A Trip to the LTA – What to Prepare Beforehand
The rise of online services has made our lives easier throughout the years. Gone were the days we need to spend hours travelling and queuing for simple services. Yet, there are still some instances which require the traditional ways of acquiring services. For instance, if you are a foreigner, the option to apply for a Transaction PIN online is not applicable to you, meaning that you have to go down to the LTA Customer Service Centre. Or maybe you want to renew your COE but you don’t have an Internet Banking Account and it is too late to apply via post – another trip to the LTA is required. It may seem like a hassle, but knowing what to prepare before going there would make your life easier, and that’s what we’re here for!
Get the forms ready
Depending on the reasons behind your trip to the LTA, you may need to fill in various forms to take care of the matters. Most, if not all, of these forms are available online for your perusal. You can make the wait shorter for you and others at the LTA by completing these forms before going there, or by at least making sure that you know or have access to all the information needed to fill in the forms. For your easier reference, here are a few application forms which you may need as you are selling or buying a used car:
Remember to bring the right documents
Even if you bring your duly completed forms dutifully, you won’t be able to do anything at the LTA if you don’t bring the necessary identification documents. And while it is better to be safe than sorry, you don’t need to bring your whole life records there, especially since you can check the specific documents needed for your matters first before going there. Bear in mind that the documents required may differ depending on whether you are a foreigner or Singaporean/PR, whether you are applying as an individual or an organization, etc. The requirements and sample documents for applying for transaction PIN and vehicle transfer can be found here. For buyers, the necessary documents for transfer of vehicle can be seen here.
Go there at the right timing
First of all, this may seem like a no-brainer, but worth emphasizing anyway: be aware of the opening hours. The operating hours of LTA Customer Service Centre is Monday to Friday 8AM – 4.30PM and Saturday 8AM – 12PM only. Moreover, to avoid spending a lot of time waiting, you may want to avoid the peak hours, which are specified on the LTA website as 11AM – 2PM for Monday to Friday and basically the whole operating hours for Saturday. Some affairs may also require more attention on when you should go to the LTA, and if it has any effect. For instance, for COE renewal, only certain payment methods are accepted if you apply past the COE’s expiry. Meanwhile, if it is before the expiry date, any standing balance of the previous COE will be forfeited.
Know how to get there
The LTA office or customer service centre is located on 10 Sin Ming Drive, Singapore 575701. The nearest MRT stations are Marymount and Bishan, but you would still need to take a bus. The nearest bus stop is the one in front of Amtech Building, but only one bus, which is bus 130, stops there. If you are willing to walk a bit farther, you can stop at Upper Thomson Road instead, where there are a lot more buses.
