How Singapore SHN is/was like
Departure from CGK using SQ
Check-in: you need your booking confirmation (duh), passport (duh), entry approval, and IPA Letter. To be on the safe side, I also showed my SGAC. The staff would ask for your student pass. Tell them you are a freshman. The whole process took about 5 minutes, but the queue was short. Then they would confirm that you know about their SHN requirements and fees.
Immigration: normal, but queues were exceptionally short and you would be redirected to Garuda Indonesia’s Sky Priority lane. I was the only passenger throughout the entire process.
Boarding: seating area is cordoned off based on gate, masks are compulsory on board. Everything else is normal.
Arrival at SIN terminal 3
Exiting the plane: normal, with thermal scanners in the boarding gate and near immigration area. The latter has been the same since my last trip in February
Immigration: there are some blue chairs to the right. ICA staff will initially direct you there. Let them know you have filled in your SGAC, then you’ll get to the tables in front. The staff on the tables would ask for your boarding pass, IPA letter, entry approval, and filled up SGAC. Then they would tick some stuff on their checklist and provide you with SHN information (which you can find on ICA’s website), another sheet of paper detailing how to turn on location services in every smartphone type known to man, and a sticker. Then you get to the usual immigration table, where you show the aforementioned documents again. Just like during check-in, the staff would ask for your student pass. Tell them you are a freshman. They would stamp your passport and off you go.
Baggage claim: normal.
After baggage claim: staff checks your sticker color and directs you somewhere. As a yellow sticker, I was directed to turn right.
When you reach this spot, staff would ask to see your sticker (again) and boarding pass. They would note down these details and ask you to wait. Another staff would then come and escort you to your dedicated transport.
A bus!
“Leave the first three rows empty!” the staff would shout as you enter.
Then you get to your hotel. Your bags would be sprayed with what I assume is disinfectant liquid upon arrival. You would have your temperature checked again upon entrance. During check-in, you would need to show the same documents as during immigration. You would also have to make a difficult choice: getting Chinese, Malay, Indian vegetarian, or Indian non-vegetarian meals for the next 14 days. A staff will take you to your room after check-in. You don’t get to keep your room keys.
