Singapore passport holders granted visa-free travel to Timor-Leste under new agreement

SINGAPORE: Singapore passport holders will soon be able to travel to Timor-Leste without a visa under a new agreement, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Thursday (Jun 27).

The visa waiver agreement was signed by Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his Timorese counterpart, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, during the latter's introductory visit to Singapore.

Under current requirements, Singapore passport holders need a tourist visa for a short-term visit to Timor-Leste.

With the mutual visa waiver for diplomatic, official, service, and ordinary passports, Singapore passport holders will be exempted from visa requirements for a stay of up to 30 days in Timor-Leste, said MFA.

Timor-Leste passport holders will continue to enjoy up to 30 days of visa-free stay in Singapore.

"The agreement will contribute towards fulfilling the requirements under the roadmap for Timor-Leste’s accession to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and strengthen the people-to-people ties between Singapore and Timor-Leste," said MFA.

Mr Freitas was hosted to lunch by Dr Balakrishnan on Thursday, with both ministers reaffirming the "excellent relations" between Singapore and Timor-Leste. They also welcomed the establishment of the Singapore embassy in Dili in April, marking a milestone in bilateral relations.

"They agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as human resource development, trade and investment, energy, and education," said MFA.

Mr Freitas also called on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday, and they welcomed the long-standing and friendly ties between Singapore and Timor-Leste.

Mr Wong reaffirmed Singapore’s support for Timor-Leste’s preparations to fulfil the roadmap to join ASEAN, including through the Singapore-Timor-Leste ASEAN Readiness Support (STARS) package launched in December 2022 and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration.