Travelling on the e-Visa
Use it within its validity, and carry a printed or digital copy with the passport it was issued for.
🇮🇶Tourist visa guide for Iraqi passport holders
Singapore Visa for Iraqi Citizens
Every traveller on an Iraqi passport needs a Singapore visa before setting off, and ICA’s Iraq page includes a letter of introduction among the core documents. This guide explains who can sign that letter, what the rest of the file contains, how Arabic and Kurdish paperwork is handled, and what to expect once the visa is approved.
From $130 USD
Price per person
Each applicant pays one US dollar amount, which already contains the government visa fee alongside our charge for the service.
5–7 working days · 3–5 days
Two service speeds
Normal and express estimates for our part of the work, shown apart from ICA’s published processing time.
Entry type you request
You state the number of entries you would like. What is granted, and for how long, is for the Singapore authorities.
Letter of introduction
ICA lists Form V39A for Iraqi applicants, so the sponsor question comes first.
How Singapore treats an Iraqi passport
ICA includes Iraq in its list of visa-required countries. The requirement is attached to the passport itself: if Iraq issued the document you will travel on, a visa must be approved before the journey, whatever the purpose of a short visit.
Unlike the pages ICA publishes for some other nationalities, the Iraq page names no passport category as exempt. It says nothing about diplomatic, official or service passports. Anyone holding one of those should put the question to ICA directly rather than assume an exemption exists, and this guide is written for the ordinary passport.
The feature that sets Iraqi applications apart is the letter of introduction. ICA’s Iraq page places Form V39A in its main document list, so the first practical question is not the hotel or the flight but who in Singapore, or which Embassy, will introduce you.
Our part is to organise the paperwork, review it against ICA’s list and our own checklist, and submit it through a recognised route. The Singapore authorities alone approve visas and decide admission at the border.
What our work involves
Sponsor letter review
We compare Form V39A with your application so that names, passport numbers and travel dates agree line by line.
Requirement labels
Every item on the checklist is marked as ICA’s requirement, a case-by-case request, or a standard that belongs to us.
Spelling consistency
Names written in Arabic or Kurdish script are checked against the Latin spelling printed in the passport.
Lodging and follow-up
The finished file goes to ICA by an accepted route, and the decision is passed on to you by email.
In short: settle the letter of introduction early, keep every name identical to the passport, and leave enough time inside ICA’s 30-day window for anything extra ICA may request.
Who this Iraqi guide is written for
This guide covers ordinary Iraqi passport holders making a social, family or tourist visit to Singapore. The examples below show how ICA’s published rules apply to common situations. They do not predict any decision.
Residents of Baghdad, Basra, Mosul and elsewhere in Iraq
You need a visa, and every section of this page applies. Where you live inside Iraq does not change the requirement.
Travellers from the Kurdistan Region
An Iraqi passport issued to someone living in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah or Duhok is still a travel document issued by Iraq, so the same visa rule and the same document list apply.
Iraqis living abroad
Living in Jordan, Türkiye, the Gulf or Europe on an Iraqi passport does not lift the requirement. It may change which Singapore Overseas Mission or authorised agent is nearest, but not whether a visa is needed.
Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports
ICA’s Iraq page states no exemption for these categories. Ask ICA how your passport is treated before making plans.
Business visitors
For meetings or negotiations, ICA requires the local contact to be acting on behalf of the Singapore-registered business you are visiting.
What ICA sets out
- A visa is required for travel documents issued by Iraq; no passport category is listed as exempt.
- Six clear months of passport validity are needed, counted from your entry date.
- Form V39A is part of ICA’s list, issued by a local contact or, failing that, by your Embassy.
- Applications cannot be made at the immigration counter on arrival; the visa must be approved first.
Standards we add
- A hotel booking that meets our checklist, together with confirmed travel in and out of Singapore.
- A cross-check of Form V39A against the application before anything is submitted.
- Our prices and service estimates exactly as shown on this page.
