A photo of my car taken at Seletar Airport
According to Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA), foreign vehicles can only be in Singapore for a maximum of 14 days. If any longer, you will need to renew it by setting an appointment at LTA's Customer Service Centre in person.
LTA also states that Enforcement action, including the seizure of vehicles, will be taken against vehicles with expired Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)s in Singapore. So take note!
This is a story of how I (technically my car) overstayed in Singapore, and it is possible to happen to you too.
TL;DR;
If your vehicle has overstayed more than 14 days (or is about to):
- Don't panic
- Call LTA Hotline to check for the latest instructions (who knows they may have upgraded to an online application system)
- Go to the border checkpoint, insert your AutoPass Card at the immigration gantry, it will alert saying you have overstayed, please visit LTA office.
- Go to the LTA office (it's actually a small counter facing outside)
- Present your AutoPass and explain why you overstayed
- Pay the fine, pay your toll and daily VEP fees if any, additional charges pay with credit card
- Exit Singapore
So how did this happen?
I was in Singapore to spend Christmas and my birthday with my wife as she works there. We entered Singapore on the 15th of December (Day 1) and happily headed back to our home to rest. Days go by and we suddenly got Covid smack on Christmas! I initially planned to head back the day after Christmas (Day 12), but with Covid, i was stumped and we quarantined at home.
Knowing about the VEP period, I was checking around what do I need to do. I can't leave my quarantine and drive back to KL (was also very mind fogged and lethargic at that time), nor can i just drive through the causeway and turn back in, it will be so tiring and dangerous for other road users around me.
I then checked LTA website, which as mentioned above, asks me to set an appointment in person, which also means, I need to wait till I recover and then renew my VEP? Covid can't clear in 2 days and it clearly states that the renewal must happen before the expiry. So, I still went to try and make an appointment. Lo and behold, the next available appointments are in January (the next week about 8 days from Christmas).
So, I called LTA with 1800-CALL LTA (1800-2255 582). The lady on the line just said, "Pay the fine". Wait, what? How much is it?
1000 SGD.
Wow, so there are no other option for me to renew my VEP? Well, how do I do it?
She said there's a counter after the immigration booth. I asked where?
And she couldn't explain where or how it looks like.
So fine, I stayed on until I got better, and then headed off for KL. By then, it was already Day 19. I nervously headed to Tuas Checkpoint preparing to vomit out 1k SGD, and when I got there, the first thing I asked the immigration officer was, "Where is the LTA office? I overstayed my VEP".
He replied, "Oh really ah? just park your car at the side and the office is just on the side".
He returned my passport then I went for the nearest car park, which have only 2 car parks.
Now where is the LTA office? I was looking for a door but right next to the car park are just toilets. I walked around, and started to worry if i was considered wandering around the checkpoint too long, would they get suspicious? I walked all the way to the customs lane and that was already the exit. There was no clear indication and i tried pushing some doors, but the office rooms there were abandoned. I walked back towards immigration and thats only when I found the LTA office (from the position i stood to take photo of my car at the car park, it was just on the right of me), it was actually just a counter on the wall, not an office.
I went up and spoke to a young gentlemen there. I declared that I overstayed, as I got Covid and couldn't get an appointment, and the lady on the LTA hotline just told me to pay the fine. I had no other options to renew my VEP. He then made a phone call, probably to HQ for some advice. Once he put the phone down, he said sorry, you will still need to pay the fine.
My heart sank. There goes 1,000 SGD. I tried to plea and say that there was no other legal option for me to avoid this situation.
He then adds, "You will still have to pay the fine first, then you can email LTA to appeal".
Oh well, then he asks, "I will deduct a rounded off from your AutoPass, the rest will be over credit card?"
I said yes, that's typically the process anyway.
"Ok, i will deduct 350 SGD from your AutoPass and 100 SGD on credit card", he says.
Confused, I asked if that is without the penalty. He then says the total includes the penalty.
"How much is the penalty? How much is the fine for an expired VEP, or overstaying my VEP"
"10 SGD", he says.
Wow what a relief. I told him that I was informed it was 1000 SGD, and he said no. He mentioned that the fine was only 10SGD, but if you still prolong your stay, it could increase. So far, I cannot find any table or information on how much the fines are for exceeding the VEP period.
So how to avoid this from happening? If you plan to stay longer than 14 days in Singapore with your car, set an appointment with LTA for a date close to the expiry to apply for a renewal. Other than that, usually by 14 days and if you drive regularly, you will need to pump petrol anyway so it is a good reason to go to Johor to pump petrol, and come back into Singapore, which will also reset the VEP days.
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