Singapore residents can report residential address change online from Oct 1

SINGAPORE — From Oct 1, Singaporeans and permanent residents can report a change of residential address online and will no longer need to do so in person. They may do so for their overseas address as well.

Those who need to update their address can access the e-service on the website of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) using the national passcode system SingPass, and report the change within 28 days of moving to a new residence.

At the moment, all identity card (IC) holders who move to a new address in Singapore are required to report the change in person at a Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP), Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) or the ICA Building by presenting their IC and documentary evidence of their new address.

Those who move or change an overseas address are required to email ICA.

In a press release on Monday (Sept 28), ICA said that the police will stop processing change-of-address requests at NPPs and NPCs from Dec 1. Residents who are unable to transact online may visit the ICA for help.

The new e-service will be available in the four official languages and those residing in the same household can update their address in a single application. 

After reporting an address change via the e-service, a unique personal identification number or PIN will be mailed to the new residential address within three to five days for domestic mail. 

Applicants will then need to enter the PIN via the e-service for verification. After that, they will receive an instant acknowledgement of successful change. A second mail will be sent containing a sticker of their new address, which must be affixed to the back of their ICs. 

ICA said that the new address will be updated within one working day in the databases of public agencies participating in the One-Stop Address Reporting initiative.

The list of participating public agencies is as follows:

Singapore residents may also appoint proxies who are SingPass holders to submit an application on their behalf. The proxies must provide the applicant’s IC number and its date of issue to access the e-service. To complete the process, the proxies must similarly obtain and enter the PIN mailed to the applicant’s new address. 

ICA said that enforcement action will be taken against anyone who misuses the e-service. Under the National Registration Regulations, anyone who reports a false residential address may be fined of up to S$3,000 and jailed up to two years. 

Failing to affix the new address sticker to the IC is also an offence, ICA added.