- Our cancellation and refund rules.
Our standards are there to make the file clear and consistent. They have no bearing on how ICA weighs it, and meeting them does not secure a visa or entry.
The Iraqi file, document by document
The first four items come straight from ICA’s Iraq page. Requests ICA can make in particular cases follow, and our own booking standard, which is not an ICA rule, comes last.
ICA requirement
Form 14A, signed by you
ICA bases the application on what you declare in this form and may ask for the signed form itself. Answer every question, sign it, and keep it where you can find it quickly.
ICA requirement
A passport-sized colour photograph
Taken within the last three months and meeting ICA’s photo guidelines. An older photo, even a good one, does not qualify.
ICA requirement
A copy of the passport biodata page
The data page showing your photo, name, date of birth and passport number, from a passport that still has six months to run when you arrive.
ICA requirement
Form V39A, the letter of introduction
ICA lists this form for Iraqi applicants. It can come from a local contact, meaning a Singapore citizen or PR who is 21 or older and holds a Singpass account.
For a business visit, the person signing has to represent the Singapore-registered company you are meeting. Where nobody in Singapore can sign, ICA will take an Embassy-issued letter instead, for social as well as business trips.
Case by case · ICA may request
Further supporting documents
ICA’s Iraq page says that additional supporting documents may be needed case by case. It does not list them in advance, so supply what is asked for when it is asked for.
Case by case · Arabic and Kurdish records
Records not written in English
Iraqi civil records may be in Arabic, Kurdish or both. The Iraq page sets no translation requirement, and none of the four core items above normally involves one.
If ICA asks for a supporting record that is not in English, ask ICA in what form it should be provided before arranging a translation. We do not assume that every Arabic or Kurdish document must be translated, or that one will never be needed.
Our submission standard
Hotel and travel bookings
Our checklist asks for a hotel booking covering three nights or longer, at a property with a rating of three stars or above, plus confirmed onward and return travel. Private rentals such as Airbnb, or staying with your host, do not take the place of the hotel booking under our standard.
Our requirements page shows labelled samples of a passport biodata page and an acceptable photograph.
Open the complete requirements listICA may request more information on any file. A complete document list helps, but no single item decides the outcome.
What Iraqi applicants pay
Each price is a single US dollar amount per applicant. It includes the ICA government visa fee and our professional service charge, which are not shown as separate amounts. Choose a row for the entry type and a column for the service speed.
| Requested entry type | Normal service5–7 working days | Express service3–5 days |
|---|---|---|
| Single-entry | $130 USD | $180 USD |
| Double-entry | $140 USD | $190 USD |
| Multiple-entry | $170 USD | $220 USD |
USD per applicant
Notes on these prices
- Three relatives travelling together are three applicants, so three prices apply.
- The entry type you pick is what you ask for. The Singapore authorities decide what is issued and on what terms.
- These are our all-inclusive prices, not a breakdown of government charges.
How long each stage takes
There are two clocks. ICA publishes its own processing time, which starts once an application has been submitted. Our normal and express estimates cover our handling from the moment your file is complete. Neither is a promise of a particular date.
Normal service
Our handling estimate
5–7 working days
Suits applicants whose letter of introduction is already signed and whose passport has plenty of validity left.
Express service
Our handling estimate
3–5 days
Shortens our handling time for a higher price. ICA’s own processing is unchanged.
ICA’s statement
ICA’s figure is three working days, with the submission day left out of the count. ICA also says some cases run longer and that each is judged on its own merits.
Waiting for the sponsor
Time spent waiting for a local contact or an Embassy to sign Form V39A falls before both clocks start. Ask for the letter early.
The 30-day advice
ICA’s advice is to submit no earlier than 30 days ahead of arrival. Have the file ready before that point so it can go in as soon as the window opens.
Requests for more
If ICA asks for further documents, the time needed to obtain them is added on top.
