Most visitors can fly into Singapore without a visa, but 34 countries are still on the visa list in 2026. This Singapore visa guide is for anyone planning a trip in late 2026 or early 2027, and for residents inviting family or friends. It covers who needs a visa, how to apply, the free SG Arrival Card, and the transit rules at Changi Airport. We checked each rule with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in October 2026, so recheck before you book.
Most passport holders, including Chinese, American, British, and Malaysian citizens, can visit Singapore without a visa for 30 or 90 days. Travellers from 34 countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Russia, need an e-Visa first. It costs S$30 and usually takes three working days to come through. Every visitor must also send the free SG Arrival Card within three days before landing.
Who Needs a Visa for Singapore in 2026
Singapore asks for an entry visa from 34 countries, and everyone else can visit without one. ICA last updated its official visa list on 25 June 2026, so it is the page to trust. Some diplomatic and official passports from these countries are exempt, so check your passport type first.
The table below groups the 34 countries by region, based on that ICA list. It also shows who can use the 96-hour transit option, which we explain further down:
| Region | Countries that need a visa | 96-hour transit option |
|---|---|---|
| South Asia | India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan | India only, with conditions |
| Former Soviet states | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan | Yes |
| Middle East and North Africa | Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen | No |
| Africa | Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan | No |
| Other | Kosovo, North Korea | No |
Some travel papers also need a visa, such as a Hong Kong Document of Identity or a refugee travel paper.
Two big changes explain why many older pages now look out of date. Chinese ordinary passport holders have entered visa-free for up to 30 days since 9 February 2024. Saudi citizens have not needed a visa to visit Singapore since 1 June 2023. Any Singapore visa guide written before those dates still lists both countries, so trust the ICA page over an old blog post.
If you need no visa, your length of stay depends on your passport and on the officer at the checkpoint. Most people get 30 or 90 days, and the exact date appears on the e-Pass that ICA emails you.
How to Apply for a Singapore Visa
You cannot send a visa request to ICA by yourself, even through its own website. Someone in Singapore, a visa agent, or an embassy has to submit it for you. Both routes below lead to the same e-Visa, which you print and carry. This part of the Singapore visa guide matters most for families in Singapore who plan to invite parents or siblings.
Applying Through a Local Contact in Singapore
Anyone in Singapore with a Singpass account can apply for you on the ICA e-Service. A company can do the same thing for a guest with its Corppass login. This route suits residents who want to host parents from India or friends from Bangladesh. Once ICA approves the request, your contact prints the e-Visa and sends you a copy.
ICA may also ask for a letter of introduction, known as Form V39A, in some cases. Your local contact fills in and signs this form, then sends it with the request.
Applying Through a Visa Agent Abroad
If you have no contact in Singapore, you can apply through a visa agent or the nearest Singapore embassy. Each embassy names its own agents, and ICA does not take visa requests at the immigration counter. In India, the Consulate-General in Mumbai has charged INR 2,100 per request since 1 January 2026. Its approved agents add a fixed service charge of INR 1,000 on top of that fee.
Use only the agents named on the embassy’s own website, since other agents often add hidden fees.
Documents, Fees, and Processing Time
Most requests need the same short set of papers, whichever route you take:
- Form 14A, filled in and signed by you
- A colour passport photo taken in the last three months
- A copy of your passport photo page, with six months left on it
- Form V39A, only if ICA asks for it
ICA charges a S$30 fee, paid online by Visa or Mastercard, and it keeps the fee if it says no. It usually decides within three working days, not counting the day you submit. ICA advises applying within 30 days of your trip, so leave a spare week for slow cases.
SG Arrival Card: The Free Form Every Visitor Needs
The SG Arrival Card replaced the old paper landing form, and nearly every arriving traveller must send it. It is free, and it is not a visa, so travellers on the visa list need both. Here is how to send it through the official ICA channels on your phone:
- Download the free MyICA app, or open the SG Arrival Card page on ica.gov.sg.
- Wait until you are within three days of arrival, counting the arrival day itself.
- Enter your passport details, flight number, and address in Singapore.
- Add an email address you check, because your e-Pass will arrive there.
- Submit the form and save the confirmation on your phone.
No Singapore visa guide is complete without a warning about fake sites. ICA has named more than 25 websites that charge money for this free form. Official ICA web addresses always end in ica.gov.sg, so check the address before you type your passport number. You can skip the card only if you change planes without leaving the transit area.
Transit Rules at Changi and the 96-Hour Option
You do not need a visa to change planes at Changi if you stay in the transit area. This works when your bags go through to your final city and you get your next boarding pass airside.
