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The visa policy of Singapore deals with the requirements a traveller must meet to enter Singapore. A foreign national, depending on their country of origin, must meet certain requirements to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel, to enter and remain in the country. A visa may also entitle the visa holder to other privileges, such as a right to work, study, etc. and may be subject to conditions.
Citizens of most countries and territories can enter Singapore without a visa. A citizen of one of the visa waiver eligible countries and territories can temporarily enter the country for a period of 30 or 90 days without a visa depending on their nationality. However, nationals of some countries must first obtain a visa in advance before being allowed to enter Singapore. [1] [2]
In recent years, applications of work permits, study permits and certain types of permanent residency are submitted online. However, such applicants must provide their biometrics (photograph and fingerprints) as a part of their application process. Depending on the country by which the passport was issued, a visa application may have to be submitted at a visa application centre at a Singaporean diplomatic mission. [1]
All visitors to Singapore must:
Before entering Singapore, all travellers, except
are required to submit an SG Arrival Card [6] online, which provides personal information, trip details and health declaration, to Singapore immigration. [7] Singapore citizens are exempt from the requirement to submit an SG Arrival Card if entering Singapore by land. [5]
The electronic SG Arrival Card must be submitted within three days before the date of arrival in Singapore, to avoid unnecessary delays during immigration clearance. [7]
Travellers can submit their personal information and trip details via an official link or via the "SG Arrival Card" mobile application from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). [7]
The Electronic Arrival Card is free of charge. The Electronic Arrival Card is not a visa, [7] so travellers may have different requirements, according to their nationality. [8]
The paper-based Disembarkation Card (colloquially known as the “White Card”) has been discontinued since 2020. [9]
Citizens of the following 162 jurisdictions may enter Singapore without a visa for stays up to the duration listed below, depending on nationality: [2]
Indefinite stay (1)[ citation needed ] 90 days (34) 1 - Visa-free entry for British passport holders without proof of right of abode in the United Kingdom is shortened to 30 days. 30 days (127) 1 - For Chinese citizens with People's Republic of China passports, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports or Macao Special Administrative Region passports only. |
According to Timatic, nationals of South Sudan do not need a visa to enter Singapore for a maximum stay of 30 days. [2] This, however, is not supported by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, which states that South Sudanese nationals must obtain a visa. [1]
Holders of passports issued by the following jurisdictions who also possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing the "SGP" code on the reverse, which indicates that it is valid for travel to Singapore, can enter Singapore without a visa for business trips of up to 60 days. [2]
ABTC holders are eligible to use automated immigration clearance lanes upon arrival and departure.
ABTCs are issued to nationals of: [10] [11]
Singapore categorises countries whose citizens require a visa to enter into two groups – Assessment Level I and Assessment Level II countries.
Holders of normal passports or travel documents issued by Assessment Level I countries and territories may obtain an e-visa from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)'s online portal through a local Singaporean contact or a strategic partner in Singapore; if successful, the applicant can enter Singapore with a printout of the e-visa. Applicants may alternatively obtain a visa at the nearest Singaporean diplomatic mission or from one of its authorized visa agents outside Singapore, in which case a local Singaporean contact is not required. [1] [2]
e-Visa and regular visa applications lodged by holders of the following three travel documents are processed in 1 working day, excluding the day the application was submitted. [1]
e-Visa and regular visa applications lodged by nationals of the following countries are processed in 3 working days, excluding the day the application was submitted. Visa requirement does not apply to holders of non-ordinary passports of these countries, with the exception of North Korea. [1]
Holders of all passports or travel documents issued by Assessment Level II countries and territories may obtain an e-visa from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)'s online portal through a local Singaporean contact or a strategic partner in Singapore; if successful, the applicant can enter Singapore with a printout of the e-visa. Applicants may alternatively obtain a visa at the nearest Singaporean diplomatic mission or from one of its authorized visa agents outside Singapore – however, a "Letter of Introduction for Visa Application" to support the visa application is required, which can be issued by a local Singaporean contact or a Singaporean diplomatic mission. e-Visa and regular visa applications lodged by nationals of the following countries and territories are processed in 3 working days, excluding the day the application was submitted. [1]
Visa requirements also apply to non-ordinary passport holders of these countries, unless otherwise noted.
