of various companies. Unfortunately, they did not know the rejection reason for the previous applications, so they did not share it with me.

The one approved in Jun 2020 is a non-Chinese. His IPA was given in Dec 2019 without any hassle. However, he could only come to SG starting from Jun 2020. The employer applied for his entry for the entire month of Jun before getting approved on the third application to enter SG in Jul 2020 (only 1 week after the approval, given a 3-day window entry period).

The two approved in Nov 2020 are Chinese. They were laid off in Feb 2020, and got their EP for another company in May 2020 and started being applied for entry since then. So, they did not even bother to count how many rejections in those 6 months :" At last they entered Singapore on the second week of Dec 2020.

The last one approved in Dec 2020 is non-Chinese. Similar as the two mentioned above, she got laid off in Jan 2020, got her EP IPA in Jun 2020 and applied for entry since then. She finally got her entry approval on 9 Dec 2020, and is going to fly to SG this Sat.

In the last two cases, it was almost the end of their IPA valid period.


Yeah, sadly we really do not know how MOM decides whether to approve or reject the entry application. We can only guess that it has something to do with the number of imported cases and the worsening Covid-19 condition in most parts of the world.

However, IMHO, as for my friends and I who are approved for EP in the midst of this pandemic, we stand a better chance of getting MOM entry approval in comparison to you as an existing EP holder. The reason being could be that MOM themselves grant EP IPA for us in this very condition i.e. in the middle of the pandemic; why would they "go back on their word" by rejecting our entry until the expiry of our IPA? However, it was just a guess made by me as an observer. Please CMIIW.

Which country are you from? I am pretty sure that my home country, Indonesia, is actually not doing well with managing Covid-19 situation so far. Also, Singapore has a relatively higher number of imported cases nowadays (I try to follow SG news daily). So, while I am desperate of entering SG, I have a low expectation that I will get an entry approval anytime soon :")

All the best and good luck for both of us!

Hi tes_ang,

Thank you so much for the information.

I will go from India.
My employer once said - they guess MOM does not consider pass holder who are going from India because of the Covid cases in India.

Also I have observed that who is at least 6 months away from sg i think some how MOM considering them (just my assumption). because HR told me just now one person from my company got approval he was away from sg for almost 9 months.

Regards
RS786

RS786 wrote:

Hi tes_ang,

Thank you so much for the information.

I will go from India.
My employer once said - they guess MOM does not consider pass holder who are going from India because of the Covid cases in India.

Also I have observed that who is at least 6 months away from sg i think some how MOM considering them (just my assumption). because HR told me just now one person from my company got approval he was away from sg for almost 9 months.

Regards
RS786

Yeah, I heard similar thing about the difficulties of getting people from India an entry approval, or even EP approval for that matter, in other forums. Tough luck, really.

I sincerely hope the long awaited vaccines help in stabilizing this highly chaotic situation. So that, we can get admitted into SG in a matter of time

surya2k wrote:

Yes, that could be the case where MoM internally takes approval from Immigration Checkpoint Authority (ICA)  before gives to the work pass holder.
ICA has authority to grant you to enter Singapore or not. Because ICA has all the records of your entry and exist (even they have access to various other data sources for background information including Interpol for tracking drugs traffickers and other various criminal fugitives.

So, RS786 can reach out MoM then. Good luck

I have just received another piece of information regarding this MOM vs. ICA entry approval for work pass holders.

Indeed, work pass holders, including IPA holders, need "entry approval" from MOM only, which application is done by the employers.

Upon receiving MOM entry approval, we, as employees, are required to fill up a form issued by ICA, called "SG Arrival Card", within 3 days prior to our arrival in SG. There will be a confirmation email, which is recommended by my fellow IPA holder friend who has just arrived in SG yesterday, to be printed out and shown during the immigration clearance at Changi Airport along with MOM entry approval.

Hope this info further clarify entry requirements that work pass holders need to fulfill to enter SG

Your friend’s case can’t be generalised. During pandemic scenario, when MoM gives approval, it is actually based on immigration guidelines ruled by ICA. You also can read many old threads where employees holding EP and their family holding DP but can’t enter Singapore because MoM rejects their entry approval (again its in line with what ICA updates the guidelines).

So, don’t generalise things and tell that with your IPA letter and SG arrival card you can directly come to Singapore. Your friend might be from a country with whom Singapore has created a corridor to allow with minimal testing and home quarantine.

Read below link for your reference: This advisory was updated by MoM on 01 Jan’21, it was again in line with ICA’s recent guidelines came into force after new clusters found in UK and South Africa. You can read, it has stated very clearly that people coming from other countries (incl. UK and SA), even if you have MoM approval letter, entry will be rejected. Why?
Because, ICA has already declared this enforcement last week that it will deny the entry if you are coming from other countries.

https://www.mom.gov.sg/covid-19/additio … sibilities

Note: When MoM approves any work pass (circulate the IPA), it does verify the credentials such as certificate and experience submitted by the employee through a third party vendor.

