Travelling on the e-Visa
Use it within its validity, on the passport named in the application.
🇸🇾Entry rules for holders of Syrian passports
Singapore Visa for Syrian Citizens
A passport issued by Syria needs a Singapore visa approved before travel, with no published exemption for any passport category. This guide explains what ICA asks for, how Arabic records are translated, how the rule applies if you live outside Syria or hold a different travel document, and what to expect on arrival. It is an information page, not an application service.
Information only
This guide explains ICA’s published rules; it does not take applications or payments.
How long ICA takes
Three working days, not counting the submission day, by ICA’s statement; some take longer.
Form V39A
ICA lists a letter of introduction, from someone in Singapore or from your Embassy.
Document issuer matters
The rule depends on who issued your travel document, not on nationality alone.
Singapore’s rule for Syria-issued passports
Syria is among the countries ICA lists as requiring a Singapore entry visa. The requirement applies to travel documents issued by Syria: travelling on one means obtaining an approved visa first, for any short visit.
ICA’s Syria page states no exemption for diplomatic, official, service or any other passport category. Holders of those documents should therefore ask ICA how they are treated rather than assume they are exempt.
Because the rule turns on the issuing country, Syrians who travel on a different document should look at the guidance for that document. A passport from another country follows that country’s rules. A refugee travel document issued by a host country is, in ICA’s general guidance, subject to an assessment of recognition, and ICA invites travellers to contact it through its enquiry form with a copy of the biodata page and front cover.
This page is a guide to ICA’s published requirements and is for information only. It does not offer an application service or take payment, and visa and entry decisions are made by the Singapore authorities.
In this guide
ICA’s document list
Form 14A, the photograph, the passport copy and Form V39A for Syria-issued passports.
Translating Arabic records
The sources ICA accepts and what it asks you to submit alongside each translation.
Other travel documents
What to check if you travel on a passport or refugee document issued elsewhere.
From approval to arrival
The e-Visa, the Visit Pass and the SG Arrival Card explained.
Begin with the steps that rely on other people, the letter of introduction and any translations, and confirm which travel document you will use.
Which travellers and documents this covers
Each example applies ICA’s published guidance; none predicts how an application would be decided.
Syrian passport holders in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs or Latakia
A visa is required for a Syria-issued passport, and the steps in this guide apply.
Syrian passport holders living in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan or the Gulf
Residence abroad leaves the requirement unchanged for a Syria-issued passport; only the practical submission route differs.
Syrians with another nationality
If you travel on a passport issued by Germany, Sweden or any other country, follow ICA’s guidance for that passport instead.
Holders of a refugee travel document
Whether ICA recognises such a document for entry is assessed under its general guidance; use ICA’s enquiry form before planning travel on one.
Diplomatic, official and service passports
With no exemption published on the Syria page, ICA is the place to confirm how these passports are treated.
ICA’s requirements for Syria
- ICA requires a visa for any Syria-issued travel document and lists no exemption.
- Non-English documents are submitted as originals, official English translations and copies for ICA.
- Form V39A is required, signed locally or, where no local contact is available, issued by your Embassy.
- At least six months must be left on the passport when you enter Singapore.
Practical suggestions (not ICA rules)
- Decide early which travel document you will use and keep to it throughout.
- Write your name the same way on every form, translation and booking.
- Keep a complete set of copies of what you submit.
- Plan accommodation and travel that match the dates in Form 14A.
These are suggestions for a well-organised application. ICA does not require them and they do not influence its decision.
What ICA asks Syrian applicants to provide
ICA’s listed documents and its translation rule for Syria appear first. Documents ICA may require in some cases follow.
ICA requirement
Form 14A
Answer every question, then sign. ICA relies on these declarations and can ask you to produce the signed form.
ICA requirement
Colour photograph
A recent colour picture, passport format, under three months old and meeting ICA’s photo guidelines.
ICA requirement
Biodata page photocopy
A readable copy of the personal-details page; the passport must still have six months to run on your arrival date.
ICA requirement
Letter of introduction, Form V39A
ICA includes it for Syria. It may be signed by a local contact holding Singapore citizenship or permanent residence, aged at least 21 and registered with Singpass; for business visits, that signatory must represent the Singapore-registered business.
Without a local contact, your Embassy can supply the introduction letter instead; ICA accepts that for social and business visits alike.
ICA requirement for non-English records
Arabic documents and their translations
Civil records and many letters from Syria are written in Arabic. For each one you submit, ICA requires the original, an official English translation and a copy for its records.
ICA’s accepted sources for a Syrian record are Syria’s embassy and notaries public in Syria or Singapore; a privately made version qualifies after embassy attestation or notarisation by such a notary. ICA endorses no translation firm.
Practical point · not an ICA rule
Bookings that match your dates
Nothing in ICA’s Syria list refers to flights or hotels. Because ICA can still request extra supporting material, it helps to have bookings ready that agree with the dates in Form 14A.
Case by case · ICA may request
Further documents
ICA can ask for additional supporting documents, and warns that an application lacking enough documentation might not be accepted. Further Arabic records need the same translation.
Our general requirements page includes sample images of a passport scan and a suitable photograph.
See the general requirementsA full set of documents helps, but ICA can still request more, and the documents alone do not decide the application.
How a Syrian application reaches ICA
Syrian applications can be lodged online, where a strategic partner or a local contact in Singapore files them on ICA’s e-Service, or offline at the nearest Singapore Overseas Mission or with its authorised visa agent, following the mission’s published steps. The immigration counter does not accept visa applications. A suggested order:
Step 1
Confirm your travel document
Check that it was issued by Syria and stays valid six months past arrival. For any other document, check ICA’s guidance for it.
Step 2
Obtain Form V39A
From a local contact meeting ICA’s conditions, or from your Embassy.
