SINGAPORE: Foreign visitors travelling to Singapore using selected transport services can now submit electronic arrival cards up to 14 days before they reach the country.
This means that these visitors will need to produce only their passports for immigration clearance upon arrival — instead of filling out paper arrival cards — as their details will already be in the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA’s) system, TODAY reported
The move, announced by the ICA on Wednesday, is part of the authority’s new “SG Arrival Card” e-service, which went on trial last October, and has now been extended to visitors travelling via certain airlines, coaches and ferries.
Previously, only visitors approached by ICA officers in person upon arrival were given the option to fill in the e-arrival card, TODAY understands.
Visitors travelling with these transport companies are eligible for e-arrival cards, said ICA:
- Airlines: AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines
- Coach: Transtar Travel
- Ferries: BatamFast Ferries, Bintan Resort Ferries, Horizon Fast Ferry and Majestic Fast Ferry
All other visitors will still have to complete paper disembarkation or embarkation cards upon arrival.
The SG Arrival Card e-service is available on both the ICA’s website and as a mobile application.
Users of the mobile app can simply scan their passport biodata pages, instead of manually keying in the information, said ICA.
It added that the app can also store previously submitted information for subsequent trips to Singapore.
ICA said that the e-service is part of its move to improve the immigration clearance process for foreign visitors, adding that it plans to completely replace paper-based immigration clearance forms by 2021.
The authority said it will be studying the results of the trial and will “progressively extend” the e-service to all foreign visitors.