DOS - Holders of diplomatic, official and service passports are exempt from visa requirements.
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Under the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)’s Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI), eligible foreign visitors, including those visiting Singapore for the first time, can use automated lanes for both arrival and departure immigration clearance without the need for prior enrolment. [13] As of April 2023, the ACI was deployed to 130 automated lanes at Changi Airport and 40 automated lanes at the land checkpoints. [13]
Travellers are required to provide a valid email address within their SG Arrival card submissions in order to receive their Electronic Visit Pass (e-Pass) when using the automated lanes; travellers will not be issued an arrival immigration endorsement in their passports. [14]
Under the ACI, eligible arriving foreign visitors are directed to the automated lanes for immigration clearance. [13]
a) Their biometrics (iris, facial and fingerprint images) are automatically enrolled during the arrival clearance process (if not already enrolled during a previous trip to Singapore).
b) Information on their enrolment is included in the electronic visit pass (e-Pass) which is emailed to them after immigration clearance.
c) Enrolled foreign visitors will then be able to use designated automated lanes during departure and on subsequent visits to Singapore.
ACI is a critical component of ICA’s New Clearance Concept (NCC), which aimed to make automated immigration clearance the norm at the checkpoints. Automated immigration lanes leverage multi-modal biometric scanning technology to provide travellers with a more secure, efficient, and seamless immigration clearance experience. [13]
Through the use of automated lanes which take up less physical space and require less manpower than manual counters, ICA would be able to increase its clearance throughput and meet the growing traveller volume, which was expected to reach 300 million travellers per year by 2025. [13]
All biometric passport holders, regardless of nationality, can utilise the Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI) to enter and leave Singapore through Changi Airport. [15]
In addition, biometric passport holders of the following 60 jurisdictions (aged 6 and above), as well as APEC Business Travel Card holders, can utilise the Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI) to enter and leave Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint, Tuas Checkpoint and Marina Bay Cruise Centre: [16]
1 - For British passport holders, only British citizens are eligible. |
Nationals of Assessment Level I and II countries do not require a visa to transit through Changi Airport as long as they fulfill the following requirements: [17]
Nationals of certain Assessment Level I countries may clear immigration to enter Singapore under the Visa Free Transit Facility.
Nationals of China 1 and India may enter Singapore without a visa for 96 hours if they are in transit to or from any third country by air, and possess a valid visa or long-term residence permit with validity of at least one month issued by Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom or United States. [18] Schengen visas are also accepted if the visa allows entry into Germany or Switzerland. [18]
Single-journey visas issued by these eight countries are also acceptable for transit, but if using the VFTF on the return journey (i.e. after the single journey visa has been used) the traveller must travel directly from the visa-issuing country and directly back to the home country, and the traveller must have not returned to their home country since the single journey visa was last used.
They may enter Singapore by any mode of transport but must depart by air or sea. [18] They must have a valid onward air/ferry/cruise ticket departing Singapore within 96 hours. [18]
1- Chinese citizens who hold Chinese passports are visa exempt in general, while holders of other travel documents who require a visa may use this policy.
