SG Arrival Card Online

The Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC) is a mandatory free electronic declaration that all travelers must submit to Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) within 3 days before arrival — it is not a visa.

Introduced in 2020 to replace the paper “white card,” it became a permanent entry requirement in 2023. This guide covers who must submit it, how to complete it in minutes, what documents you need, and what penalties apply if you skip it.

What Is the Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC)?

The Singapore Arrival Card is a free mandatory electronic pre-arrival declaration administered by Singapore’s ICA — not a visa, and not optional.

The SGAC is an electronic form that collects your personal details, travel itinerary, and a health declaration before you enter Singapore.

It is administered by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and is required for virtually all travelers arriving by air, sea, or land.

The SGAC replaced the old paper-based disembarkation/embarkation card (DE card) — commonly known as the “white card” — that foreign visitors previously filled out on the plane or at the border.

The digital system is faster, reduces queues at immigration counters, and allows ICA to process arrival data before travelers land.

History: From Paper White Card to Digital Declaration

The Singapore Arrival Card was first introduced in August 2019 for travelers using selected transport operators.

It became mandatory for all travelers on 27 March 2020, coinciding with Singapore’s pandemic-related border controls. The paper DE card was officially discontinued on the same date.

In February 2023, Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung confirmed that the SGAC would remain a permanent feature of Singapore’s entry system — not a temporary COVID-era measure — specifically to support ongoing disease surveillance and reduce the risk of importing infectious diseases.

Is the Singapore Arrival Card a Visa?

No — the Singapore Arrival Card is not a visa. These are two entirely different requirements:

• The SGAC is a pre-arrival declaration that everyone must submit. It is free and takes minutes to complete.
• A Singapore visa is an entry permission required only for travelers from visa-required countries. It must be applied for separately through ICA and involves a fee.

You may need both — a visa (if your nationality requires one) and the SGAC (which everyone needs). Submitting the SGAC does not guarantee entry into Singapore; your eligibility is assessed separately at the immigration counter.

Who Needs to Submit the Singapore Arrival Card?

All travelers entering Singapore must submit the Singapore Arrival Card, with two narrow exemptions for transit passengers and residents using land checkpoints.

The SGAC requirement applies to:

• All foreign visitors — tourists, business travelers, students, workers arriving for the first time
• Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents arriving by air or sea
• Long-Term Pass holders arriving by air or sea (this includes holders of Student’s Pass, Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass, and Work Pass)
• In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter holders

In short: if you are entering Singapore and going through immigration clearance, you need to submit the SGAC.

Exemptions: Who Does NOT Need to Submit the SGAC?

There are only two categories of travelers exempt from the SGAC requirement:

1. Transit/transfer passengers who pass through Singapore without seeking immigration clearance (i.e., you stay airside and do not enter Singapore)
2. Singapore citizens, Permanent Residents, and Long-Term Pass holders entering Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint or Tuas Checkpoint (land border crossings from Malaysia)

Long-Term Pass holders include holders of the Student’s Pass, Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass, and Work Pass. If you hold any of these passes but are arriving by air or sea, you are not exempt — you must still submit the SGAC.

Group Submission: Traveling with Family or a Tour Group

The SGAC e-Service offers a Group Submission option for travelers arriving together on the same trip. This is designed for families or tour groups who want to submit declarations for multiple people at once.

Each person still requires their own individual declaration, but the group submission feature allows one person to manage submissions for the entire group in a single session.

When to Submit the Singapore Arrival Card

The Singapore Arrival Card must be submitted within 3 days (including the day of arrival) before entering Singapore — submitting early avoids delays at the immigration counter.

The submission window means you can submit your SGAC up to 3 days before your arrival date, counting the arrival day itself.

The 3-Day Submission Window Explained

Here is how the timing works with a practical example:

• If you are arriving in Singapore on 30 June 2026, you can submit your SGAC from 28 June 2026 onwards.
• The window opens 3 days before arrival (counting the arrival day as Day 1).
• There is no benefit to submitting earlier than 3 days — the system will not accept submissions outside this window.

ICA recommends submitting the SGAC before you board your flight or depart for Singapore. Travelers who arrive without a completed SGAC may face delays at the immigration counter while they complete the form on-site.

In some cases, this can result in missed connections or extended waiting times.

You will receive an email confirmation at the address you provide in your SGAC once your submission is successfully processed. Keep this confirmation accessible — you may be asked to show it.

How to Submit the Singapore Arrival Card Online (Step-by-Step)

Submit the Singapore Arrival Card free via the ICA SGAC e-Service or the MyICA Mobile app — both take under 5 minutes and require no account for the e-Service.

There are two official channels for submitting the SGAC. Both are free. ICA does not endorse or support any commercial service that charges a fee to submit the SGAC on your behalf.

Option 1: SGAC e-Service (ICA Website)

The SGAC e-Service is available at eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard. Here is the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Select your traveler type.
Choose between two options:

• Singapore citizens, Permanent Residents & Long-Term Pass Holders — submit health declaration only
• Foreign Visitors — submit arrival information + health declaration

Step 2: Enter your personal details.
Provide your passport information (name as it appears in the MRZ, passport number, nationality, date of birth, passport expiry date).

Step 3: Fill in your travel details.
Provide your arrival date, mode of travel (air/sea/land), last country of embarkation, and next destination after Singapore.

Step 4: Enter your accommodation details.
Provide the address where you will be staying in Singapore (hotel name, postal code, street address).

