The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) would like to remind all travellers, including Singapore residents [1] , that it is a requirement to submit the SG Arrival Card before arriving in Singapore. [2]
Background on SG Arrival Card
2. The SG Arrival Card is part of ICA’s move towards paperless immigration clearance under the New Clearance Concept. It replaces the paper-based disembarkation/embarkation card that foreign visitors were required to submit to ICA upon arrival at our checkpoints.
3. During the fight against COVID-19, ICA included the electronic health declaration function in the SG Arrival Card, which is required for all travellers, including Singapore residents, and implemented it in March 2020. This allowed travellers to submit both their arrival details and health declaration online before entering Singapore. The information submitted by travellers was integrated with ICA’s border clearance system, which allowed ICA to notify travellers on the Stay-Home Notice (SHN) requirements ahead of their arrival in Singapore, as well as support Singapore’s contact tracing efforts.
With opening of borders, travellers still required to submit the SG Arrival Card
4. While travel restrictions had eased since April 2022, the following categories of travellers are still required to submit the SG Arrival Card. This is because the health declaration function remains an additional precautionary measure to mitigate the risk of importation of diseases of concern (e.g. Yellow Fever and Ebola) into Singapore.
5. Due to the high volume of traffic and daily commuting for employment and studies, Singapore residents are exempted from submitting the SG Arrival Card if they are returning to Singapore via the land checkpoints. They will have to do so if they enter Singapore via the sea and air checkpoints.
6. Travellers can submit their SG Arrival Card within three days (including the day of arrival) before arriving in Singapore via ICA’s website or MyICA Mobile application [3] . They must re-submit their health declaration if there are changes to their health condition or travel history before arriving in Singapore. Those who make false declarations will be liable for prosecution under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Travellers should submit SG Arrival Card prior to arrival via the MyICA Mobile application
7. To avoid being inconvenienced at our checkpoints on arrival, all travellers should submit their SG Arrival Card via the MyICA Mobile application prior to arrival into Singapore. It takes less than three minutes for Singapore residents, and approximately five to seven minutes for foreigners to submit the SG Arrival Card. Travellers who do not submit the SG Arrival Card before arrival will be asked to do so and to re-join the queue for immigration clearance.
8. Travellers are strongly encouraged to submit the SG Arrival Card via the MyICA Mobile application to avoid being misled by commercial entities and websites providing such services for a fee. Travellers who use the MyICA Mobile application can create and store their profile for subsequent trips. Singapore residents will also have the information of their profile auto populated from ICA database. With the profile created, travellers will just need to update their trip details and health declaration for subsequent trips.
9. ICA would also like to reiterate that the submission of SG Arrival Card on our official platforms is free of charge. We do not support or endorse commercial entities and websites that provide paid services to assist travellers in the submission of the SG Arrival Card. Should travellers decide to engage such service providers or any entity offering similar services, ICA will not be held liable or accountable in any way for any loss suffered as a result of such engagement.
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
21 DECEMBER 2022
[1] MyICA Mobile application can be downloaded for free from either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
[2] Singapore residents include Singapore citizens, permanent residents and Long-Term Pass (LTP) holders (i.e. Student’s Pass, Dependant’s Pass, Work Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass Holders).
[3] Travellers exempted from submitting the SG Arrival Card are: (i) those transiting/transferring through Singapore without seeking immigration clearance and (ii) Singapore residents travelling through the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.
