Singapore Visa-Free for Chinese Passport Holders in 2026: 30 Days, SG Arrival Card and Entry Rules

Do you need a visa? Short answer

No, if you hold an ordinary passport issued by the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since 9 February 2024 you can enter Singapore without a visa for a stay of up to 30 days. Before you arrive, submit the SG Arrival Card online. It is free, and you must submit it within three days before arrival, counting the day you land.

Three groups are not covered. If you plan to work, do news reporting or stay longer than 30 days, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says you need the right visa before you enter. Holders of other PRC travel documents need a visa before travel. The rest of this page covers each case.

Who is exempt and who is not

The Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced the exemption in a media release dated 25 January 2024. It took effect on 9 February 2024. It works both ways: Singapore ordinary passport holders get up to 30 days in China without a visa. The Chinese consular table of mutual visa-exemption agreements (updated to 29 May 2026) lists Singapore for PRC ordinary passports from 9 February 2024.

The Hong Kong consulate page explains the split: a HKSAR passport and a HKSAR DOI are different travel documents, and only DOI holders need a visa. Look at which of the two you hold before you book.

How many days do you actually get?

ICA's media release and the embassy page both say "up to 30 days". The days you are granted are set at the checkpoint. ICA's visa page says the period of stay is the duration of the Visit Pass issued to you as an electronic visit pass (e-Pass) when you enter, and is not tied to any visa validity. Your e-Pass shows the maximum days of stay and the last day of stay allowed. Plan around that last day, not around "30 days".

What can you do during a visa-free stay?

ICA's media release does not list purposes. Two other pages do:

• The Chinese embassy in Singapore (reminder dated 15 August 2024) says Chinese citizens with ordinary passports can enter visa-free for private affairs such as tourism, visiting relatives and business, for up to 30 days.
• The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (25 January 2024) says activities that need prior approval, such as work and news reporting, and stays over 30 days need the right visa before you enter.

ICA's extension page adds a limit that applies once you are in Singapore. Visitors on a Short-Term Visit Pass may not engage in any form of employment (paid or unpaid), business, profession or occupation, unless they hold a valid work pass or take part in Work Pass Exempt Activities. ICA's Entering Singapore page says the same about business, professional and paid employment activities. The Chinese embassy's wording ("business") and ICA's wording are not identical, and none of these pages lists which business activities are allowed. If your trip is a business trip, ask ICA before you travel.

If you need a visa

Holders of a PRC Travel Document, a HKSAR DOI or a Macao SAR Travel Permit must apply before travel. The Singapore Embassy in Beijing says you cannot apply for a visa on arrival.

All three pages add that some applications take longer. The Beijing embassy advises applying 2 to 3 weeks before travel and buying flight tickets only after approval. ICA advises applying within 30 days before arrival; the Hong Kong consulate requires online visa applications within that period. The Beijing page also suggests printing your e-Visa, and the Hong Kong consulate says airlines must see the e-Visa at check-in.

SG Arrival Card (SGAC)

The SG Arrival Card is the electronic arrival form for foreign visitors. It includes an electronic health declaration. It is not a visa.

A few details help:

• Use a valid email address. ICA sends an acknowledgement email to the address you declare, and later sends your e-Pass to the same address.
• Answer truthfully and consistently. The Chinese embassy in Singapore says to state your purpose of visit and length of stay accurately, so your answers match when officers ask you.
• Update the card if your health changes. If your health status changes after you submit, use the "Update SGAC" feature on the e-Service. ICA says false declarations may be prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act.
• The app saves your profile. ICA says the app can auto-fill your details on later trips.

Avoid fake and paid look-alike sites

ICA warns about fake websites that copy its look and may try to phish personal information, and about misleading sites that offer to submit the card for you. ICA received reports from people who thought they were using the official e-Service and were charged a processing fee. ICA says it does not support or endorse businesses that charge a fee to submit the card, and that they are not affiliated with ICA.

Official ICA addresses always contain ".ica.gov.sg". ICA's examples are https://www.ica.gov.sg/ and https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard/. If you spot a fake site, ICA asks you to report it to the Police anti-scam helpline (1800 722 6688) or at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.