Six stages from sponsor letter to e-Visa
There are two official routes. Online, a strategic partner or a Singapore-based local contact files the application on ICA’s e-Service. Overseas, you can go to a Singapore Overseas Mission or its authorised visa agent, following the procedure on that mission’s website. ICA does not take visa applications at the immigration counter. Our sequence is below.
Stage 1
Secure the letter of introduction
Ask your local contact to complete Form V39A, or, if there is none, ask your Embassy. Check that the details match your passport.
Stage 2
Check the passport
Confirm that it is an ordinary Iraqi passport valid for at least six months after the day you plan to arrive.
Stage 3
Complete Form 14A
One form per traveller. Copy each name letter for letter from the passport’s English-script fields.
Stage 4
Our review
We compare the passport copy, photograph, Form 14A, Form V39A and bookings, and email you about anything that needs correcting.
Stage 5
Payment
Your total depends on the entry type and service speed selected in the application.
Stage 6
Submission and the e-Visa
We lodge the application. Approval comes as an e-Visa, and ICA says whoever filed it (local contact, strategic partner or authorised visa agent) can print it from the e-Service.
Keep a single folder, on your phone and on paper, with your passport copy, the e-Visa, Form V39A and the emails about your application.
Apply OnlinePassport expiry and photo standards for Iraqi applicants
ICA sets the six-month validity rule and the three-month photograph rule. The additional checks listed are part of our own review.
ICA requirement
Passport
Count six months on from the day you expect to land. A passport that expires before that point needs renewing before you apply.
Scan the biodata page whole and flat, so that the photo, the passport number, the issue and expiry dates and the machine-readable lines are all legible.
If your passport was replaced, use the new number everywhere, including in Form V39A, which your sponsor may have prepared from an older copy.
ICA requirement
Photograph
ICA wants a recent colour photo in passport format that follows its photo guidelines, without any alteration or enhancement. Our own review adds:
- Date: taken in the last three months.
- Background: plain and light-coloured.
- Face: fully visible, facing the camera, eyes open.
- Editing: no filters, retouching or changes to facial features.
- Sharpness: in focus, with even lighting and no glare.
Once the e-Visa is approved
Think of the e-Visa as clearance to make the journey and present yourself at immigration. Permission to stay is a separate grant made at the checkpoint.
How long you may stay
ICA states that the period of stay is not tied to the visa. It is set by the electronic Visit Pass issued on entry and sent to you by email.
At the checkpoint
Admission is decided by ICA officers when you arrive; an approved e-Visa is not a guarantee of entry.
Changing planes in Singapore
ICA’s Visa-Free Transit Facility covers a short list of nationalities, and Iraq is not one of them. This page offers no transit arrangement, so ask ICA before planning to go landside during a connection.
Iraqi families travelling together
When relatives travel together, several applications may share one sponsor in Singapore. Each person still has their own file.
One application per traveller
Parents, grandparents and children each apply separately, and each is priced as one applicant.
A passport for every child
Children need passports of their own. ICA accepts only individually issued travel documents, at any age, and does not accept collective ones.
One sponsor, consistent letters
When one relative in Singapore introduces the whole family, check that each Form V39A names the right person and the same travel dates.
Family records
Birth or marriage certificates are not on ICA’s core list. If ICA asks for one and it is in Arabic or Kurdish, check with ICA how it should be provided.
Shared bookings
Hotel nights and flights should agree across every family member’s application.
Points we check in every Iraqi file
These are preparation issues we look for before submission. ICA considers each application on its own merits, so this list is about avoiding errors, not explaining outcomes.
A shortened name
An Iraqi name in a passport may include a father’s and grandfather’s name. Copy the full name exactly as printed; do not shorten it on the form or the bookings.
Different Latin spellings
Names such as Hussein, Husain or Hussain can be spelled several ways in English. The passport’s version is the one to use everywhere.
A sponsor letter that does not match
Form V39A prepared from an old passport copy, or with different travel dates, creates an inconsistency. Check it against the application before submission.
