More tourists to use ICA’s new electronic arrival card system
More visitors to Singapore will be able to submit electronic arrival cards online or through a mobile application up to two weeks ahead of their arrival.
This means that they will only need to produce their passports for immigration clearance upon arrival, as Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA's) system will already have the electronic arrival cards which they submitted in advance, ICA announced yesterday.
This is part of ICA's new SG Arrival Card e-service, which is an extension of a trial ICA has been conducting since October last year.
As part of the trial, foreign visitors who did not complete the paper-based disembarkation/embarkation card can submit an electronic arrival card at the checkpoint.
The e-service on the ICA website and mobile application will allow visitors travelling via selected transport operators to submit the electronic arrival card up to 14 days in advance.
Users of the mobile application can scan their passport biodata pages and will not need to manually input their details.
The application will also save previously submitted information for use on subsequent trips to Singapore.
The trial will involve visitors travelling to Singapore on airlines AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, on coach service Transtar Travel, and ferry operators BatamFast Ferries, Bintan Resort Ferries, Horizon Fast Ferry and Majestic Fast Ferry.
All other visitors will still be required to complete the paper-based cards.
The electronic arrival card is part of ICA's efforts to enhance the immigration clearance process for foreign visitors to Singapore. By 2021, the electronic arrival card will completely replace the paper-based disembarkation/embarkation card, said ICA.
It added: "ICA will study the results of this trial and progressively extend the SG Arrival Card facility to all foreign visitors."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
