Singapore pilots electronic arrival card

With the new electronic arrival card, foreign visitors can submit their personal information and trip details through the ICA website or via a mobile application before arriving in Singapore. The travellers will then need to produce only their passports for immigration clearance when they arrive. (Source: straitstimes.com)

Singapore (VNA) – The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore on October 4 launched an electronic arrival card (EAC) for foreign visitors who arrive in the country via all air, land and sea checkpoints.

According to the ICA announcement, the trial will last for three months before the country stops the use of the paper-based disembarkation/embarkation card.

During the trial period, 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 provide feedback.

When the electronic arrival card is fully implemented, travellers can submit their personal information and trip details through the ICA website or via a mobile application before arriving in Singapore.

The travellers will then need to produce only their passports for immigration clearance upon arrival.

The EAC will be available in various languages, and those travelling in families or small groups can choose to make a one-time group submission. Some information such as last port of embarkation as well as address in Singapore will be automatically replicated for all in the group.

The mobile app will also save information from previous trips for use during the next trip to Singapore.

"The electronic arrival card will enhance operational efficiency and is a significant step towards ICA's vision of paperless immigration clearance, and save up to 48 million paper-based disembarkation/embarkation cards a year," said the authority.-VNA