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Singapore discontinues passport stamps for short-term visitors, will issue e-Pass instead

SINGAPORE — Foreign visitors on short-term visit passes will no longer have their passports stamped when they enter Singapore, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Friday (March 11).

Electronic visit passes will be sent to the email addresses provided by travellers in their arrival cards after they clear immigration.

Electronic visit passes will be sent to the email addresses provided by travellers in their arrival cards after they clear immigration.

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SINGAPORE — Foreign visitors on short-term visit passes will no longer have their passports stamped when they enter Singapore, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Friday (March 11).

They will be issued with electronic visit passes (e-Passes) in lieu of inked endorsements.

The move is “part of ICA’s efforts to provide a more secure, safer and more seamless immigration clearance as Singapore gradually reopens its borders”, the authority said in a news release.

Electronic passes have been issued at Changi Airport since October 2021, and they will be issued at all checkpoints from Friday.

The passes will be sent to the email addresses provided by travellers in their arrival cards after they clear immigration. They will contain the details of the visit pass granted, including the maximum number of days of stay and the last day of stay allowed in Singapore.

In support of the initiative, ICA has launched an enquiry portal where visitors can check their short-term visit pass records.

“With the full implementation of the e-Pass, all foreign visitors on short-term visit pass will no longer have to worry about the lack of pages in their passports to accommodate immigration stamps,” ICA said.

“They will also have the convenience of retrieving their e-Pass information via ICA’s e-Pass Enquiry Portal on the SG Arrival Card e-Service platform at any time.”

ICA said that the implementation of the e-Pass initiative is a key part of its shift towards automated immigration clearance.

“The e-Pass is one of the building blocks for ICA’s New Clearance Concept (NCC). The NCC, which would be operationalised at our checkpoints from 2023, will automate immigration clearance for all travellers,” the authority said.

“The e-Pass supports our NCC plans by removing the need for travellers to obtain inked endorsements, thus providing more secure, safer and more seamless immigration clearance for travellers."

For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.

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