Singapore Visa Policy: Who is Visa-Free and More

Singapore is a beautiful city-state, offering many visa types for citizens of eligible countries. A visa is a travel document issued to citizens of visa-required countries seeking entry into Singapore. For visa matters, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (I.C.A.) is the authority responsible for it. It also publishes information on visa requirements for Singapore. 

Please note not everyone traveling to Singapore needs to apply for a visa. It is an entry requirement for citizens of visa-eligible nations only. However, the SG Arrival card is a mandatory pre-entry visit pass required by all foreign visitors. Read on to learn more about the visa policy of Singapore. 

Who Needs a Visa to Singapore

A Singapore visa is a permit to travel, seek entry, and remain in the city-state for the desired time. Depending on the visa type, an individual can stay in Singapore for a short duration. It can be for tourism, study, work, etc.  

Citizens from visa-required nations need a visa to enter Singapore and stay there. Travelers who wish to find out if they need a visa should contact the Singaporean Mission. Generally, a visa is issued to visa-required visitors to Singapore. Issuance of visa also depends on the following factors:

• the duration of the stay
• the type of passport they hold
• the purpose of their stay in the country

Singapore-United States Trusted Traveler Programme (TTP)

US passport holders do not need a visa to enter Singapore, regardless of the type of passport they have. This applies to both business and social visit ( to meet friends and family), provided the stay does not exceed 90 days.

Singapore and the U.S. have a program called Trusted Traveler Program (TTP). It allows citizens to easily go through immigration at checkpoints. However, they must meet the following requirements:

• A passport that is valid for more than six months.
• Applicant should have visited Singapore at least twice in the previous 24 months. 
• A minor should be at least six years old. 

Applicants who are under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian present during enrollment. To verify identity, submit the applicant’s birth certificate copy and the parent’s or guardian’s passport. If a legal guardian comes with the applicant, they must bring an original court order or legal authorization letter. 

List of Countries that Do NOT Require a Singapore Visa (Visa-Free)

The following countries enjoy visa-free entry to Singapore:

Visa Free for 90 days

• Argentina
• Australia
• Citizens of the European Union 
• New Zealand  
• Norway 
• Switzerland 
• South Korea
• The U.K. 
• U.S.A.

British passport holders without proof of right to live in Britain can stay for up to 30 days. 

Visa Free for 30 days

The following citizens do not require a visa to Singapore for thirty days: 

• Andorra
• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) nationals
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Barbados
• Belize
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Chile
• Comoros
• Congo
• Congo DR
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominion Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Holy See
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Iceland
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Kuwait
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Liechtenstein
• Macau
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Maldives
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nauru
• Nepal
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• North Macedonia
• Oman
• Palau
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Qatar
• Rwanda
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Sao Tomé and Príncipe
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Sri Lanka
• St. Lucia
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Vincent
• Suriname
• Taiwan
• The Grenadines
• Timor-Leste
• Togo
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• U.A.E.
• Uganda
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Visa Free for Indefinite Stay

• Saudi Arabia

Note: Travelers must check visa requirements at the nearest Singapore embassy before traveling, as policies may change.

List of Countries that Require a Singapore Visa for Entry

Singapore classifies visa-required countries into two groups:

• Assessment Level 1 Countries
• Assessment Level 2 Countries

Assessment Level 1 Countries (Visa-Required)

Applicants from these countries can apply for visas online, at the embassy, or by mail. It’s advised that the visa application be submitted within 30 days before arriving in Singapore. This can be done through the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)’s online portal or with the help of a local contact in Singapore.

If the application is successful, the person can enter Singapore with a printed copy of the e-visa. Remember, travelers from visa-eligible countries who do not have a local contact in Singapore may apply at the local Singaporean Diplomatic Mission. 

List of Assessment Level 1 Countries

The Assessment Level 1 category is as follows:

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Georgia
• India
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• People’s Republic of China
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan

The following are also included in this group:

• Holders of: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Document of Identity)
• Holders of: Macao Special Administration Region (Travel Permit)

Assessment Level 2 Countries (Visa Needed)

Travelers from Assessment Level 2 countries can also apply for a Singapore e-visa. They can also use a local Singaporean contact or partner for help. If approved, they print the e-visa and use it to enter Singapore.

Alternatively, they can get a visa from a Singaporean diplomatic mission or an authorized agent. They’ll need a "Letter of Introduction for Visa Application" for this.

List of Assessment Level 2 Countries

The following belong to the Assessment Level 2 countries: 

• Afghanistan
• Algeria
• Bangladesh
• Egypt
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Kosovo
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Mali
• Morocco
• Pakistan
• Palestine
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Syria
• Tunisia
• Yemen

This group includes people from the U.A.E. with temporary passports. It also includes those with refugee travel documents from the Middle East. Additionally, people from the disputed part of South Sudan and stateless individuals are part of this group.

Remember, holders of non-ordinary passports from Tunisia and Bangladesh enjoy visa-free access. Moroccan and Jordanian diplomatic passport holders don’t need a visa for Singapore (if they have service, official, or diplomatic passports). 

