How to Get a Schengen Visa from Singapore (Work Pass Holder)

Everyone wants to see Europe at some point. The history, the mountains, the cities that look like postcards. And for most of us on a work pass in Singapore, the one thing standing between the idea and the trip is the Schengen visa.

My wife and I did it in 2024 for a 15-day trip through Switzerland and Italy. This is exactly how we got our Schengen visa through the Italian embassy in Singapore, with every document and step we went through.

The short version:

• Destination: we applied through the Italian embassy, since Italy was our main stay on a 15-day Switzerland and Italy trip.
• Key documents: employment letters, original bank statements, and a marriage certificate.
• Agency: BLS International Services handled the processing.
• Must-haves: original documents, travel insurance, and confirmed flights and accommodation.
• Cost and time: SGD 344 for two, and it took 5 to 6 weeks because of when we applied.

Our trip

We visited Europe in April and May 2024, spending over 15 days across Switzerland and Italy. We entered through Switzerland, stayed five nights, flew to Italy for nine nights, took the train back to Switzerland, and flew home from there.

Singapore 🇸🇬 → Switzerland 🇨🇭 → Italy 🇮🇹 → Switzerland 🇨🇭 → Singapore 🇸🇬

Our background

We are from Sri Lanka. I hold an Employment Pass (EP) in Singapore, and my wife holds a Dependent Pass.

Choose the right embassy

This matters. You apply for a Schengen visa through the embassy of your primary destination, which is the country where you will spend the most nights.

We spent five nights in Switzerland and nine in Italy, so Italy was our primary destination, and we applied through the Italian embassy in Singapore.

If you are spending an equal number of nights in several Schengen countries, apply through the embassy of the country you will enter first.

The agency

We submitted through BLS International Services, the agency that handles Schengen visa applications for the Italian embassy. It is listed on the Italian embassy’s official site.

• Italian embassy: https://ambsingapore.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/servizi-per-il-cittadino-straniero/visti/
• BLS International Services: https://www.blsitalysingapore.com/

🎁 Tip: the application needs a lot of printed documents. If you travel often, or travel to the EU with your spouse, it is worth buying a printer, even a used one from Carousell.

Prepare your documents

This is the part that makes or breaks the application. The embassy or agency will contact you if anything is missing, which delays or risks your visa. Gather everything below and check it against the criteria before you start.

1. Document checklist. Download the latest checklist from the BLS site at https://www.blsitalysingapore.com/touristvisa.php, under the Requirements tab. Print it, because you submit it with your application.

2. Original bank statements. The embassy requires original statements, not ones downloaded from online banking. Visit your bank branch and ask for printed statements for the last three months, with each page stamped by the bank. Some banks charge a small fee. Two tips: do not print statements at home to bring in, as they may not be accepted, and if your application includes your spouse, you only need one original set for yourself plus a copy for your spouse.

3. Original employment letter. Required, and it must include your full name as in your passport, job title, employment date, salary, the purpose of your trip, and the travel dates, addressed to the Embassy of Italy in Singapore. The embassy does not accept electronically signed letters, so it must be printed on company letterhead and signed by hand. Submit the original for yourself and a copy for your spouse. If your spouse works in Singapore, get an original letter from their company too.

4. Singapore work pass (EP) or PR. Your pass must be valid for at least 90 days after your intended return. For example, if you return on 30 June, your pass must be valid until 30 September. If you are a PR, you also need your Re-Entry Permit, valid for at least 90 days after your return. Put the front and back of the pass on the same page, and use the SGWorkPass app to scan the QR and print the pass details, including the expiry date. Tip: my company submitted my EP renewal to MOM five months early to make this smoother. If your pass expires within four to five months of the travel dates, ask your company to submit the renewal.

5. Visa application form. Download it from https://www.blsitalysingapore.com/touristvisa.php, under the Download Form tab. A few fields to note:

• 13. National identity number, where applicable: add your Singapore FIN number.
• 13. Number of travel document: add your passport number.
• 20. Residence in a country other than the country of current nationality: Employment Pass, FIN, Expiry Date.
• 25. Member State of main destination (and other Member States of destination, if applicable): we put “Italy and Switzerland”.
• 30. Surname and first name of the inviting person(s)… or name of hotel(s)/temporary accommodation(s): we put “Accommodation details will be provided separately.”
• Address and email of inviting person(s)/hotel(s): we put the name and address of the first hotel we stayed at in Italy.
• Cost of travelling and living during the applicant’s stay is covered: for your own application, select “by the applicant himself/herself.” For your spouse’s application, select “by a sponsor.”