Step 3
Translate Arabic records
Use an accepted source for each record you will include.
Step 4
Complete Form 14A
Copy your names exactly as the passport shows them in Latin script.
Step 5
Lodge through an ICA channel
Online via the e-Service (strategic partner or local contact) or in person through a Singapore mission or its agent.
Step 6
Receive the e-Visa
If approved, the e-Visa can be printed from the e-Service by whoever lodged the application.
Lodge the application within the 30 days before your arrival, per ICA’s advice, and retain copies of what you submit.
Checking a Syrian passport and photograph
Two of the following are ICA requirements: passport validity and a recent photo. Everything else is a practical suggestion.
ICA requirement
Passport
If the passport would expire within six months of your arrival, renew it before applying.
Copy the whole biodata page clearly, including the machine-readable lines.
Arabic names can be romanised in several ways, and passports issued at different times may differ. Use the spelling in the passport you will travel on.
ICA requirement
Photograph
Colour, passport-sized, taken within three months and meeting ICA’s photo guidelines, which exclude edited or enhanced images. Practical checks:
- No older than three months.
- Light, plain background.
- Whole face visible, facing forward.
- No editing.
- Clear focus and even light.
- Digital size: 400 by 514 pixels for e-Service submissions, with files of no more than 8MB.
After approval: the e-Visa and your stay
With an e-Visa you may travel to Singapore and request admission. ICA is clear that it is not an immigration pass; the length of stay is fixed on arrival.
The Visit Pass
When you are admitted, an electronic Visit Pass reaches your email with the number of days allowed, a period separate from the visa’s validity.
Admission
ICA officers decide at the checkpoint; holding an e-Visa does not guarantee entry.
Extending a visit
Should you need more time in Singapore, apply to ICA for an extension of the Short-Term Visit Pass.
Layovers
Syrian passports cannot use ICA’s Visa-Free Transit Facility. Before planning a stopover that takes you through immigration, consult ICA.
Syrian families travelling to Singapore
Family members apply individually, and relatives may hold different travel documents, each with its own rules.
One application per person
Each adult and child applies separately.
Individual travel documents
Every family member, however young, needs a travel document issued in their own name.
Mixed documents in one family
If some relatives hold Syrian passports and others hold passports or refugee documents from elsewhere, check ICA’s guidance for each document.
Arabic family records
An Arabic birth or marriage record placed in a family member’s file must carry an official English translation and be accompanied by the original and a copy.
Pitfalls worth avoiding
These points help keep an application accurate; ICA assesses every case on its own merits.
Mixing travel documents
An application on one document and a booking on another create inconsistencies. Use a single document throughout.
Different romanisations
Spellings from an older passport or an informal translation should not replace the spelling in the current passport.
Translations from unrecognised sources
Only Syria’s embassy, a notary in Syria or Singapore, or a private translation attested or notarised by them meets ICA’s rule.
No copies for ICA
ICA asks for copies to retain alongside originals and translations.
Assuming a refugee document is accepted
Acceptance of a refugee travel document is not automatic under ICA’s general guidance; ask ICA before booking.
An outdated passport number
If Form V39A was drafted from an earlier passport, update it to the current number before submission.
Business letter from a friend
Introducing a business trip is reserved for someone who represents the Singapore-registered company you are visiting.
Syrian travellers’ questions
Answers based on ICA’s published guidance. This page provides information only.
Does a Syrian passport require a Singapore visa?
Yes. Every Syria-issued travel document needs an approved visa under ICA’s Syria page, and no passport type is exempt.
I travel on a refugee travel document from my host country. What applies?
ICA assesses refugee travel documents for recognition, according to its general guidance. Write to ICA through its enquiry form, attaching copies of the biodata page and front cover, before planning the trip.
I now hold a European passport as well. Which rules apply?
Those for the passport you travel on. If it is not a Syrian passport, look up ICA’s guidance for the country that issued it.
Who can translate my Syrian civil records?
Translations by Syria’s embassy or by a notary in Syria or Singapore are accepted, and so is a private translation that has been through attestation or notarisation by one of them.
Is an Embassy letter acceptable instead of a local contact’s?
Yes, if nobody in Singapore can sign. The Syria page treats an Embassy-issued introduction letter as acceptable for both social and business trips.
I live in Istanbul. Where do I submit an application?
From Türkiye, a strategic partner or someone you know in Singapore can lodge it on ICA’s e-Service, or you can work with a Singapore mission in the region, directly or via its agent.
How quickly does ICA process applications?
By ICA’s statement, three working days after the day of submission, with longer waits in some cases.
Does the e-Visa set the length of my stay?
No. Your permitted stay is set by ICA when you enter and appears on the electronic Visit Pass; it is unrelated to how long the e-Visa remains valid.
Can I leave the airport during a layover without a visa?
No. ICA’s Visa-Free Transit Facility does not extend to Syria, so contact ICA before arranging a connection that requires immigration clearance.
Is an SG Arrival Card still required?
Yes. This free declaration is not part of the visa; every traveller who is not exempt files it within the three-day window ending on the arrival day.
Is a visa available at Singapore’s border?
No. ICA does not accept visa applications over the immigration counters.
My older passport spelled my name differently. Which spelling should I use?
The spelling in the passport you will travel on, used consistently across Form 14A, Form V39A and your bookings.
Who prints the approved e-Visa?
The local contact, strategic partner or authorised visa agent that lodged the application can print it from ICA’s e-Service.
Is this page an application service?
No. It is an information guide to ICA’s published requirements. Applications go through the ICA channels described on this page.
Planning a Syrian application
Confirm which travel document you will use and its validity, arrange Form V39A and any Arabic translations, and submit through one of ICA’s channels.