Nationals of the following countries may enter Singapore without a visa for 96 hours if they are in transit to or from any third country. These nationals may use the VFTF on both the forward and the return journey. They may enter Singapore by any mode of transport but must depart by air. [18]
All travellers, including Singapore residents, who arrive in Singapore from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission (listed below) require an International Certificate of Vaccination in order to enter Singapore. [19] Failure to provide a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate, would result in the traveller being quarantined under Section 31 of the Infectious Disease Act, for a maximum of six days upon arrival in Singapore. [19] Non-residents who object to the quarantine, will be denied entry and returned to his/her place of origin or last port of embarkation. [19] The vaccination requirement is imposed by this country for protection against yellow fever since the principal mosquito vector Aedes aegypti is present in its territory. [20] [21]
According to Timatic, nationals of North Korea are required to be escorted to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority upon entering or transiting Singapore. [2]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all short-term visitors were not allowed to enter or transit through Singapore effective 23 March 2020, 2359 hours. [1] [2] [22]
From 29 March 2020, 2359 hours, all Singapore long-term pass holders, as well as those granted in-principle approval for long-term passes, were required to obtain an entry approval from the relevant government agency (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Ministry of Education or Ministry of Manpower) before commencing their journey to Singapore. All travellers will need to submit a health and travel declaration online before arrival, and will be issued a 14-day stay home notice upon arrival. [23]
All COVID-19 related border measures were lifted starting 13 February 2023. [24]
Most visitors arriving to Singapore on short-term basis were from the following countries of nationality:
Source: Singapore Tourism Analytics Network [25]
Country or territory | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 10/2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
China | 88,250 | 130,870 | 1,128,440 | 2,714,115 |
Indonesia | 33,460 | 1,104,160 | 1,872,030 | 2,028,934 |
India | 54,380 | 686,470 | 887,260 | 1,000,485 |
Malaysia | 24,220 | 590,960 | 891,890 | 977,723 |
Australia | 10,050 | 565,680 | 884,270 | 960,238 |
Philippines | 11,490 | 381,990 | 568,380 | 640,192 |
United States | 10,960 | 318,450 | 516,040 | 572,495 |
South Korea | 7,130 | 217,530 | 488,370 | 512,495 |
United Kingdom | 8,550 | 226,740 | 384,060 | 498,712 |
Japan | 5,920 | 132,110 | 359,050 | 485,795 |
Taiwan | 3,410 | 65,050 | 289,980 | 359,631 |
Vietnam | 3,440 | 312,710 | 406,410 | 346,199 |
Thailand | 4,380 | 283,430 | 393,210 | 338,002 |
Germany | 5,410 | 130,590 | 249,770 | 323,161 |
Hong Kong | 5,430 | 129,050 | 267,910 | 281,301 |
France | 4,210 | 86,090 | 142,140 | 165,694 |
New Zealand | 595 | 57,080 | 115,910 | 134,382 |
Myanmar | 10,020 | 85,290 | 100,550 | 123,571 |
Canada | 1,690 | 55,020 | 102,970 | 112,180 |
Bangladesh | 17,900 | 102,990 | 98,730 | 110,668 |
Netherlands | 1,960 | 51,180 | 76,600 | 81,988 |
Italy | 1,230 | 33,120 | 63,710 | 81,731 |
United Arab Emirates | 940 | 42,970 | 66,100 | 76,931 |
Switzerland | 1,320 | 36,290 | 62,050 | 75,831 |
Spain | 777 | 30,460 | 49,640 | 59,253 |
Sri Lanka | 1,470 | 35,520 | 44,260 | 51,910 |
Russia | 388 | 9,800 | 46,460 | 48,656 |
Brunei | 1,250 | 31,640 | 47,580 | 44,995 |
Denmark | 730 | 16,410 | 23,590 | 25,415 |
Sweden | 545 | 13,500 | 21,330 | 23,135 |
Saudi Arabia | 196 | 7,170 | 18,620 | 22,967 |
South Africa | 159 | 13,020 | 19,910 | 22,634 |
Norway | 425 | 12,690 | 20,270 | 20,923 |
Finland | 355 | 9,780 | 15,580 | 20,820 |
Pakistan | 195 | 10,560 | 14,690 | 15,655 |
Israel | 704 | 11,940 | 14,040 | 14,134 |
Kuwait | 38 | 3,650 | 7,470 | 7,333 |
Iran | 54 | 1,370 | 4,910 | 6,462 |
Mauritius | 35 | 2,410 | 4,010 | 3,986 |
Egypt | 94 | 1,640 | 6,320 | 2,368 |
Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it also encompasses controls imposed on internal borders within a single state.
A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.
