Changes to VFTF?
 

3 years ago, my wife (a PRC passport holder with Australian PR) and I had a 4 day stopover in Singapore, on our return journey from Shanghai to Sydney.

As we were going to be in Singapore for less than 96 hours, my wife did not require a Visa. She qualified for the VFTF - Visa Free Transit Facility. We had to show our flight itinerary to the Immigration officer, which verified we were going to be there for less than 96 hours (it was something like 86 hours).

We're planning a similar trip next year. I've tried to find some information about the VFTF, to verify that everything is the same as what it was 3 years ago. It appears that it isn't.

There are still loads of articles on the internet (which seem to be several years old) that mention the VFTF applies to PRC passport holders. However, nothing very recent.

I have checked out the Singapore Immigration Authority's website. It does mention that PRC passport holders require a Visa to enter Singapore. Oddly enough, it also mentions that passport holders from Georgia and the Commonwelath of Independant States are the only ones that do not require a Visa if they are in transit to/from a third country, and their stay in Singapore will be for less than 96 hours. It does not, though, mention VFTF, although this is the equivalent criteria to what the VFTF used to be.

I have emailed the Singapore Immigration Authority for clarification, but so far they have just sent me an extract from their website.

So my questions are: is anyone aware of any changes to the VFTF (or what was the VFTF) in recent years to exclude PRC nationals, and if so when this happened? I can't find any mention of it on the internet. The "why" would be interesting but no doubt difficult to find out.

Are you sure it's changed?

You can access the TIMATIC database here, which is what the airlines themselves use to decide if you can travel. http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...tion/index.jsp

Having plugged in what I believe is the correct data, it suggests the 96hr VFTF still applies....

It is changed indeed.

In the past:
PVG-SIN(stopover)-MEL-SIN(stopover)-PVG - allowed

Now
PVG-SIN(stopover)-MEL-SIN(stopover)-PVG - not allowed
PVG-SIN(Stopover)-MEL-SIN-PVG allowed
PVG-SIN-MEL-SIN(stopover)-PVG allowed

SG immigration could ask you for your printed itinrary and check your passport for recent SG VFTF stamps. If they think you are frequently using VTFT where your bona fide reason for entry is visit, they might decline you.

But the OP only wants to stopover in one direction, so they will still qualify, right?

Still confused
 

:confused::confused:

I'm becoming even more confused.
Yes, the intention was for my wife to have only one stopover - on the way back to Australia. Having said that, on the way over to Shanghai she will be travelling with her mother (who is also a PRC passport holder and has never seen Singapore), and she was wanting to go on the free 2 hour Singapore bus tour. But if they both need to apply in advance for visas for a 2 hour tour then it's not worth the bother.

I was wondering SKRan if the example that you gave is something that has been done recently (for example this year) by a PRC passport holder that you may know.

With the Delta airlines visa web page, I'm not sure how up to date and/or accurate this information might be. Ironically, this is consistent with the information I received at the Singapore Airlines office here in Adelaide on Tuesday, as they said PRC passport holders still qualified for this VFTF.

My wife has only entered Singapore once before, which was in Jan 2010 - and it's not going to be a regular event, so I don't see any issues with overuse of the Visa. Essentially, the information we had back then was the same as this:
http://www.etour-singapore.com/singa...ents.html#vftf
ie "96-Hour Visa Free Transit Facilities for Chinese, Indian and CIS Passport Holders"

However, the email I received from the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority this week, expicitly stated that PRC passport holders DO require visas to enter Singapore. This is actually consistent with what is written on their website: http://www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=96

When just checking out this webpage, I noticed the date "15 Jul 2010" at the bottom of the page. So perhaps the changes were made back then. I've also tried entering "VFTF" and "Visa Free Transit Facility" into the website's search engine, and there are no matches.

So, for the time being, I can only really conclude that:

- There is no such term as VFTF any more in Singapore in terms of these visas.
- The criteria for what used to be known as the VFTF is still the same, with the exception that it no longer applies to Indian nor PRC passport holders.
- The changes were made in Jul 2010.
- The reasons for the changes are unknown.

>> With the Delta airlines visa web page, I'm not sure how up to date and/or accurate this information might be.

This is the official source of information for airlines worldwide(not just Delta). If the airlines slip up, they pay huge fines and send people back on the airlines' expense so the information is very up to date.

What beep88 said

My understanding is that TIMATIC is the same live system that SQ will look at when you check in to decide if you're going to get rejected at immigration anyway!

update
 

Hi Malcolm or anyone else,

Any updates on this? Was your wife able to enter Singapore on the VFTF/96 hour visa? My wife is in the same boat except she is on an US immigration CR1 visa and we have a 20 hour layover in Singapore flying on Singapore Airlines (one way ticket). The other complication is, though we are flying to the US, in addition to Singapore, we also have another layover in Frankfurt, Germany for 6 hours. Not sure if that makes a difference, that we are not flying to the US directly after Singapore, but another short layover and switch to Luftansa.

Please let me know if that worked for you.
Thanks.
Ctcristo

Update
 

Hi ctcristo1,

We haven't attempted it yet. We will be passing through Singapore on a 4 night stopover on the way back to Australia (from China) in May.

The VFTF scheme for PRC passport holders still exists though. I received an email response from Singapore Immigration a week or two after my enquiry, confirming this. They did say, though, that they could refuse my wife's entry for any reason, and recommended applying for a Visa in advance. So that's what we have decided to do (even though we will be there next than 96 hours, it's not worth risking given we'll have 2 infant children with us).

On the way over to China, my wife is planning on going on the free Singapore tour with her Mum and the kids (they are in transit for 7 hrs). They are planning on using the VFTF for this purpose. If Immigration do not allow them entry (for whatever reason) then it won't matter.

So, the removal of the mention PRC passport holders from the VFTF page on Singapore Immigration website remains a mystery - I'm presuming it might have been done because a lot of PRC people may have been misusing (eg overstaying and working) their Visas.

I was just asking this question at the Singapore consulate in San Francisco yesterday (btw.. friendliest and most helpful consulate I've ever been to). I was under the assumption that the VFTF was still good for Chinese and I wouldn't need a visa for my 36 hr transit. However when I asked at the visa counter, the officer said Chinese passport holders do require a visa for entry even if for transit. So I applied for my visa and they will have it ready by next friday. Only one day before my flight to SIN ;-)

I'll ask the same question at immigration when I arrive and let you all know what they say. I still have a feeling they might allow entry on a case by case basis.

Any updates on whether or not this is allowed?

Late update here... But I can confirm the visa was required. No getting around this one anymore.

Issue: My chinese fiancee and I would like to go to Singapore (3-4 days), then afterwards to Thailand. Flight would arrive from AMS. We're living in Germany.

According to the Embassy of Singapore in Berlin a visa is required. From the VFTF the lady knew nothing.

But: Visa can be done without sending the passport to the embassy and will take ~10 days (18 € fee).

just called singapore embassy in beijing, they said the VFTF policy is still valid but you are not guaranteed to be granted an entry permit, so its encouraged to get a visa ahead if you really want to visit sg.