Exceptions 

There are different Singapore visa rules for individuals in possession of the following: 

• APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)holders can enter the country with a Singapore visa for up to sixty days. This also applies to those enrolled in the Frequent Traveler Program. For arrival and clearance, ABTC card holders use automated immigration clearance lanes. 
• Citizens of Georgia, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan, who are transiting through Singapore, can visit the country without a visa for 96 hours.  

Travelers belonging to Assessment Level 1 and 2 countries do not require a transit visa at Changi Airport in Singapore. It is applicable only if they are carrying the following items: 

• An onward ticket 
• If they remain in the airport transit region 
• Luggage is checked to its final destination. 
• Individuals who do not need to clear immigration on arrival to Singapore 
• Applicants should not be traveling in a low-cost airline (the exception being Jetstar and Scoot) 

Visa-Free Transit Facility

For ninety-six hours, travelers from India and China can enter Singapore if they are transiting from any first-world nation (Australia, United States, Canada, etc.). 

In their case, Schengen visas are accepted only if it allows them entry to Switzerland or Germany. 

Restricted Nationality

Individuals from North Korea will be escorted to Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (I.C.A.) upon transiting and visiting Singapore. 

Types of Visas Offered by Singapore

Singapore offers several types of visas catering to a variety of travel purposes. The most common are Tourist, Business, and Student visas. For longer stays, there are Employment Passes, S Passes, and Work Permits. Diplomatic visas are available for official travelers. 

In certain cases, a Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass might be issued. Applications for all these visa types can often be submitted through the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s online portal. It’s important to provide a valid email address during the application, as it’s used for communication regarding the application status.

Requirement of Form 14 A: Application For Singapore Entry Visa

Citizens of visa-eligible nations, before traveling to Singapore, must be in possession of a Singapore tourist visa, for which they will need to fill out Form 14 A for social or business visits. Travelers from visa-required nations need to have the proper documentation before applying for a visa to Singapore. 

A properly completed and signed copy of Singapore Entry Visa Application Form 14A, along with supporting documents, must be submitted by the applicant in order to submit a Singapore Visa application successfully.

Visitors have two options when it comes to submitting the Form 14 A application:

Online Submission of Form 14 A

The applicant must adhere to the Singapore Embassy’s instructions if they choose to submit their Form 14 A application online. Once the application has been correctly completed, the applicant will need to make a payment online, which may be done quickly using a debit card, eNets, or a credit card.

Paper-based 14 A Application Form

The steps for filling out Form 14 A, the traditional method, are as follows:

• The Singapore Visa Application Form Form 14A can be received from any of the Singapore foreign missions or accessed online.
• The Form 14 A application must be filled out completely and accurately. It must also be properly signed.

Thereon, documents such as passports, air tickets, bank statements of the last three months, two passport photos, a cover letter, as well as the visa application fee must be gathered. Visitors are advised to check with the Singapore Embassy on the latest requirements for this visa.

The Singaporean Embassy or Consulate, or the closest Visa Application Center, must receive the Form 14 A visa application form, fee, and supporting papers. Applicants can do this directly or through an agency.

Once the entry visa to Singapore has been approved, the applicant can either pick up their passport in person or have it couriered to them.

Note: So far, Form 14 A is a requirement for citizens of visa-eligible nations for social or business visits. A social visit is for recreation or to meet family and friends in another country. Travelers from visa-exempt countries are advised to check with the Singapore Embassy if they are required to fill out Form 14 A if they plan to stay for more than 90 days ( visa-free period).

Singapore eVisa

Getting a Singapore eVisa takes some effort. Along with the Singapore eVisa ( visa-eligible nationals), travelers need an S.G. Arrival card for immigration. This card and the visa (if required) are both needed at entry.

The visa form is free at overseas missions. Travelers may need a local contact or a Permanent Resident with a "SingPass" account to apply for them. The local contact can submit the application online through the SAVE system at the I.C.A. website. If approved, they can print the eVisa.

To obtain eVisa for Singapore, travelers will need to submit the following:

• Confirmed round-trip tickets
• A valid travel document with six months of validity
• Necessary entry paperwork and visas
• Proof of enough funds
• A yellow fever vaccination certificate, if necessary

For updated visa information, contact a Singapore Diplomatic Mission. Visitors can also apply for a regular visa at the Singapore Diplomatic Post.

Can Singapore Visa be Extended

Applicants can try extending a Singapore eVisa online by submitting personal details from their passports. Each request is individually reviewed, and no extension is allowed for visa-type changes. When the visa expires, a new one must be applied for. The length of the extension is up to the Immigration Officer. 

Conclusion

The visa policy of Singapore entitles an applicant from eligible countries to stay, study, or work in the country and is subject to terms and conditions in return. Travelers are advised to contact the Singapore Mission to learn more about the visa types available based on their nationality, duration of stay, and purpose of the visit.