Planning a holiday? Check your passport expiry date early to avoid last minute rush

SINGAPORE – With the June holidays approaching, those planning to travel overseas have been advised to check the expiry date on their passports, and to apply for a new passport early, if necessary, so as to avoid the last minute rush.

Many countries require a passport to be valid for at least six months as part of their entry requirements, noted the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) on Monday (April 25). “If your passport has less than six months’ validity, you are reminded to apply for a new passport to avoid any inconvenience to your overseas trip.”

Applying for a new passport early could also prevent unnecessary stress should there be a delay in the process, for instance when the photo submitted is not accepted or there are unfilled fields in the online application.

There are three ways to apply for a passport:

1) Submit an application via APPLES (Application for Passport On-Line Electronic System) through the ICA website (http://www.ica.gov.sg), or use the self-service kiosk at eLobby@ICA to access APPLES.

2) Mail the completed application form to ICA Building (Passports Unit), 10 Kallang Road #08-00, Singapore 208718.

3) Drop the completed application form in the deposit boxes at Levels 1, 2 and 3 or outside the ICA building.

Applicants will be notified when their passports are ready. They can then make an appointment for collection at the counter of ICA building or self-collect at the iCollect at eLobby@ICA. Eligible applicants can also collect their passports at selected Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) outlets.