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All foreigners entering Singapore on short-term visit passes will no longer have their passport stamped.

Instead, they will be issued electronic visit passes (e-Pass).

This is part of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority's (ICA) efforts to provide a "more secure, safer and more seamless immigration clearance" as Singapore gradually reopens its borders, the agency said in a press release on Mar. 12.

e-Pass provides greater convenience

e-Passes were first issued at Changi Airport in October 2021, but their issuance has been progressively extended to all checkpoints from Mar. 11.

Inked short-term visit pass endorsements on passports will gradually cease.

e-Passes will be issued to the email address that foreign visitors have declared in the SG Arrival Card after clearing immigration.

It will contain details of the visit pass granted, including the maximum number of day(s) of stay and the last day of stay allowed in Singapore.

The e-Pass will ensure that foreign visitors no longer need to worry about running out of pages for immigration stamps in their passports.

Retrieving their e-Pass information can also be done conveniently, via ICA’s e-Pass Enquiry Portal on the SG Arrival Card e-Service platform.

Foreign visitors simply need to input the Disembarkation/Embarkation (DE) number issued to them through the portal after they have submitted their SG Arrival Card application.

Proxy email address for family members without email accounts

ICA reminded foreign visitors to obtain a valid Singapore visa and the relevant entry approvals before entering Singapore.

They should also submit their SG Arrival Card within three days before the date of arrival in Singapore.

As the e-Pass will be sent to the email address indicated in the SG Arrival Card, foreign visitors are reminded to provide an accurate and valid email address in their SG Arrival Card submission.

Additionally, foreign visitors can provide a proxy email address on behalf of their family members who do not have email accounts.

The e-Pass is part of ICA’s New Clearance Concept (NCC), which will automate immigration clearance for all travellers.

The NCC will be operationalised at all checkpoints from 2023.

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