The National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), colloquially known as "IC", is a compulsory identity document issued to citizens and permanent residents of Singapore. People must register for an NRIC within one year of attaining the age of 15, or upon becoming a citizen or permanent resident. Re-registrations are required for persons attaining the ages of 30 and 55, unless the person has been issued with an NRIC within ten years prior to the re-registration ages.
The visa policy of Australia deals with the requirements that a foreign national wishing to enter Australia must meet to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel, to enter and remain in the country. A visa may also entitle the visa holder to other privileges, such as a right to work, study, etc. and may be subject to conditions.
The Singapore passport is a passport issued to citizens of the Republic of Singapore. It enables the bearer to exit and re-enter Singapore freely; travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitates the process of securing assistance from Singapore consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is a law enforcement agency within the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the border control agency responsible for frontline border control operations at air, sea and rail ports in Singapore.
Global Entry is a program of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States through automatic kiosks at select airports and via the SENTRI and NEXUS lanes by land and sea. As of May 4, 2018, Global Entry was available at 53 U.S. airports and 15 preclearance locations. By April 2018 more than five million people were enrolled in Global Entry and approximately 50,000 new applications for the program were being filed each month.
The Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region allows citizens of specific countries/territories to travel to Macau for tourism or business purposes for periods ranging from 14 to 180 days without having to obtain a visa. For other entry purposes, such as establishing residence on a long-term basis, a different policy applies.
The visa policy of Hong Kong deals with the requirements in which a foreign national wishing to enter Hong Kong through one of the 15 immigration control points must meet to obtain an entry permit or Visa, which depending on the traveller's nationality, may be required to travel to, enter, and remain in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Visitors from over 145 countries are permitted without Visa entry for periods ranging from 7 to 180 days, to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for tourism or certain business-related activities. All visitors must hold a passport valid for more than 1 month.
The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is a travel document issued to business travelers who are citizens of APEC participating economies. It is valid for five years. The card waives the need for a visa when visiting other APEC participating economies, provided the bearer has obtained the corresponding pre-clearance during the application process.
Visa requirements for Singapore citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states which are imposed on citizens of Singapore.
The Singaporean Certificate of Identity (COI) is an international travel document issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) who are stateless and holding a Singapore blue identity card. The Singapore Certificate of Identity is to help facilitate SPRs to travel abroad. The holder will require a visa whenever they wish to visit or pass through other countries.
The visa policy of Malaysia consists of the requirements for foreign nationals to travel to, enter, and remain in Malaysia. Most visitors to Malaysia are granted visa-free entry for a period of 90, 30, or 14 days respectively. However, nationals from some countries must first obtain a visa from one of the Malaysian diplomatic missions around the world before being allowed into the country.
Visitors to Thailand must obtain a visa from one of the Thai diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries, or citizens who may obtain a visa on arrival, or citizens eligible for an e-Visa.
Most visitors to Cambodia must obtain a visa, either on arrival or online, unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.
Visitors to Papua New Guinea must obtain a visa on arrival or an e-Visa to enter the country. Visitors may also apply for a visa from the PNG diplomatic missions.
Any foreign national who wishes to enter Myanmar must obtain a visa unless they are a citizen of one of the designated visa-exempt countries.
Visa requirements for crew members are administrative entry restrictions imposed by countries on members of a ship or aircraft crew during transit.
Automated border control systems (ABC) or eGates are automated self-service barriers which use data stored in a chip in biometric passports along with a photo or fingerprint taken at the time of entering the eGates to verify the passport holder's identity. Travellers undergo biometric verification using facial or iris recognition, fingerprints, or a combination of modalities. After the identification process is complete and the passport holder's identity is verified, a physical barrier such as a gate or turnstile opens to permit passage. If the passport holder's identification is not verified or if the system malfunctions, then the gate or turnstile does not open and an immigration officer will meet the person. E-gates came about in the early 2000s as an automated method of reading the then-newly ICAO mandated e-passports.
An electronic visa (E-Visa) and an electronic travel authorization are digital travel permits commonly required in conjunction with a valid passport for entry into specific jurisdictions. These electronic travel documents have gained prominence in the modern era of digital connectivity and streamlined travel processes.