But, it seeks ICA’s help to verify other records such as criminal activities or any kind international law enforcement issues or whether the candidate was denied previously into Singapore or any case against him or her in Singapore etc. After it got clearances then MoM issues IPA which is entry approval to Singapore (in a normal situation). So, it’s always ICA who does the back ground check of a person before it allows to enter Singapore (MoM does checks the certificates and experiences declared by the candidate through a vetting agency).

It was never my intention to generalize anything. I just want to sharing what my friends' and my recent experience because maybe someone out there find it valuable (I was in that desperate position during this pandemic as well, and thankfully this forum helped me to find recent trends, etc. to get a better grip. Just want to pay it forward.) I would like to apologize should I have mislead anyone into thinking the otherwise 🙏

Nor did I try to object the fact that ICA does the background check, as I have stated before that I assume MOM internally asks for ICA approval before giving out the entry approval. This way, we do not need to ask for another "Entry Approval" from ICA. In fact, my last piece of information is to confirm that ICA is indeed the last control gate to decide on whether we can enter SG or not, through the enforcement of "SG Arrival Card" (it is not called as "Entry Approval", but serves the same purpose. It applies for ALL visitors regardless of their pass types.) Disclaimer, this is purely my observation through my friends' and my experience, as well as information currently (as per 2 Jan 2020) found in ICA and MOM websites.

I have obtained all information that I need and have shared all information I got, so that's it. Thank you!

I was referring to your response to my previous message where you can read your last part of statement:
“Hope this info further clarify entry requirements that work pass holders need to fulfill to enter SG”. This statement is generalise that any work pass holder just get MoM approval and hold a SG arrival form can enter. This is not entirely correct. Read the link shared in my previous message, MoM has clearly stated workpass holders including IPA with MoM prior approval can’t enter Singapore if they are belongs other countries, which means ICA’s recent guidelines which came into effect immediately, MoM acted upon it.

You and all other expats are always welcome to share your views and information to help other expats as well as volunteers like me to know things better. No need to say apologise for anything, kindly continue your good work and help expats here. Thanks

Hi All,
General rule of thumb, If your pass was issued by ICA (LTVP - from SPR or Singapore citizen family member), then request for ICA entry approval.
If your pass was issued by MOM (EP, DP of EP, WP etc), request for MOM entry approval.

At no point can these be mixed and if MOM/ICA delays we can seek other entity's support. These are split for strategic reasons and hence only the relevant entity will help you with the process.

For my son (an infant on LTVP - Child of SPR) - It took 56 days for ICA to provide him an entry approval. No fixed timelines as they seem to be overwhelmed with the number of applications. If you want to request process expedition with ICA, visit LTVP (i think Level 4) division in ICA and explain them on the non-appointment counter and request them to meet the officer to request expedition. They will provide you with a token number and you will be taken to the interview room and your case will be heard. They try and request the processing team to expedite. I went for three consecutive weeks and requested because I had an immediate emergency.

Hope this helps.

Hi,

Not sure its just me or anyone has also experienced such rejection reason from MOM of entry approval recently?

For my most of entry approval submission in January and February I got this reason

"Your application for xxxxxxx entry into Singapore is rejected because:
This application is not submitted by the employer/authorised employee"

As far as i know only employer can submit entry approval for its employee, no one else has the access. When i checked with me employer they said they submit correctly. Or I think may be their system has some issue or MOM has introduce new reason for rejection.

Just want to check with you guys if you are also experiencing such thing.

Thanks.
RS786

Hi RS786,

Your post seems to be posted on 19 January 2021 but you are referring to January and February. Do you mean January and February of 2020.
There could be a system error though.

I have heard and read that usually MoM approval for entry comes in a day.

Hi Arujitdas,

No I meant for Jan - Feb 2021 submission for arrival in SG.
Entry approval can be submit for 1 month ahead.

Regards
RS786

Thanks RS786,

1. Did anyone receive entry approval from India to Singapore recently around December 2020 or January 2021?
2. Also, MoM website mentions that outcome of entry approval is provided within a day. How far this is true? Anyone experienced?

Hi All,

I have tried for entry approval in December, January and February but refused.

The outcome comes through in 1 day - that is correct.

Cheers,
Varun

Recently a friend of mine tried applying for 2 employees from India in January. Planned date of arrival was 29 Jan. Only 1 entry approval was approved. Currently serving quarantine in hotel. Second employee still getting rejected.

I have been trying to apply for 2 employees from Bangladesh. One has IPA, another one has work permit holder who went back Bangladesh due to family reasons. Both getting rejected almost 10+ times.

Based on the planned date of arrival and MOM reply where they mention to try apply after a certain date for better chances. There is always a difference of 22 days.

