Singapore eVisa vs Regular Visa, side by side.

What is the main difference between a Singapore eVisa and a regular visa?

The main difference is how the file is lodged. A Singapore eVisa is submitted online by a Singapore-registered private agent acting as your sponsor, linked electronically to your passport number and delivered as a PDF by email. A regular sticker visa is processed through a Singapore embassy or consulate and a physical sticker is placed inside your passport. The eVisa is faster and more convenient for short visits. The regular visa covers a wider set of categories including employment, student and dependent passes.

The Singapore tourist eVisa programme covers around 30 nationalities across the CIS region, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. You can check eligibility instantly on our homepage by picking your nationality. If your passport is not on the list you will need to apply for a regular visa at a Singapore embassy or consulate.

No. Singapore requires every visa file to be lodged by a local sponsor. That sponsor must be a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or a Singapore-registered company. Most travellers do not have a personal sponsor in Singapore, so they file through a registered private agent. Singapore Visa Online is a Singapore-registered private agent that acts as your sponsor and submits the application to ICA on your behalf.

A registered private agent is a Singapore-incorporated company authorised by ICA to file visa applications on behalf of travellers who do not have a personal sponsor in Singapore. The agent takes on the same sponsorship responsibility that a resident or employer would in a regular visa file. It is the standard channel for tourists and short business visitors from eligible nationalities.

For the tourist category they are equivalent. Both grant a short visit with the same maximum stay set by the immigration officer on arrival, typically up to 30 days. Both allow entry at every air, land and sea checkpoint. The sticker visa simply exists as a physical version inside your passport, while the eVisa lives as a digital record linked to your passport number and a PDF confirmation.

No. One of the biggest advantages of the eVisa is that your passport never leaves your hands. You only upload a clear scan of the bio page during the application. Our auto passport scanner reads your name, date of birth, passport number and expiry, so you do not even need to type them in by hand.

The eVisa needs a passport scan (valid at least 6 months past your return date), a passport-style photo, your travel dates and a short trip note. That is it for most tourists. A regular sticker visa typically asks for the same plus an in-person appointment, physical passport submission, bank statements, a completed Form 14A, and sometimes an invitation or sponsorship letter. Our team tells you exactly what you need before you pay.

No. For the tourist eVisa you do not need a letter of invitation or a local sponsor you know personally. Singapore Visa Online acts as your sponsoring agent. Some embassy sticker-visa categories, such as long-stay family visits, do require a formal invitation signed and verified in Singapore, but that is outside the standard tourist eVisa flow.

Some embassies collect fingerprints or run a short interview, depending on the mission and the applicant's history. The eVisa route does not require either. Everything happens remotely and ICA adjudicates the file based on the documents uploaded and the sponsor record.

Possibly. ICA sees every prior Singapore file when it reviews your application. A past refusal without resolution, or an overstay on a previous visit, can lead to a longer review or a refusal. Disclose any history honestly and upload any supporting documents. Our team reviews your file and flags risks before submission, so you do not pay for an application that is likely to fail.

The eVisa is significantly faster. Through Singapore Visa Online you can receive an approved eVisa in about 3 working days on Express, 5 working days on Priority or 8 working days on Standard. A regular sticker visa at an embassy typically takes 5 to 15 business days and often needs an in-person appointment, plus courier time if the mission is in another city.

The Singapore eVisa through a registered private agent is typically cheaper end-to-end because there are no travel, courier or appointment costs on top. An embassy sticker visa adds travel to the mission, physical submission fees, sometimes a courier return, and any appointment or service charges in your city. Our eVisa price is a single flat amount in USD with nothing added at the end.

No. The fee you pay us covers the government fee plus our Singapore-based expert review, photo formatting, sponsor filing and after-sales support. We are a private consultancy, not a government office. We always display the total USD price before checkout so there are no surprises.

Yes. Our Express tier is built for short notice and typically delivers in about 3 working days from submission. If you need faster than that, contact us on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic for your case. A regular embassy visa cannot usually be expedited to that speed.

Our service fee covers the work we do on your behalf, and the ICA government fee is not refundable once the file is submitted. If we decline to file your case before submission because of a document issue, we refund in full. Full details are on our refund policy page.

Yes. Unlike some countries that restrict electronic visas to airports, the Singapore tourist eVisa is valid at every official immigration checkpoint. That includes Changi and Seletar airports, the Woodlands and Tuas land crossings with Malaysia, and the sea terminals at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, HarbourFront and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

The Singapore tourist eVisa is valid for up to 63 days from the date of issue. That is the window in which you must enter. The maximum stay per visit is decided by the immigration officer at the checkpoint and is usually up to 29 days for short visits. The validity and stay are identical whether you use the eVisa or a regular sticker visa in the tourist category.

Extensions are possible but not automatic. They only apply if your eVisa was issued through a registered private agent such as Singapore Visa Online, and you must have a valid reason such as a medical issue, a cancelled flight or another unforeseen event. Contact us before your visa expires and we will lodge an extension request with ICA. The final decision rests with ICA.

Yes. The SG Arrival Card (SGAC) is separate from the eVisa. Every traveller must submit it within 3 days before arrival, and it is free on the official ICA portal. You can add SGAC filing as an optional add-on at checkout for a small fee and our team completes it for you, or you can file it yourself. The eVisa does not replace the SGAC.

As long as your travel falls within the 63-day validity window of your eVisa, you do not need to do anything. If your new travel dates fall outside that window, tell us as early as possible. Depending on how close you are to the expiry date, we either lodge an extension request with ICA or advise re-filing. Our support team does this often.

No. The Singapore eVisa is a short-visit visa only. It covers tourism, business meetings and social visits. To work, study or reside in Singapore you will need the appropriate pass, for example an Employment Pass, Student Pass or Dependent Pass, applied for through the regular route. These are normally sponsored by the employer or educational institution in Singapore.

A Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) is for family members, parents of Singapore residents, and certain dependents who plan to stay longer than a tourist visit allows. It is not an eVisa product. It is applied for through the regular route, with supporting documents such as marriage or birth certificates, and the sponsor is a Singapore citizen or permanent resident. LTVP holders get a physical document rather than a PDF.

It depends on your nationality and where you are transiting. Many eligible nationals can use the Visa-Free Transit Facility (VFTF) for short layovers at Changi without a Singapore visa, provided they hold a valid onward ticket and meet the scheme's conditions. If you plan to leave the airport or do not qualify for VFTF, the tourist eVisa is the right document. Check our homepage for nationality-specific details.

Not directly. The eVisa is a short-visit visa and cannot be converted on arrival. Long-term passes such as Employment Pass or Student Pass must be applied for separately and are usually filed from outside Singapore before the long-term move, with your employer or institution as the sponsor.