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Singapore Visa Policy

Familiarize yourself with Singapore's visa policy and find out visa requirements depending on your nationality.

Visa Policy for Singapore

The visa policy for Singapore outlines the requirements that all foreign nationals need to meet to travel to, enter, and remain inside the country.

Singapore’s visa requirements depend on the nationality of the visitor, the amount of expected time they will stay in the country, and the purpose of the visit.

The Singapore visa law establishes that all travelers visiting Singapore, even those who have visa exemption, need to obtain the Singapore Electronic Arrival Card, or SG Arrival Card, to gain entry to the island state.

All visitors to Singapore must complete this online registration with their personal and passport details, travel plans for Singapore, and a health declaration. Once approved the SG Card is automatically linked to the traveler’s passport.

The SG Arrival Card is not a visa. Visa-required citizens for Singapore need both an approved SG Arrival registration and a visa to travel to the country.

Singaporean visa regulation states that some foreign nationals need to apply for either an electronic visa or an embassy visa before they can visit Singapore.

Browse the boxes below to learn more about the visa policy of Singapore, the requirements according to your nationality, and more about the SG Arrival Card.

Tourist Visa Policy for Singapore

The Singapore tourist visa policy determines that there are some countries whose citizens do not need a visa to travel to Singapore for short tourism stays.

Foreign nationals who are not visa-exempt need to either obtain a tourist electronic visa (tourist eVisa) or a consular visa to gain entry to Singapore.

An eVisa or embassy visa for tourism needs to be obtained before departure from the traveler’s country of residence, either through an online application or from the nearest diplomatic mission of Singapore.

Regardless of nationality, all foreign visitors to Singapore need to register online for a SG Arrival Card —a mandatory entry authorization that can be obtained through an easy online application.

Tourist visa regulations state that all holders of an SG Arrival Card are required to have a passport valid for over 6 months from the date of arrival to Singapore.

Furthermore, all tourists arriving in Singapore may be required to present proof of return flight tickets and proof of enough funds for the duration of stay. In some cases it may also be necessary to present a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Check below for further information about the visa requirements to visit Singapore.

SG Arrival Card

All foreign nationals that are planning to visit Singapore have to register for a Singapore Electronic Arrival Card, as it is a mandatory requirement to enter the country.

This new system substitutes the now-defunct Disembarkation/Embarkation Card (D/E Card), which was a paper-based form available at the border. Instead, the SG Arrival Card can be obtained through an online application form and allows the traveler to pass quickly through border control upon arrival.

This mandatory entry authorization is approved as a single entry permit which allows visitors to gain entry to the country through air, land, and sea ports in Singapore.

Applicants are required to complete the simple online SG Arrival registration form with personal, passport, and travel information, including the expected arrival date. Once approved, it is automatically linked to the applicant’s passport.

Holders are recommended to keep an electronic copy of the SG Arrival Card with them when traveling to Singapore. Upon arrival, visitors will have to show the passport used to complete the online registration.

It may also be necessary to present some additional documentation, such as return ticket, sufficient funds, and yellow fever certificate, to gain entry at Singapore border control.

As an SG Arrival Card is not the same as a visa. Some travelers may also need to apply for an eVisa or embassy visa, according to their nationality and travel plans.

Find below a complete list of nationalities that need to register for a Singapore Arrival Card.

SG Arrival Card: Country list

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cape Verde
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Czech Republic
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Federated States of Micronesia
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guinea Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • North Korea
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Republic of Cyprus
  • Romania
  • Russian Federation
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Swaziland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • Taiwan
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Timor Leste
  • Togo
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican City
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

The Singapore visa policy states that, alongside the SG Arrival Card, some nationalities need to obtain an embassy visa before departure.

Currently, nationals of around 50 countries are required to submit an embassy visa application at the nearest government office of Singapore.

A Singapore consular visa can be requested for different purposes, such as tourism, business, transit, work or study. The applicant will be requested to select the type of visa needed.

To receive a Singapore embassy visa, the first step is to schedule a visa appointment for an interview. After that, the applicant must print and complete an embassy visa application form which must be taken to the interview, alongside additional supporting documentation.

Citizens are recommended to schedule the embassy interview well in advance of the intended arrival date in Singapore. A consular visa can take 2 weeks or more to be approved.

However, the standard processing time for a Singapore embassy visa is 3 business days. Once approved, a visa label is affixed to the traveler’s passport.

Find below a list of the nationalities who require an approved consular visa to travel to Singapore.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required: Country list

  • Aland Islands
  • American Samoa
  • Anguilla
  • Antarctica
  • Aruba
  • Bermuda
  • Bonaire
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Christmas Island
  • Cocos Islands
  • Cook Islands
  • Curacao
  • Falkland Islands
  • Faroe Islands
  • French Guiana
  • French Polynesia
  • Gibraltar
  • Greenland
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guam
  • Guernsey
  • Isle of Man
  • Jersey
  • Martinique
  • Mayotte
  • Montserrat
  • New Caledonia
  • Niue
  • Norfolk Island
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Palestinian Territory
  • Pitcairn Islands
  • Puerto Rico
  • Reunion
  • Saint Barthelemy
  • Saint Helena
  • Saint Martin
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Sint Maarten
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  • Tokelau
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • United States Virgin Islands
  • Wallis and Futuna

Singapore eVIsa

Singapore classifies all visa-required foreign travelers into two groups: either Assessment Level I or Assessment Level II.

Visitors to Singapore from both of these groups must obtain a visa for Singapore no matter the duration of the stay or duration of travel.

However, nationals from Level 1 have 2 options for method of application: either obtain the embassy visa from the nearest Singaporean diplomatic mission in person, or submit an online application for a Singapore eVisa through an electronic application.

A Singapore online visa may be submitted through a local Singaporean contact or a strategic partner in the country or through a Singaporean consulate or one of their authorized visa agents outside Singapore.

A visa online for Singapore is usually approved within 1 business day. The traveler is usually advised to bring a printed copy of the eVisa with them to present upon arrival at border control in the country.

However, foreign travelers from Assessment Level 2 are unable to submit an electronic application for a Singapore eVisa. All individuals in this group must apply for a visa in person at the nearest Singaporean diplomatic mission, or one of its authorized visa agents outside Singapore.

All visa-required foreign travelers, whether in Assessment group I or group II, are required to obtain an approved SG Arrival card in addition to a visa to travel to Singapore.

Visa Not Required

Although all foreign visitors traveling to Singapore are required to obtain an approved electronic SG Arrival Card, visa regulations state that there are a few countries that can travel without a visa.

Foreign citizens from visa-exempt countries can travel to Singapore for tourism and spend a period from 30 up to 90 days visa-free, if they have an approved SG Arrival Card.

However, for periods of longer stay, or for purposes other than tourism, it is necessary for these nationalities to obtain a visa for Singapore.

Singapore visa law also states that visa-required nationalities do not need a Singapore transit visa to pass through the country to a third destination under certain conditions.

A transit visa is not required if the passenger does not intend to leave the airport transit area or clear immigration in Singapore, and if they have checked-in luggage for their final destination.

They must hold a valid ticket to the onward destination and not be traveling on a low-cost airline. Otherwise, a transit visa is required.

Check the list below to see the countries whose citizens are visa-free for Singapore for short stays.

Visa Not Required: Country list

  • South Sudan

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