For example. If planned date of arrival is 1st March. MoM reply is to try apply after 22nd march.
After applying for a date after 22nd march as suggested by MOM reply. I try a later date of 23 march and mom reply is rejected again with a suggested date to apply after 13 April. Which also has a difference of 22 days. Basically the reply is computer generated it just keeps throwing at you a further date if you listen to them. However if I ignore mom suggested date and apply for an earlier planned date of arrival on 26 Feb . The reply is to try apply for a date after 19 March.

It just doesn't make sense. I have called MOM up before and their reply was to play around with the dates and that there certain allocated slots for ppl to travel into Singapore every day. I have given feedback twice on their website their reply was to stagger the dates. And based on covid situation they will either tighten or relax the measures.

I have also heard that number of hotels that were keeping travellers on quarantine has reduced after cases being reported within hotel staff. Plus overall SG wants to reduce number of imported cases. So that makes it much harder to get approvals.

Nice information Zedzef. We know that if employees are from certain countries then you will be having tough time to get entry approval because recent imported cases are mostly belongs to these countries. So, MoM has put extra measures to allow the work pass holders or EPs or S-pass holders and DPs to enter Singapore on daily cap limit basis.

This is part of ICA guidelines and regulations in place. We can see every month there is routine update from Ministry of Manpower on boarder guidelines. MoM website too updates it quite regularly.

To apply for entry approval from India to Singapore from April 2021 onwards, which flights expats are exploring? can someone confirm and help as Air india shows till Mar 2021?

From India, it’s Air India only. I heard Vistara shows flights are available from March’21 onwards but I have doubt if other flights can resume their daily flights soon.

Heard of people are taking route of Dubai - Singapore after they got approval through UAE route.

Hi Surya2k,
How can I get approval through UAE route? I have read about it on other forums but I am not clear how to use it. Can you please provide details?

You may check in India forum or in UAE forum to get more details. They are going to Dubai, stays in quarantine period and apply entry approval with ticket from Dubai to Singapore with their Work pass documents. But it’s not easy either and now UAE route can be seen few cases tested as positive so high possibility that MoM may not approve that route in future. But, you can try. Good luck

I have heard from my friends whose Family on DP were rejected earlier multiple times , recently got approved on the basis that they have to show their family are arriving from country other than India like Nepal. It means you have to provide proof that you were in Nepal for last 14 days, so obviously you should have visa stamping in Nepal and some documents to provide as proof where you stayed in Nepal. People from India are taking different routes to get approvals to come to Singapore. Some of preferred countries are Dubai, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives where Indian can easily get Tourist visa to stay there for 14 days and have direct flights. Nepal is most preferred as it is cheaper to stay in hotel including flights and also most importantly Indians don't require Visa to enter Nepal.

You will get preference and easily approvals if you consider this, extract from
https://www.ivisa.com/singapore-blog/si … equirement


Travelers entering Singapore who come from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Mainland China, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam are permitted to quarantine at the lodging of their choice. Visitants coming from other countries will be required to serve their 14-day quarantine at a government-designated facility.

The catch over here is that the above mentioned countries don't require government-designated facility, it means you are less prone to effected by COVID-19 prior to coming to Singapore provided you are able to provide Negative test conducted 72 hours prior to reaching Singapore airport.

Hello there! Just curious. Is there a case wherein a DP holder got an entry approval before flying out from SG? Is it possible to acquire this if just for a 7day holiday to Europe?

Dear RoyalTiger, Thanks for sharing the news. However, the link you shared is a news item from1 Dec 2021. Do you think/know if this trick still works? As you can see a few posts above, Surya mentioned that Dubai route is now closed.

If I want to go to Singapore via a third country, which third countries should I consider?

Whitesneakers: Chances very low to get entry approval after you left Singapore. You may have to wait till end of the year to see the changes (post vaccination).

Singswan: I did not say Dubai route is closed. Read carefully, I said after few cases (same thing now happening via Kathmandu route) that after reaching here, people were tested positive. So, it’s not that easy to get MoM approval. It’s case by case basis, nothing wrong to give a try.

Singapore entry for couple working with different employers

We will come back to Singapore from India in MAY and on EP.
Can we ask our employer to take entry approval from MOM for spouse as well?
Though my spouse works for different employer but can I ask my employer to take her approval as well with me.
As if we go individually then we may not get approvals for same date.

Any way to make sure that, we get same day approval?
Or we can apply with one employer for both (being on employment with different employer)?

Hello Prateek,


Please suggest when did u receive  the IPA and what about your IPA validation date.

I am also looking  for new IPA APPLICATION and entry approval.

Regards
Sumit

Hi Sumit,

I am living/working in Singapore. Going back to India for short interval.
So I guess our cases differ, as you would be flying for first time here.