Put “NA” in any field that does not apply to you. Sample form below.

6. Passport. Valid for at least three months from your planned return to Singapore. Print the first three pages, including the bio page.

7. Past Schengen visas. Print any Schengen or EU visas issued within the last three years. If you have any, mention it in the form under field 28. Fingerprints collected previously for the purpose of applying for a Schengen visa. Tip: years ago we got the entry visa for the EU Blue Card from the German embassy in Singapore, and although we did not travel then, we attached it.

8. Photos. Taken within the last six months, size 4cm x 5cm.

9. Flight reservations. You must submit confirmed air tickets. If you are unsure how to get confirmed tickets without paying in full, you can use a travel agency to reserve, an airline that offers ticket holds, or a service that provides flight itineraries for visa purposes. For our trip we submitted a fully paid return ticket from Singapore to Zurich (Singapore Airlines), a fully paid Zurich-to-Rome ticket (Swiss Air), and a confirmed train ticket from Italy to Switzerland. All three were “confirmed”.

10. Accommodation. Booking confirmation for every place you stay. If travelling as a group, your name must be on the booking (your spouse’s name is not mandatory).

11. Travel insurance. Required, and the policy must be attached. The name on it must match your passport exactly, and the coverage must be at least SGD 50,000. We used Singtel travel insurance: https://insurance.singtel.com/travel.

12. Marriage certificate. Include an English-translated copy plus a photocopy of your spouse’s passport in your application, and the reverse in your spouse’s application. Bring the original marriage certificate to BLS. They verify it, return it, and certify the copy.

13. Sponsorship consent letter. If you sponsor your spouse’s trip, BLS will require you to sign and submit a sponsorship consent letter. Tip: if BLS does not give you one, remind them. They forgot mine, and three weeks later the embassy emailed asking me to submit it.

The steps

1. Book an appointment to submit documents. Once your documents are ready, book a BLS appointment. Do not leave it late, as a slot can be two to three weeks out. Book two appointments if you are going with your spouse: https://www.blsitalysingapore.com/booknow.php

2. Go through the checklist. Walk through the printed checklist with your printed documents, but do not tick it yourself. BLS marks it when they collect your documents. Bring the original work pass (EP card) and marriage certificate for them to verify.

3. Have cash in hand. BLS did not accept cards, PayNow, or PayLah. Cash only. Finding an ATM near BLS is hard, so bring extra.

4. Visit BLS and submit. Arrive 5 to 10 minutes before your appointment and submit your documents. You also give your biometrics (fingerprints).

5. Collect your passport. Once BLS emails and texts you, go collect it.

Cost

It cost SGD 344 for a couple, including all charges and the BLS service fee, so SGD 172 per person. See the “Visa Fees” section here for the latest. Keep some extra cash on hand just in case.

Processing time

BLS says it usually takes 15 working days. For us it took 5 to 6 weeks. When we asked why, they said this happens when your travel date is far from your application date, because the embassy prioritises by travel date. We got ours the same week we travelled, on the Monday before a Saturday departure. Remember, your passport is with the embassy during this time, so you cannot leave Singapore.

Our way

We booked and fully paid for everything, flights, trains, travel passes, attractions, and hotels, before applying. Maybe overconfident. 😃 It all worked out, but do this your own way.

A few photos from beautiful Switzerland 🇨🇭:

Applying elsewhere in the region?

If you are also looking at Turkey, which uses a similar embassy sticker-visa process, see my Turkish visa guide from Singapore.

The Schengen visa looks intimidating because of the paperwork, not the difficulty. Get the checklist early, print everything, and give yourself enough runway before the trip. Do that and the rest is just waiting.

If this guide helped with your application, please rate the article with the stars just below. It takes a second and helps other travellers find it.

That’s it for today, guys. Thank You for Reading! I hope you found this article informative and useful.

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Need more support? If you want the full itinerary of our trip, how much it cost, or more tips on the journey through Switzerland and Italy, you can book a 1-to-1 appointment via Topmate. Thank you 🙏🏽