A business letter from the wrong person
A letter for business meetings has to come from someone representing the Singapore-registered company. A letter from a personal friend does not meet that condition.
Assuming an exemption
ICA’s Iraq page lists no exempt passport category. Do not rely on an official or service passport without checking with ICA.
Applying too late
With ICA’s three-working-day statement and the possibility of extra requests, leave a margin before your flight.
Cancelling an Iraqi application
Here is a short version of how cancellations work for tourist visa applications; the complete terms are on the Refund Policy page.
Before submission to ICA
Cancelling before we submit
If you cancel before we submit your application to ICA, a cancellation fee of USD $50 applies per applicant and application.
The fee is deducted from the amount you paid, and the remaining eligible amount is refunded, subject to applicable law.
After submission to ICA
Once the application is submitted
After submission to ICA, the paid visa service fee is non-refundable, subject to applicable law.
A refusal does not by itself make a submitted application refundable.
If you believe a payment was duplicated or charged incorrectly, contact us so that we can review it. Legally required refunds and billing errors are handled separately.
Nothing in these rules limits statutory consumer rights that cannot be waived.
Iraqi travellers ask
Short answers on Iraqi applications, each identifying whether ICA’s published information or our own practice is the basis.
Does an Iraqi passport need a visa for Singapore?
Yes. According to ICA’s Iraq page, any travel document Iraq issues needs a visa, and no passport category is named as exempt.
I have no friends or relatives in Singapore. Who signs Form V39A?
Your Embassy can issue it. ICA’s Iraq page accepts an Embassy letter of introduction, for social and business visits, when no local contact is available. No other substitute is described, so secure one of the two before you apply.
I live in the Kurdistan Region. Are the rules different?
Not on ICA’s Iraq page. The requirement follows the Iraqi passport, so the same visa rule and document list apply wherever in Iraq you live.
Must my Arabic or Kurdish documents be translated?
There is no translation rule on ICA’s Iraq page. The core documents are ICA’s own forms, your passport copy and your photograph. If ICA asks for a further record that is not in English, ask ICA what form of translation it needs.
Can my business partner in Singapore sign the letter for a business trip?
Only if they represent the Singapore-registered company you are visiting and meet ICA’s conditions for a local contact: Singapore citizen or PR, aged 21 or above, holding Singpass.
Can I get the visa when I land in Singapore?
No. ICA does not accept visa applications at the immigration counter. Approval must be in place before you board.
I live in the UAE on an Iraqi passport. Can I apply from there?
The requirement does not change. From the UAE you can still use ICA’s e-Service through a strategic partner or local contact, or approach a Singapore Overseas Mission in the region or its authorised agent, whose website sets out the procedure.
How long does ICA take?
ICA’s published figure is three working days, not counting submission day, and some files take longer. Our normal and express estimates measure only the time we spend on your file.
Does the visa decide how many days I can stay?
No. The stay is set on the electronic Visit Pass you receive at the checkpoint. ICA says the visa’s validity does not determine it.
Can I leave the airport on a layover without a visa?
Iraqi passports are not covered by ICA’s Visa-Free Transit Facility, and this page describes no visa-free stopover. Ask ICA before booking a connection that involves leaving the airport.
Do I still need the SG Arrival Card with an e-Visa?
Yes. The SG Arrival Card is a free declaration, separate from the visa. Apart from narrow exemptions, everyone entering submits it, in the three-day period that ends on, and includes, the day you arrive.
Can I cancel an Iraqi application once it is paid?
Before submission to ICA, a USD $50 cancellation fee applies per applicant and application, and the remaining eligible amount is refunded, subject to applicable law. After submission, the paid visa service fee is non-refundable, subject to applicable law.
Preparing your Iraqi application
Start with the letter of introduction, confirm your passport has six clear months left, and review the prices and estimates before you begin.
Check the document requirementsApply Online