Jewel at Changi Airport Singapore – Can I visit whilst in transit?

Can you sneak in a quick visit to see the Jewel at Changi Airport whilst in transit? The official answer is “NO”.

You cannot stay in the transit area (airside) and visit the Jewel Complex. You can get a few seconds glance if you take the monorail from T2 to T3 as it passes through however you cannot enter the complex.

But don’t despair! If you are really keen to see the Jewel and you have enough time between flights, then you can visit the Jewel by coming out of transit and entering Singapore, and returning airside when you have seen the Jewel. Read on as Triprovider shows you how ​

Welcome to Changi Airport Singapore!

Singapore Changi Airport was already the best airport in the world in terms of experience and amenities but in true Singapore spirit, these guys never stand still and are always looking to expand and improve on what they have.

And its not just the act of doing so, it’s the way they do it. Think Supertrees and Gardens By The Bay, these guys are continually pushing the boundaries looking for and creating the next futuristic wow for their audiences. And don’t the audiences love it.

The Jewel at Changi Airport is a huge tourist drawcard and one of the worlds most recognised “look at me” hotspots. Influencers and those not so influential?? flock to it like a beam of light in a vast ocean. And why not, the whole complex is superb and worthy of your attendance. ​

The Jewel is a primarily a huge multi-floor shopping complex with the “Rain Vortex” waterfall taking centre stage in the atrium amongst lush greenery providing a canopy underneath a striking glass and steel dome.

It’s all here. Major brand retail outlets, dining till you explode, a hotel, baggage storage, tourist attractions, showers…you can even hire a function room for your wedding!

It all came out of the need to upgrade and expand Terminal 1 but who could have imagined they would have used the free space to create this!

OK, I have to see it! (You won’t be alone, everyone wants to see it!), can I visit it if I’m in transit and have a few spare hours between flights? Yes, you can! The only catch is that you have to officially enter Singapore as The Jewel is not within the Transit Areas of the Airport.

Great! So how do I leave the transit area to visit the Jewel?

Pretty easily for most travellers. Triprovider have done it many times and it’s always been a quick and painless process so far!

Firstly, you need to establish how much time you HAVE to actually spend at The Jewel and weigh that up with how much time you actually WANT to spend there depending on what you’re doing.

Make sure you already have your connecting boarding pass (to re-enter Airside) and your SGAC before arriving into Singapore.

To do that, you need to factor in: –

• your arrival time and departure time (what is the length of time you have at the airport allowing for late arrivals as well) –
• what time you want to be at the departure gate. Take into consideration: – time taken for arrival immigration (10 minutes if not busy – can be longer depending on numbers and terminal) – time taken for departure immigration (10 minutes if not busy – can be longer depending on numbers and terminal) – security at the gate (depends how many people are lined up and what they have) –
• time taken to travel to the Jewel from your arrival gate (including immigration) and the reverse, time taken to get to your departure gate (including immigration) from Jewel. – note it takes about 10-15 minutes to walk from T2 and T3 to Jewel via the outdoor walkways. T1 virtually nothing as they are connected to Jewel. T4 requires a bus so factor in time here! .

Triprovider example from last trip:

Arrived Changi T2, looked for arrivals sign, walked 5 minutes to Immigration.

Immigration at T2 took about 5 minutes though autogates (now officially in Singapore)

Follow signs for Jewel in T2 – Walk to Jewel via Walkway on Level 3 – 10 minutes

Had lunch at Jewel and took a few photos of the Vortext. Looked in a few stores, in total there for 2 hours.

Returned on Walkway to T3 (10 minutes)

Through Immigration (10 minutes)

Triprovider recommends 2 hours minimum at the Jewel itself to look around and grab a bite to eat. But there is so much to do here (like Canopy Walk on Level 5) that you could easily spend hours here…. So again it depends on what you want to do.

Just make sure you have your boarding pass for your connecting flight and your SGAC before landing in Singapore.

Do I need a Visa or anything special to enter Singapore?

Once you have established you have enough time to visit the Jewel, the next step is to investigate what sort of visa you need to enter Singapore. A list of western countries like The USA, UK and Australia do not require a visa and can enter for up to 90 days.

Other countries can also enter visa free but the stay duration varies. Citizens of countries like Afghanistan or India or Pakistan will need to apply for a visa.

Please see the Singapore Government website for a list of countries and their visa requirements. Your passport must also be valid for 6 months from time of entry.

Once your visa is sorted, Singapore also requires you to complete a SGAC (Singapore Arrival Card) which is now digital and replaces the old paper forms we used to fill out on the plane.

This must be done within 3 days of arrival into Singapore (includes day of arrival) and entry will most likely be denied if you don’t have one. It is done electronically via their website. Complete the form and they will advise if you have been successful and hold a valid SGAC.

Please note that if you arrive at Changi and suddenly decide you want to visit the Jewel, you can go online at Changi and still complete your SGAC before going through immigration but you will need Wifi or Data to complete the form of course.

Triprovider went online 2 days prior from our hotel and filled out the SGAC form and submitted without issue.

Tips for Visiting the Jewel at Changi Airport, Singapore

Tip – Make sure you have your connecting boarding pass and SGAC before arriving in Singapore.

Tip – 5 hours between flights is recommended for a relaxing visit to the Jewel but again it depends on what you want to do. You could still visit with a 2 hour connection but for us that would be stressful!

Tip – At Jewel, Not all escalators stop on Level 3 where the walkways are for T2 and T3. Perhaps scope these out so you know in advance.