What documents do I need to enter Singapore?
Singapore needs a passport valid six months beyond arrival plus a free SG Arrival Card submitted within three days of landing. Full checklist for your trip1 stay.
Updated
Entering Singapore - what you need
Singapore runs one of the fastest borders anywhere, and most of the effort happens before you fly. Line these up alongside your trip1 hotel booking.
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date.
- An SG Arrival Card submitted within three days before arrival, counting the day you land.
- A visa, if your nationality is on Singapore's assessment list.
- A confirmed onward or return ticket.
- Proof of where you are staying, which your trip1 booking confirmation covers.
- Enough funds for your stay, if an officer asks.
How the SG Arrival Card works
The SG Arrival Card replaced the old paper disembarkation card, so cabin crew no longer hand one out. You submit it online through Singapore's official immigration e-service or the MyICA mobile app.
The window is three days before arrival, including the day you land. Try to submit earlier than that and the system rejects it, so set a reminder rather than doing it a week ahead.
It costs nothing. Singapore's immigration authority does not endorse commercial services that charge for the submission, so any site asking for a fee is a third-party reseller.
The health declaration is part of the same form, and a false declaration is a prosecutable offence. Two groups can skip the card altogether: travellers transiting without clearing immigration, and Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders arriving by land.
Visas and rules Singapore enforces hard
US, UK, EU, Australian, Japanese and many other passport holders enter visa-free, usually for 30 or 90 days depending on nationality. A defined list of countries needs a visa arranged in advance, and Singapore's immigration authority publishes the current list.
The officer at the desk sets the length of stay stamped into your record, and it can be shorter than the maximum. Check the date on your entry record rather than assuming you have the full period.
Important: E-cigarettes and vaping devices are banned in Singapore, including in checked luggage. They are seized at the border and a fine follows. Several medications and other goods are also controlled, so check the official customs list before you pack.
Checking into a hotel in Singapore
Hotels ask every adult guest for a passport at check-in and record the details. Bring the physical document, because a photo on your phone is usually turned down.
Your trip1 booking confirmation answers the accommodation question on the SG Arrival Card, and it is what you show an officer who asks where you are staying. Have it open before you reach the desk.
Some properties take a deposit at check-in for incidentals such as minibar or restaurant charges. That is the hotel's own policy and separate from how you paid trip1 for the room.
Entering Singapore - FAQ
US citizens do not need a visa for a tourist or business visit to Singapore. You need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, an SG Arrival Card submitted within three days before you land, a confirmed onward or return ticket, and proof of where you are staying, such as your trip1 booking confirmation. The officer decides how long you can stay.
Yes. Almost every traveller must submit the SG Arrival Card online before arriving, because the old paper card is gone. The exceptions are travellers transiting without clearing immigration, and Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders arriving by land. The card includes a health declaration, and false declarations can be prosecuted.
No earlier than three days before you arrive, counting the day of arrival itself. Submissions made before that window are not accepted, so set a reminder rather than doing it a week ahead. If your health status changes after you submit, you can update the card before you arrive.
Online, through the SG Arrival Card e-service on the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority website or the MyICA mobile app. It is free. Singapore's immigration authority warns that commercial services charging for the submission are not endorsed, so any site asking for a fee is a third-party reseller rather than the government.
E-cigarettes and vaping devices are banned, including in checked luggage, and they are seized at the border. Several medicines and other goods are also controlled, so check the official Singapore customs and health authority lists before you pack, particularly if you take prescription medication.