- Transit passengers who stay in the transit area need no visa and no SG Arrival Card, as at October 2026.
- Transit means connecting without clearing immigration; Changi also requires one booking and bags tagged through to the final destination.
- Collecting bags or leaving the transit area brings ordinary entry rules, and the 96-hour Visa-Free Transit Facility covers two named groups.
A connecting passenger at Changi Airport follows the directional signs to the next gate and passes through security screening on the way. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) says Singapore is open to all transit travellers, with ‘no specific regulations or requirements’, as at October 2026. That holds for passengers who never clear arrival immigration. Anyone who does clear it meets the ordinary entry rules.
Do you need a visa to transit through Singapore?
A passenger who stays in the transit area does not need a Singapore visa. ICA’s statement covers travellers who remain there, and it does not extend to anyone who clears immigration.
A passenger who clears immigration meets the entry rules that apply to their travel document. ICA publishes a list of the countries and places whose travel documents need a visa. The list, last updated on 25 June 2026, does not include the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia. Australian travellers therefore fall outside the visa-required list. ICA also states that visa-required travellers can use the Visa-Free Transit Facility, covered below, if they are eligible.
What counts as transiting through Singapore?
ICA defines transit travellers as those travelling to another country via Singapore, ‘without clearing Singapore arrival immigration’. Changi Airport adds two conditions. Both flights must be on the same booking itinerary, and checked luggage must be ‘tagged-through from the origin airport to their final destination’.
With an onward boarding pass, passengers follow the directional signs to the boarding gate. Without one, they go to the transfer desk area to obtain the pass, then follow the signs to the gate. Either way, security screening comes before the gate.
Some bookings take a passenger out of transit. ICA does not count a traveller as in transit when the booking requires entering Singapore to collect tickets or baggage and check in again. ICA notes that several low-cost carriers require travellers to clear immigration to collect onward tickets. Changi Airport says such passengers must meet all public health and entry criteria.
ICA advises connecting passengers who are unsure to ask their airline whether they must clear immigration or can stay in the transit area.
Do transit passengers need the SG Arrival Card?
No, provided they do not seek immigration clearance. ICA requires all travellers to submit the SG Arrival Card before arriving in Singapore, except people transiting or transferring without seeking immigration clearance.
The exception turns on the booking. A passenger whose itinerary forces them through immigration to collect tickets or bags is not in transit, so the card applies. ICA states that submission is free and falls within three days before arrival, counting the day of arrival.
What changes if you leave the transit area?
Leaving the transit area brings the full entry requirements. ICA requires a valid individually-issued travel document for every traveller, regardless of age, and does not accept collective travel documents. Every traveller except a Singapore passport holder needs a passport valid for at least six months.
Short-term visitors should also hold sufficient cash and proof of onward travel, such as tickets or visas. ICA gives no amount for the cash. The SG Arrival Card, described above, is part of the same set of requirements.
Yellow fever rules apply at arrival. Travellers who were in a country with risk of yellow fever transmission in the six days before arrival must show a valid vaccination certificate to the ICA officer. The rule includes people who spent more than 12 hours in airport transit in such a country. Travellers without a certificate are liable to six days of quarantine from the date of departure from that country.
Passengers who need rest and do not want to enter Singapore have another option. Changi Airport lists transit hotels where a passenger can book a room ‘without having to clear immigration’.
Who can use the Visa-Free Transit Facility?
The facility allows an eligible transit traveller to stay up to 96 hours. ICA states that extension is strictly not allowed. ICA officers still assess the prevailing entry requirements at the point of entry, so the facility is not an automatic right of entry.
ICA names two groups. The conditions differ, so each is set out here as ICA lists it.
Group one is nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine. They need a valid onward air ticket leaving Singapore within 96 hours. They can enter by any mode of transport but must leave by air.
Group two is nationals of India and holders of the PRC Travel Document, the Hong Kong SAR Document of Identity or the Macao SAR Travel Permit. Holders of ordinary, diplomatic, public affairs or service PRC passports are excluded. This group needs a valid onward air, ferry or cruise ticket leaving within 96 hours. It also needs a valid visa or long-term pass, valid for at least one month from the date of entry. The visa or pass must be issued by, or good for entry into, one of eight countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States. This group can enter by any mode of transport but must leave by air or sea.
ICA adds a rule for single-journey visas, which it abbreviates as SJV. A holder can still be granted the facility on the return leg. The traveller must go directly from the issuing country through Singapore to their home country. They must not have returned home after last using the visa.
Frequently asked questions about transiting through Singapore
Do I need a transit visa for Singapore?
A transit visa is not needed for a passenger who stays in the transit area at Changi Airport. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) says Singapore is open to all transit travellers with no specific regulations or requirements. A passenger who clears immigration meets the entry rules for their travel document. Eligible nationals of two named groups can use the 96-hour Visa-Free Transit Facility. ICA officers still assess entry requirements on arrival.
Is the Singapore arrival card required for transit?
The SG Arrival Card is not required for a passenger who transits or transfers without seeking immigration clearance. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) lists that group as an exception to the rule that all travellers submit the card before arriving. A passenger who must clear immigration is not in transit and submits the card. One example is a passenger who must collect tickets or baggage and check in again. Submission is free.
What is the Visa-Free Transit Facility in Singapore?
The Visa-Free Transit Facility is an arrangement that lets eligible transit travellers stay in Singapore for up to 96 hours. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) names two groups of nationals, with different ticket and visa conditions. Extension of stay is strictly not allowed. ICA officers assess the prevailing entry requirements at the point of entry, and the facility does not guarantee entry.
Do I need a visa for a layover in Singapore?
A layover spent in the transit area needs no Singapore visa. A layover that includes leaving the airport brings the ordinary entry rules. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) publishes a list of countries and places whose travel documents need a visa. The list does not include the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia. Travellers also need a passport valid for six months and proof of onward travel.
Can I stay in a hotel without clearing immigration?
A passenger can stay in a hotel without clearing immigration at Changi Airport’s transit hotels. Changi Airport lists these hotels as places to book a room without having to clear immigration. The Transiting Guide groups these hotels with pay-per-use lounges, free-to-use rest areas and shower and spa services as places to rest between flights. A passenger who leaves the transit area for a city hotel clears immigration and meets the entry rules.
Sources
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: Transiting Through Singapore
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: SG Arrival Card (SGAC) with Electronic Health Declaration
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: Visa Free Transit Facility
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: Entering Singapore
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: Check if You Need an Entry Visa
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate
- Changi Airport Group: Transiting Guide
Reviewed and updated by Jarrod Partridge, 5 October 2026.
