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Last February, I renewed my passport and got a couple of arrival/departure stamps. Subsequently, I applied and got an eVisa for Singapore. Based on my understanding, travel history is crucial to clear passport control and entering Singapore for tourism purposes.

I was thinking of attaching the old passport, which has many visas/stamps from Europe and beyond. The only issue is that, I previously, got an eVisa for Singapore, which I did not use as I canceled the trip due to the pandemic. I am afraid if I attach the old passport, they will check the previous passport number and notice the previous eVisa hence start asking questions about the previous eVisa.

My two questions for your kind comments:

• Is it true that travel history is necessary for entering Singapore, given that my passport is not perceived as powerful?

• Should I attach the old passport? Are there any risks of questioning me on the previous eVisa?

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    I cannot imagine that the Singaporean authorities would have a problem with the explanation "I had planned a trip and got a visa for it, but had to cancel because of the COVID-19 pandemic."
    – OpenAI was the last straw
    Commented May 24, 2023 at 14:39
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    People often seem very concerned that not using a visa will be a black mark on their travel history. I have yet to hear of a country that is upset about people failing to use a visa. Most countries are primarily concerned with people staying too long, not staying too short.
    – MJeffryes
    Commented May 24, 2023 at 15:15
  • What about the travel history part? @AndrewRay
    – Alex
    Commented May 25, 2023 at 11:32
  • @Alex You have already been granted the eVisa, which means you have passed Singapore's vetting process and no longer need to demonstrate travel history. You will be allowed to enter Singapore unless Immigration on arrival suspects you are lying to them about the reason for your visit.
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 1:40

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You say that your passport is considered weak. Usually what this means is that people from your country are believed (rightly or otherwise) to be more likely to overstay a visit, and by showing that you have traveled to "stronger" countries and left on time helps to overcome this presumption. Your European travel history will likely serve this purpose.

Given this, it may in fact be to your credit that you have an expired, unused Singaporean visa in your passport. That you cancelled your earlier trip due to the pandemic shows that you are not desperate to go to Singapore, which can only help your case in all but the most degenerate situations.

Perhaps if you had three or four unexplained unused visas, that might call into question your credibility, but with a single unused visa and a good explanation, there should be no issue.

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  • True to the name, Singapore eVisas are electronic, so they're not visible in the passport, and Singapore doesn't even stamp passports anymore on arrival. Of course, Singapore immigration will almost certainly have electronic info about your previous visas/visits.
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 1:41
  • @lambshaanxy the previous eVisa was not used and is linked to the old passport. How would they know about the previous eVisa if I handed them the new passport?
    – Alex
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 3:36
  • @Alex Because they can match your name, birth date and nationality on your new passport to your old passport.
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 3:37
  • @lambshaanxy should I, upon arrival to the passport control, disclose that I had an eVisa that I did not use due to the pandemic or wait for them to ask?
    – Alex
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 3:40
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    @Alex They will already know, so you don't need to volunteer anything. Just answer their questions.
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 3:42

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