Foreign visitors to Singapore will soon no longer have to fill in the paper-based disembarkation/embarkation card upon arrival.
This will be replaced by an electronic arrival card, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a press statement on Wednesday, October 1.
The system will allow travellers to submit their personal information and trip details through the ICA website or via a mobile application before arriving in Singapore.
They will then only need to produce their passports for immigration clearance upon arrival. The electronic arrival card which they had filled up in advance, will then be called up by ICA’s immigration system.
The electronic arrival card will be made available in various foreign languages. Foreign visitors travelling with their families or in small groups will have the option of making a one-time group submission.
Trip information such as flight details, last port of embarkation, expected date of arrival and departure, as well as address in Singapore will be automatically replicated for all persons in the group. The mobile application will also allow travellers to save the information submitted from previous trips for use for their next trip to Singapore.
These traveller-friendly features will make the process of providing the required information much easier and more convenient.
A trial for foreign visitors to Singapore will be conducted for three months from 4 October 2018. This is to ensure the smooth implementation of the new electronic arrival card. It will be conducted at most of the air, land and sea checkpoints. They are: Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, Changi Airport, and the four cruise/ferry terminals (i.e. Singapore Cruise Centre, Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Changi Point Ferry Terminal and Changi Ferry Terminal).
Foreign visitors who arrive at these checkpoints but have not yet completed the paper-based disembarkation/embarkation card may be approached by ICA officers to participate in the trial, and to provide feedback. ICA will use the feedback to fine-tune the system and processes and achieve a better user experience.
More details of the implementation of the electronic arrival card will be announced at a later date, after completion of the trial.
