Australia vs Singapore: tourist visa
Australia or Singapore for a tourist visa? ₹17,074 vs ₹3,370 all-in, 21–37 days vs 3–7 working days decision, funds to show, process and which fits your plan.
Verdict
- Singapore is cheaper (₹3,370 vs ₹17,074 all-in)
- Singapore decides faster (3–7 working days)
- Singapore asks for less money in the bank (₹1.42 lakh vs ₹3.31 lakh)
Australia vs Singapore: tourist visa side by side
| Australia | Singapore | |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa route | Visitor visa | Visitor e-Visa |
| Visa format | E-visa | E-visa |
| Process | e-visa | e-visa |
| Biometrics | No | No |
| Interview | No | No |
| Government fee | ₹16,569 | ₹2,220 |
| Visa application centre fee | Not charged | ₹300 |
| Vistolane filing fee | ₹505 | ₹850 |
| All-in per traveller (sum of the lines above) | ₹17,074 | ₹3,370 |
| Route page fee (official) | AUD 250 per person | SGD 30 per person |
| Processing (route page) | 50 percent in 21 days, 90 percent in 33 days (Home Affairs, 29 Sep 2026) | 3 working days, excluding the submission day |
| Decision window | 21–37 days | 3–7 working days |
| Validity | 6–12 months in practice (up to 12 months, decided at grant) | 30 days |
| Stay | 3, 6 or 12 months per visit, decided at grant | Up to 30 days |
| Entries | Decided at grant | Multiple |
| Funds to show (tourist visa) | ₹3.31 lakh | ₹1.42 lakh |
Which is cheaper?
Australia costs ₹17,074 all-in (₹16,569 government fee plus ₹505 filing) and Singapore ₹3,370 (₹2,220 government fee plus ₹300 visa application centre fee plus ₹850 filing). Singapore is cheaper by ₹13,704 per applicant. Neither figure includes optional attention plans or airport transfers.
Which is faster?
Australia: 50 percent in 21 days, 90 percent in 33 days (Home Affairs, 29 Sep 2026). Singapore: 3 working days, excluding the submission day. Both windows are the authority's own published figures as read on the route pages; a complete file at submission is the single biggest lever on either.
Which needs less money in the bank?
Australia asks for about ₹3.31 lakh and Singapore about ₹1.42 lakh for a tourist visa. Singapore is the lower bar. In both, statements must be seasoned for three months and match the plan you describe.
How the processes differ
Australia: e-visa. Singapore: e-visa. The steps are the same shape, so documents prepared for one largely serve the other.
Which should you pick for a tourist visa?
For a short trip, weigh speed and entries: Singapore decides in 3–7 working days, and Singapore gives multiple entries. If you are choosing purely on cost, Singapore wins.
Validity, entries and what each visa lets you do
Australia issues e-visa valid 6–12 months in practice (up to 12 months, decided at grant), decided at grant, with a stay of 3, 6 or 12 months per visit, decided at grant. Singapore issues e-visa valid 30 days, multiple, with a stay of Up to 30 days. Validity is the window in which you may enter; the stay is counted from the entry stamp and the date the officer writes is the one that binds. Neither visa permits paid work, and both expect you to leave before the stay ends; overstays are recorded and shared between many immigration systems.
Documents: what Australia and Singapore both ask for
Both applications start from the same core file: a passport valid for the trip with blank pages, recent photos to the destination's specification, a completed form, proof of accommodation and onward travel, bank statements for the last three to six months, travel insurance and a letter from an employer or business registration explaining why you will return. Neither takes biometrics for this category, so filing is as fast as the documents are ready. Preparing the shared file once and adapting the destination-specific items is the practical way to apply for both in one season.
Why applications for either get refused
The refusal reasons are the same in Australia and Singapore: funds that do not match the plan, a recent large deposit with no explanation, weak ties to the home country, an itinerary that contradicts the bookings and documents that are expired or inconsistent across the file. A refusal from one is not automatically a refusal from the other, but both forms ask about previous refusals and an undisclosed one is treated as deception. The refusal pages for Australia and Singapore list the exact wording used in refusal letters and the fix for each.
Questions, answered
Is Australia or Singapore easier to get a tourist visa for?
Singapore asks for less money in the bank and Singapore decides faster. Approval depends more on clean documents than on the destination; both refuse mainly for inconsistent funds and weak ties.
Can I apply for Australia and Singapore at the same time?
Yes for e-visas, since no passport is held. If either is a sticker visa the passport is with that consulate, so sequence the sticker application first or use the second passport option where your country allows one.
Which is better value, Australia or Singapore?
Singapore is cheaper per applicant, but value depends on validity: Australia is valid 6–12 months in practice (up to 12 months, decided at grant) and Singapore 30 days. A longer, multiple-entry visa costs less per trip.
Where do these figures come from?
Government fees, processing windows and funds figures are taken from the official Australia and Singapore sources cited on each destination page and on the verified route pages and re-checked when the authorities publish changes.