As some of you may already know to get your studentship in Singapore you need a TEP - a temporary employment pass that usually lasts a few months but is extended for you to last the two years (will be renewed yearly).

In June before going to Singapore you will start applying for your In-Principal Approval (IPA) and receive it via email with your IPA. During this application process remember once all forms are filled out, take a screenshot and send it to ARAP admin staff for approval before submitting your form.

During this time, you will probably start working on your 9-month report - not saying you have to, you know your pace best - but while it’s important to think about what experiments you will be doing in Singapore and what you will need to send off ahead of you such as plasmids/DNA or even cell lines. This should be easy but make sure you talk to both supervisors about it early to make sure things are set in motion especially as you will be moving during the busy start of term in Warwick.

Arriving in Singapore

Your IPA will allow you entry into the country, with a valid passport of course and Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC), it is easier to get this in the form of an E-PASS by applying online at least 24hr before arrival, perhaps even on the plane there.

When you receive your IPA, you are told of all the additional paperwork needed to get your TE, that should be submitted one day before your start date at work. Most are things you will need to get when you arrive, the E-PASS I have mentioned, local number/address but there is also a medical check asking for a chest X-ray and HIV test.

These can be very costly in the UK as they are considered a non-NHS service, so the practice/hospital stands to make a profit from it. It would have cost me >£200 in the UK whilst in Singapore at Raffles Hospital it cost $87 (~£50) and at Mediway it costs $50 (~£29). These hospitals/centres have specific clinics for these health checks that are walk-in and open early (~7:30). I suggest going early as the process can take a few hours though you’ll find you have fewer checks than others so you will be seen too quickly. You will need your passport, IPA and medical form printed, don’t worry if you haven’t printed it out before, most places will have a printer for you there. Also, remember to bring a large enough bag for your top/vest, necklace and watch etc as you will take them off for Chest X-ray. Finally, an early start means you get to pick up some breakfast or a snack on the way out, reward yourself for work well done.

Once all the forms (including your address & Singapore number) were sent off, I received a confirmation email on my start date. At this point you will need to visit the Employment Pass Services Centre - on google maps it looks very 80-s architectural says my very architecturally uneducated self - with the documents they send you to register your card. Assuming you have started at A*STAR I am sure anyone there will be happy to help you print out the documents. You will need physical copies. (This is all written on the print outs too, so you do not need to remember it.)

From Raffles place it is a quick walk up the UOB, left down the road until you reach a smaller lane with Mc Donald’s and Burger King. Interesting to have so many bars and clubs along one strip of one store buildings. At the end you cross to the tall white building and take the lift far inside to the 4th floor. As usual I recommend going early as it took me 20 minutes but the busier it is the longer it could take. The glass elevator gives you a beautiful view of the river wide and weaving under sparkling white bridges and makes me think how much of Singapore’s early architecture tried to imitate the buildings around the Thames. Simultaneously made me homesick and upset I guess at the image of what was before since there is very little history, I have found so far about what the island was like before the British arrived.

Anyway, I went in on a Tuesday and got a text on Friday saying my card would be delivered on the coming Monday between 1-6pm. It came around 4:30, the courier called, and I showed him my passport and that’s it.

Not sure how it will be renewed in a year but for now I’m glad to have it and that the process was not as daunting as I thought it would be. I hope this helps dear reader, even if the process changes soon, that you don’t feel too daunted either.

Starting at A*STAR

I was lucky that my lab had already gone through the renovations to the air cons that were happening on another floor meaning they were closed for two weeks, so I got to settle into my desk and routine of coming in everyday quickly.

You will have already seen in the emails they said, make sure to double read everything a day or two before you start on Monday, but you will need your Passport as ID at the help desk until you go through safety training and get your card authorised. Once it is, for a few weeks your card will be restricted to office hours and only allow entry after 8:30 am assuming you are under supervision during that time, then your mentor/supervisor can request change.

Also important to note it that they will give you a laptop for access to the A*STAR system and VPN, it got mine about a week and a half after starting, a week after my supervisor requested it. This will give you access to the IT system for printing, registered emails etc. It’s worth considering then if you have a registered Warwick laptop whether or not you will need to bring it assuming you have a personal device to do work from.

Finally, the Singpass. This is a government issued ID digital identity that allows you to sign for documents and legislation without physical signature and other identification paperwork. Most ARAP students won’t need one but if you are going to do laser microscopy e.g. Spinning Disc Confocal, you will need a licence and to get the licence you will need a Singpass. This can be via the website/app or at a community centre desk, but they will tell you more about how to get one at the Employment Pass Services Centre when you are getting you TEP registered.