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Electronic arrival cards for visitors to Singapore, trial starts Oct 4

SINGAPORE — Instead of paper-based disembarkation/embarkation cards that have to be filled up upon arrival, foreign visitors to Singapore will soon be able to provide their personal details and trip information electronically prior to their arrival.

Foreign visitors to Singapore will in future be able to fill up an electronic arrival card in advance via a website or an app, presenting only their passports when they arrive in the Republic.

Foreign visitors to Singapore will in future be able to fill up an electronic arrival card in advance via a website or an app, presenting only their passports when they arrive in the Republic.

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SINGAPORE — Instead of paper-based disembarkation/embarkation cards that have to be filled up upon arrival, foreign visitors to Singapore will soon be able to provide their personal details and trip information electronically prior to their arrival.

A three-month trial for the new electronic cards will start on Thursday (Oct 4) at Changi Airport, the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints and the four cruise/ferry terminals (the Singapore Cruise Centre, Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Changi Point Ferry Terminal and Changi Ferry Terminal).

With the new electronic arrival card, foreign visitors will need to present only their passports upon arrival in Singapore.

The launch of the new cards will enhance operational efficiency and save up to 48 million paper-based disembarkation/embarkation cards a year, said the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday (Oct 3). This is a "significant step towards ICA's vision of paperless immigration clearance", it added, saying the electronic cards are slated to eventually replace the paper-based cards.

Foreigners arriving at the checkpoints and who have not completed the paper arrival cards may be asked to take part in the trial and provide feedback on it. The trial will not affect Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning to Singapore, as they do not need to submit any card.

HOW IT WORKS

  • Before they arrive, foreign travellers to Singapore can fill up their personal particulars and pertinent trip information such as their flight and accommodation details via the ICA website or a mobile app.

  • When they arrive in Singapore, they need to present only their passport for immigration clearance.

  • The electronic arrival card that they filled up in advance will then be called up by ICA's immigration system.

TRAVELLER-FRIENDLY FEATURES

The electronic arrival card comes with several new features that will make it easier and more convenient for foreign travellers to provide the required information:

  • The electronic arrival card will be made available in various foreign languages.

  • Visitors travelling with their families or in small groups can choose to make a one-time group submission, where trip information such as flight details, arrival and departure dates and local addresses will be automatically replicated for all persons in the group.

  • The mobile app will also allow travellers to save the information submitted from previous trips for use on their next trip to Singapore.

 

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