Low-cost airlines are the usual catch for travellers on the visa list. ICA notes that most passengers arriving on or connecting to a budget airline must clear immigration first. If your passport is on the visa list, you then need a visa even for a two-hour layover. Ask your airline about airside transfers before you book two separate tickets.
The Visa-Free Transit Facility lets some travellers on the list leave the airport for up to 96 hours. Indian citizens can use it if they hold a valid visa for the UK, the US, or Japan. A visa or long-term pass for Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, or New Zealand also works.
That visa or pass needs at least one month left on it. You also need a ticket out within 96 hours, heading to a third country. Citizens of the 12 former Soviet states in the table only need an onward flight within 96 hours.
Budget flyers should read this part of the Singapore visa guide twice. ICA allows no extension under this scheme, so a stopover can never become a holiday.
Passport Rules, Boarding Checks, and Travel Advisories
Your passport must have at least six months left when you arrive, and every traveller needs their own, including babies. Officers can also ask for an onward ticket and proof that you have enough money for your stay.
Since 30 January 2026, these checks now start before you even get on the plane. Under ICA’s No-Boarding Directive, airlines must refuse travellers who lack a valid visa or six months on their passport. If this happens to you, write to ICA for approval before you book a new flight.
A few other rules catch out visitors to Singapore every year, so note them:
- Vapes are banned, even in transit, and repeat offenders can be barred from returning.
- Changi has vape disposal bins in arrivals and transit for anyone who needs them.
- Visitors from yellow fever risk countries must show a vaccine certificate.
- Cash worth more than S$20,000 must be declared when you arrive.
- Every arrival gives fingerprints, a face scan, and an iris scan at immigration.
How Long You Can Stay and How to Extend
Your stay is set by the visit pass, not by your visa. The officer grants the visit pass at the checkpoint, and ICA has emailed it as an e-Pass since March 2022. There is no stamp in your passport, so keep that email safe until you fly home.
An e-Visa can stay valid for weeks or months, yet you must still leave by the e-Pass date. Mixing up those two dates is the easiest way to overstay by mistake. Overstaying is a punishable offence in Singapore.
You can ask for more time online once 14 days or fewer remain on your pass. ICA usually replies within five working days, so apply as soon as you can. A S$40 fee applies if the extra time takes your total stay to 90 days or more. Travellers on the visa list may also pay a further S$30 visa fee.
Singapore Visa Guide Checklist Before You Fly
Run through this Singapore visa guide checklist a week before your flight, then again the night before:
- Passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date.
- e-Visa printed, if your passport is on the ICA list.
- SG Arrival Card sent within three days of landing.
- Onward or return ticket saved offline on your phone.
- Hotel or host address written down for the officer.
- Vapes left at home, since Singapore bans them outright.
- Yellow fever certificate, if you came from a risk country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a Singapore visa on arrival?
No, Singapore does not issue visas on arrival at Changi or at the land borders. If your passport is on the ICA list, you need an approved e-Visa before you board. Airlines check this at the counter, and since January 2026 ICA can tell them to refuse you. The 96-hour transit scheme is the only way around this rule for most people.
Can Indian travellers transit Singapore without a visa?
Yes, if they hold a valid US, UK, or Australian visa and are only passing through. They can stay up to 96 hours if they are heading to or from a third country. A holiday that starts and ends in India still needs the normal S$30 e-Visa.
Can a Singapore PR or Employment Pass holder apply for a visitor?
Yes, anyone in Singapore with a Singpass account can act as the local contact. That includes citizens as well as most permanent residents and work pass holders. The contact sends the request on the ICA e-Service and may need to sign Form V39A.
Does a Singapore visa guarantee entry?
No, a visa only gives you permission to travel and ask for entry. The ICA officer at the checkpoint decides whether you get a visit pass and for how long. Carry your return ticket, hotel booking, and enough money to show you will leave on time.
What changes should travellers watch for after October 2026?
ICA updates its visa list and its list of fake arrival card sites from time to time. No-Boarding Directives started at Changi in January 2026, and they are due to reach sea checkpoints in 2028. We will update this Singapore visa guide whenever ICA changes a rule, fee, or form.
Conclusion
For most visitors, the only paperwork is a valid passport and the free SG Arrival Card. Travellers from the 34 listed countries need one more step, which is a S$30 e-Visa applied for two to four weeks before the flight.
Use this Singapore visa guide to settle three things before you pay for flights: your visa status, your transit route, and your arrival card date. Our Singapore Airlines guide covers fares, bags, and cabins if you are also comparing airlines. Bookmark this Singapore visa guide too, because we update it whenever ICA changes its rules.