STUDENT PASS: There are strict regulations for international students studying in Singapore. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) requires all international students to possess a valid student pass throughout the entire duration of their studies at the College.

When your application has been approved by the College and you have officially accepted our offer, the College will begin the process of admission. The Admission Office will help to facilitate your student pass application with ICA.

Please refer to the ICA portal (www.ica.gov.sg/apply/studentpass/apply) for details and requirements. Fill up the following forms and submit them together with the respective documents to the College Admission Office:

1. one fully filled out copy of both Form 16 and Form V36 (our Admission Office will email you these forms);
2. a copy of Birth Certificate;
3. copies of highest educational certificates and academic transcripts;
4. a copy of passport personal information pages;
5. two recent passport-size photos in white background;
6. documentary proof of financial ability in the form of bank statements.

Once we have all these necessary documents, we will help you in your application of a student pass with ICA. The ICA will take at least 8 weeks to process your application. If your application with ICA is successful, ICA will send a notification and an in-principle approval (IPA) to the College. The College Admission Office will then inform you of the outcome.

PLEASE DO NOT COME to Singapore unless you have been notified that your student pass has been approved. The College will instruct you with the necessary details as well as provide you a list of documents that you will need to have with you at the airport, for Immigration Clearance. Make your own flight arrangement to come to Singapore and inform the College of your flight details. Please have all the necessary documents in HARDCOPY PRINTOUT (physical) and your PASSPORT ready when you arrive at the Immigration in Singapore.

You will also need to fulfil all relevant pandemic regulations that may be required by the Singapore authorities for the time when you apply for a student pass and for the time when you come to Singapore, e.g. vaccination status and travel insurance.

Please have all the necessary documents in HARDCOPY PRINTOUT (physical) and your PASSPORT ready when you arrive at the Immigration in Singapore.

Please note that the Singapore Immigration Officer at the airport will only issue you a short-term permit so that you can collect your Student Pass. Once you are in Singapore, you will need to be present in person at ICA on the appointed date to collect your Student Pass. Prior to the appointed date of collection of the Student Pass, ICA will require you to complete the following:

1. a general health-screen check that includes a test of HIV at one of the clinics designated by the Ministry of Health. Charges for the medical check-up is about $70.
2. a Security Deposit in the form of a Banker’s Guarantee is required unless you are a citizen of Brunei or Malaysia. The amount required for the Banker’s Guarantee differs from country to country according to ICA (http://www.ica.gov.sg/apply/studentpass/peo). The issuing bank will require a service charge of $160 to $450 to process the Banker’s Guarantee, depending on the amount. This Security Deposit is refundable upon termination of your student pass at the completion of your course program.

You are required to be present in person for the collection of your student pass and to produce all ORIGINAL copies of supporting documents for verification at the interview conducted by the ICA. The fee for a student pass and each subsequent renewal is S$90-120.

If you have a family and intend to bring them in to Singapore with you, you must apply for a long-term Social Visit Pass for them to remain in Singapore for the duration of your study. You must have your Student Pass, a copy of the Marriage Certificate (original and official transcript in English) and copies of Birth Certificates of your child(ren) (original and official transcript in English) in order to apply for their long-term Social Visit Pass.

The Singapore Immigration Law prohibits holders of a Student Pass and long-term Social Visit Pass to engage in any form of paid employment. A breach of the law may result in forfeiture of the Security Deposit, cancellation of the pass and repatriation.

ACCOMMODATION: The majority of Singaporeans stay in public housing built by Housing Development Board (HDB). There are strict rules governing the renting of these flats. For more details, please visit the HDB portal (www.hdb.gov.sg). The average monthly rental rate for a HDB room is $800-$1000. Other than the public housing, there are also private apartments for rent which will cost more as it comes with luxurious amenities. There is also the option of staying in student hostels and boarding houses run by private companies.

The College does not have residential accommodation within the campus. However, the College can assist you to look for one.

When possible, the College will lease an entire HDB unit from an owner and in turn, allocate the rooms to the students. The College will furnish and equip the units with necessary basic furniture, utensils and Wi-Fi facilities to enable the students to live comfortably. The students will have to follow the guidelines laid down and to keep the place clean. Each student will need to pay a monthly accommodation fee (depending on the number of students sharing a unit) to offset the rental and maintenance cost.

In the event that the College is unable to lease an entire unit on behalf of the students, the College can still assist you in looking for personal accommodation through respective real-estate agents. For such an arrangement, the contract will be made between the owner and the College on your behalf.

TRAVELLING AROUND: You can travel around Singapore easily on our public transport system. Most parts of the country can be reached either by Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains, Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains and buses. Single trip tickets can be purchased at any MRT Station but it is recommended that you purchase a stored value smartcard (EZLink card) for ease of travel on trains and buses. The EZLink card can be purchased at any MRT station/Bus Interchange. With the EZLink card, you can just tap-in at the gantry to begin your journey on the bus/train and tap-out to exit. At any one time, you can add more value to the EZLink card with cash at allocated machines placed in any MRT station/Bus Interchange or over the customer service counter. The fares for a single journey range from $0.90-$2.20. For more information, please refer to the web portal of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore (www.lta.gov.sg).

Other modes of transport include metered fare taxis or Grab Car, Ryde, and other platforms. Haggling over the metered fare is prohibited in Singapore. The fares depend on the distance travelled and waiting time. There are also different surcharges implemented at peak hours or at specific pick-up points (e.g. departing from Changi Airport). If the taxi takes a route that passes through the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry, a toll charge will be applied in addition to the basic fare. 

FOOD: Eating out in Singapore is an affordable option. There are plenty of hawker centres, coffee shops, and food courts which offer a wide range of food. A meal in the HDB heartlands can cost $5-$8 (it will cost more downtown). Most outlets will close by 9.30pm-10pm. There is also a wide range of fast food chains and restaurants in shopping malls. Besides, there are numerous grocery stores available in the neighbour which offers fresh / frozen food, should you prefer to prepare your own meals.

SOCIAL ETIQUETTE: There are certain social etiquettes that you should observe which may differ from those in your own country.

    Respect the elders by greeting them first.

    Take off your shoes when you enter into someone’s home.

    Offer your seat in the bus or train to a person who needs it more than you (e.g. the elderly, the pregnant, mother with a young child).

    Do not talk loudly, spit or litter in public. Spitting and littering is an offence punishable by law, imposed with a fine and corrective work order.