Entering Singapore: visa-free entry on a PRC passport, the arrival card and what to bring

The visa-free rule for ordinary PRC passports, the SG Arrival Card to submit before arrival, how to enter once you hold an in-principle approval letter, and what to bring to sit the AEIS.

Verified 2026-10-31 Changes often

This answers one question: how to get into Singapore. The status for studying is a separate matter, covered in Student’s Pass. It follows ICA and MOE pages as of 31 October 2026.

Visa: ordinary PRC passports are exempt for 30 days

ICA’s release says holders of ordinary PRC passports are exempt from visa requirements for a stay of up to 30 days in Singapore with effect from 9 February 2024. It states no conditions other than the passport type and the 30-day limit.
Holders of other PRC travel documents must still apply for an entry visa.
ICA’s visa guidelines page says all travellers, regardless of age, must hold a valid individually issued travel document. Your child needs their own passport.
The exemption was announced in 2024 and the visa guidelines page does not repeat it, so check ICA’s page again before you leave. The final decision on entry is the immigration officer’s at the checkpoint.

Before arrival: the SG Arrival Card

Every traveller must submit the SG Arrival Card (SGAC) with an electronic health declaration within 3 days before arrival, counting the arrival day. For a 30 June arrival you can start on 28 June.
Submit it in the SGAC e-Service or the free MyICA mobile app. It is free, and ICA does not endorse commercial entities that charge a fee to submit it for you.
One submission covers up to 3 trips, and you update it if your health status changes after submitting.
A false declaration is an offence.
Holders of a Student’s, Dependant’s, Long-Term Visit or Work Pass submit only the health declaration.

Sitting the AEIS in Singapore

MOE says the AEIS tests are held in Singapore and candidates bring:

a copy of the passport bio-data page;
the entry proof issued by SEAB.

Candidates sit at their desks at least 15 minutes before the test. The 2026 tests ran from 1 to 3 September; see AEIS.

After the in-principle approval letter: entry and formalities

ICA’s formalities page says:

Log in to the ICA e-Service and finish all tasks before the in-principle approval (IPA) expires. If it expires, you must apply again.
The IPA is not an immigration pass and does not grant a legal stay. Present it at the checkpoint; an officer decides whether to grant a Visit Pass.
Do not arrive more than 1 month before the course starts.
Check your Visit Pass expiry, and apply for an extension if you cannot finish formalities before it expires.
After you pay the issuance fee, download the ICA letter that says whether you must attend in person. If not, download the digital Student’s Pass directly with no appointment. If you must, attend at the time and place your school arranged, or book an e-Appointment at the ICA Services Centre for biometric enrolment.
The digital pass is retrieved through FileSG.

ICA also advises applying for the Student’s Pass before you arrive, because your stay cannot be extended while the application is processed.

Common mistakes

Treating the 30-day visa exemption as a study status: it is for short visits.
Arriving too early: not more than 1 month before the course starts.
Forgetting that the child needs their own passport.
Submitting the arrival card through a paid agent: it is free from ICA.

Next steps

Read Start here to place entry within the whole process.
For the parent who stays, read Accompanying parent.

FAQ

Do we need a visa to go to Singapore on a Chinese passport?

ICA’s 2024 release says holders of ordinary PRC passports are exempt from visa requirements for stays of up to 30 days in Singapore, with effect from 9 February 2024. Holders of other PRC travel documents must still apply for an entry visa. The visa guidelines page does not repeat the exemption, so check ICA’s entry pages again before you travel.

What do we have to do before arrival?

Every traveller submits the SG Arrival Card with an electronic health declaration within 3 days before arrival, counting the arrival day. It is free and done online or in the MyICA app. ICA does not endorse commercial entities that charge a fee to submit it for you.

Is a child who is going to study also limited to 30 days visa-free?

The exemption is for short visits. Studying needs a Student’s Pass. With an in-principle approval letter you present it at the checkpoint and an officer decides whether to grant a Visit Pass.

Is the in-principle approval letter the same as a pass?

No. ICA says it is not an immigration pass and does not grant a legal stay. Do not arrive more than 1 month before the course starts.

What do we bring to sit the AEIS?

MOE says to bring a copy of the passport bio-data page and the entry proof issued by SEAB, and to sit at the assigned desk at least 15 minutes before the test.

Sources

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