What else happens at the border

The Chinese embassy in Singapore also gives the 6-month passport rule. The Singapore Embassy in Beijing says visitors need sufficient funds for the length of stay and, if applicable, a confirmed onward or return air ticket. ICA's page gives no amount for "sufficient cash" and does not say which form of onward ticket it accepts. Having a visa or an exemption does not guarantee entry: ICA officers decide at the checkpoint.

The Chinese embassy's reminder (15 August 2024) says some Chinese travellers were delayed because they had lost their documents or had not filled in the electronic arrival card on time and correctly.

Passing immigration and getting your e-Pass

Since 11 March 2022, ICA does not stamp passports. You get your Visit Pass as an e-Pass by email after you clear immigration.

If you cannot find it, use ICA's e-Pass Enquiry Portal on the SGAC e-Service platform, with either your Disembarkation/Embarkation (D/E) number or your passport details. Your D/E number is in the e-Pass, in the acknowledgement email, in the SGAC PDF you can download from the e-Service, or under "Submitted Declarations" in the MyICA Mobile app. Keep it: you also need it to apply for an extension.

Overstaying is a punishable offence in Singapore.

Automated lanes at the airport

Foreign visitors of any nationality arriving at the passenger halls can use the automated lanes. You do not need to enrol beforehand, and the lanes are free. The conditions:

• You are aged six or above.
• You hold an ICAO-compliant passport valid for at least six months.
• You meet the entry requirements above.

On a first visit, you enrol your iris, facial and fingerprint biometrics at the automated lanes. When you leave, you can clear with iris and facial. On later trips with the same passport, you can clear with iris and facial too. If iris and facial clearance does not work, ICA says you clear with fingerprints. ICA notes that the fingerprint scanner cannot accurately read fingerprints that are faint, scarred or excessively wet or dry.

Before you reach the lane, take off sunglasses, caps, face masks and other head gear that block your face or eyes. ICA also advises against coloured or patterned contact lenses.

Staying longer than 30 days

Plan to stay more than 30 days from the start? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says you need the right visa before you enter. The pages quoted here do not say which visa type suits a long stay, so ask a Singapore mission or ICA.

Need more time once you are in Singapore? ICA's "Seeking Extension of Visit Pass" page sets these rules for Short-Term Visit Pass holders. That page does not single out visa-exempt Chinese passport holders, and ICA decides each case.

• Apply online only. ICA does not accept walk-in applications.
• Apply when your pass has 14 days or less of validity left.
• Have a scan of your passport's personal-particulars page and your D/E number ready.
• ICA considers every application on a range of factors, for example your reason for staying and whether you have immediate family who are Singapore citizens or PRs. If you do have such family, you need a local sponsor: a Singapore citizen or PR who is at least 21 with a Singpass account.
• Processing is within five working days (excluding public holidays and weekends), and some applications take longer. ICA emails the result.
• Fee: S$40 if the extension takes your stay to 90 days or more from the date of entry. The same S$40 applies again for every further 90 days. For example, it applies again if the extension takes you to 180 days or more. The extension is granted only when you pay, and applications are withdrawn if payment is not made on time.
• ICA advises you to leave on or before the expiry date of your current pass.

Do not count on approval. The page says the period of extension granted is subject to ICA's assessment.

Only changing planes?

ICA says Singapore has no specific regulations or requirements for transit travellers. You count as a transit traveller if you are going on to another country without clearing Singapore arrival immigration. In that case you do not need the SG Arrival Card.

You count as entering Singapore if you leave the transit area. ICA gives two examples: collecting a ticket, or collecting baggage and checking in again for your connecting flight. ICA adds that several low-cost carriers require travellers to clear immigration to collect their onward tickets. In these cases you must meet all the entry requirements above, including the SG Arrival Card. If you are unsure, ask your airline whether you need to go through immigration.

The 96-hour Visa-Free Transit Facility does not apply to PRC ordinary passport holders. ICA lists it for certain nationalities and for selected PRC travel document holders, and says holders of ordinary, diplomatic, public affairs and service PRC passports are excluded. With a PRC ordinary passport you do not need it for a visit of up to 30 days.

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