Message From the Australian High Commission
Australia has had an historically very close relationship with Singapore. Almost 2000 Australians died here in defending it before the Japanese occupation in February 1942. Today, Singapore is Australia's closest partner by far in South-east Asia - strategically, in defence, trade and investment, tourism. With Malaysia, it is a key market for our educational services. The Five Power Defence Arrangements - originally conceived in the early 1970s to defend Singapore and Malaysia against external threat - are robust and have begun to focus on the new threat across the region from terrorism. Almost 600,000 Australians visited Singapore last year, the highest number ever. And around 270,000 Singaporeans visited Australia, 85 percent of these on return visits.
Just a snapshot of a very familiar and effervescent relationship. Overall, Singapore ranks in the top seven of Australia's relations with any country. And this can only grow.
The Australian community in Singapore is a great asset in this relationship. Not just in its size - around 12,000. But also in the variety of things that people are doing and the contribution Australians are making to Singapore itself as it continues to evolve.
Singapore itself has changed quickly. And is becoming even more important to Australia as it does. This year is Singapore's 40th Anniversary of Independence and Singapore should be congratulated on what is by any measure a remarkable achievement.
Australians who are travelling abroad are reminded of the need to remain alert to issues and situations that may affect their safety.
Those wishing to travel to a tsunami-affected country should check the travel advisory for that country – the full range of advisories is available at www.smartraveller.gov.au.
Australians also need to continue to be alert to security issues in this region. Last year’s bombing at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta - and the tragic loss of life and injury –brought home the terrible reality of how serious the threat from terrorism is. Security conditions can change rapidly and it is important that Australians continue to monitor carefully the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s country-specific travel advisories and its General Advice to Australian Travellers, which contains advice on general safety and security issues for Australians travelling overseas.
We continue to receive reports that terrorists in the region are planning attacks and our travel advisory for Indonesia continues to advise Australians to defer non-essential travel to Indonesia, including Bali. Australians living in, or travelling through, Singapore should also be aware of the Department’s travel advisory for Singapore and should continue to monitor it. As you may know, travel advisories are kept under constant review and even when there is no new information, each travel advisory is reviewed on a quarterly basis and reissued. They may also be updated more frequently if a significant change in circumstances occurs. The last update was a routine revision and was not based on any new information about the threat level in Singapore, which remains unchanged. We continue to urge Australians in Singapore to exercise a high degree of caution, particularly in commercial and public areas known to be frequented by foreigners such as - but not limited to - clubs, restaurants, bars, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas.
All country-specific travel advisories, together with the General Advice for Australian Travellers, can be found at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website at www.smartraveller.gov.au. The Government keeps its travel advisories under close review; any changes in the security situation will be promptly reflected in the advisories
It should be reiterated that the first responsibility of the High Commission is always the protection of Australians. All of us here at the High Commission are available to assist at any time should you have worries about your security. It would greatly assist us in our job of protecting Australians if citizens could register with the High Commission. This does not in any way compromise your privacy but it does provide a means for us to contact you in an emergency, or with any special information at any time which could affect your welfare. The quickest way for us to contact registered Australian citizens is by email, so when registering you may wish to consider providing us with your email contact address. Registration can be done online. I would encourage all Australians to register with us if they haven't already done so.
The Singaporean Government itself has substantially upgraded security measures in Singapore over the past three years. The local authorities encourage people to report suspicious activities and anyone with concerns should do so. Community vigilance is an indispensable line of defence against terrorism and security incidents: Singapore's Internal Security Department has a hotline telephone (6256 6657) to which suspicious activities may be reported.
Finally, Australians should check that all family members who are planning to travel have current passports, with sufficient validity to meet the visa requirements imposed by other countries (many countries require at least six months validity remaining on your passport during your stay in that country). If you do require a new passport, please keep in mind that passports are no longer produced on site at the Australian High Commission in Singapore, so it is no longer possible for Australian citizens to obtain a full validity passport from the Australian High Commission in Singapore at short notice. The expected turn around time for this service is a full 10 working days. I would also draw your attention to the guidelines for passport photographs, which were changed last year: passport photographs are now required to conform to strict criteria. Applicants are advised to refer to the detailed guidelines published at http://www.passports.gov.au/Web/requirements/photos.aspx For more information on passports, please click here. Enquiries can be directed to our Consular Department here at the High Commission on 6836 4150 or 6836 4230.