Step 5: Complete the health declaration.
Answer questions about your current health status and recent travel history (particularly to yellow fever endemic areas).

Step 6: Submit and save confirmation.
After submission, you will receive an acknowledgement email at the address you provided. Save this email — it confirms your SGAC has been successfully submitted.

Option 2: MyICA Mobile App

The MyICA Mobile app is ICA’s official mobile application, available free from the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

It offers the same SGAC submission functionality as the e-Service, with one significant advantage: the app’s profile-saving feature automatically stores your personal information and can auto-populate your details for future trips to Singapore.

This is particularly useful for frequent travelers who visit Singapore regularly.

To submit via MyICA:

1. Download the MyICA app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Create a profile (optional but recommended for repeat travelers).
3. Navigate to “SG Arrival Card” in the app.
4. Complete the same fields as the e-Service.
5. Submit and receive email confirmation.

What Happens After Submission?

Once you successfully submit the Singapore Arrival Card, ICA sends an acknowledgement email to the address you declared.

This email confirms your submission is on record. You do not need to print or carry a physical copy — ICA officers can verify your submission at the immigration counter using your passport details.

How to Update Your SGAC If Your Health Status Changes

If your health status changes after you have already submitted your SGAC — for example, you develop symptoms before departure — you must update your declaration.

ICA provides an “Update SGAC” feature on the SGAC e-Service for this purpose.

Important: It is a criminal offence to submit a false health declaration. Travelers who knowingly provide inaccurate health information may be prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act. If your situation changes, use the Update SGAC feature rather than ignoring the discrepancy.

What Information Do You Need for the Singapore Arrival Card?

The Singapore Arrival Card requires your passport details, travel itinerary, accommodation address in Singapore, and an electronic health declaration.

Before you begin your SGAC submission, gather the following information:

Passport details:

• Full name (exactly as it appears in the Machine Readable Zone / MRZ of your passport)
• Passport number
• Nationality / country of issue
• Date of birth
• Passport expiry date

Travel information:

• Date of arrival in Singapore
• Mode of travel (air, sea, or land)
• Last country of embarkation (where you boarded your flight/vessel)
• Next country of disembarkation (where you are going after Singapore)
• Purpose of visit (tourism, business, transit, etc.)

Accommodation details:

• Type of accommodation (hotel, serviced apartment, private residence, etc.)
• Full address including postal code, block/house number, and street name

Contact information:

• Email address (for acknowledgement)
• Phone number

Health Declaration: What You Must Declare

As part of the SGAC, all travelers must complete an Electronic Health Declaration (eHDC). This requires you to declare:

• Whether you currently have symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache, or vomiting
• Whether you have visited Africa or Latin America (or any area with risk of yellow fever transmission) in the past 6 days prior to arrival

The health declaration is in place for disease control purposes — specifically to guard against the importation of infectious diseases into Singapore.

This is the primary reason the SGAC became a permanent requirement in 2023.

Yellow Fever Certificate Requirement

If you have traveled through any country with a risk of yellow fever transmission in the 6 days prior to your arrival in Singapore — including if you spent more than 12 hours in airport transit in such a country — you must present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to the ICA officer upon arrival.

This requirement applies to all travelers, including Singapore residents.

The list of countries with yellow fever risk is maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO). Check the ICA website before travel if you have recently visited sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, or South America.

Singapore Arrival Card Penalties: What Happens If You Don’t Submit?

Failing to submit the Singapore Arrival Card carries a fine of up to S$10,000 and/or 6 months imprisonment — repeat offences double both penalties.

Non-compliance with the SGAC requirement is a serious immigration offence in Singapore. The penalties are:

These penalties apply to both failure to submit the SGAC and submitting incorrect information.

Providing false information — particularly in the health declaration — is treated as a separate and serious offence under the Infectious Diseases Act, which carries its own penalties.

Singapore Arrival Card Validity: How Long Is It Valid?

The Singapore Arrival Card is valid for one trip only — you must submit a new SGAC for every arrival in Singapore.

It does not have a multi-entry validity period like a visa. Each time you enter Singapore, you must submit a fresh SGAC within the 3-day window before that specific arrival.

Key points about SGAC validity:

• One SGAC per arrival — even if you leave Singapore and return the same week, you need a new submission
• No expiry date — the SGAC does not “expire” in the traditional sense; it simply applies to one specific arrival
• Visit Pass is separate — your SGAC is not the same as your Visit Pass. The SGAC is a pre-arrival declaration; the Visit Pass is the actual permission to stay.

If you are a frequent traveler to Singapore, the MyICA Mobile app is particularly useful because it saves your profile and auto-populates your details for each new submission, reducing the time needed to complete the SGAC before each trip.

Singapore Arrival Card vs Singapore Visa: Key Differences

The Singapore Arrival Card is a free pre-arrival declaration required of everyone; a Singapore visa is a paid entry permission required only for travelers from visa-required countries — both may be needed.

Many travelers confuse the SGAC with a Singapore visa. They are fundamentally different requirements:

In practice:

• If you are from a visa-exempt country (e.g., UK, USA, Australia, most EU countries): you need the SGAC only. Your Visit Pass is granted at the border.
• If you are from a visa-required country: you need both a Singapore visa (applied for in advance) and the SGAC (submitted within 3 days of arrival).

Check the ICA website for the current list of visa-required nationalities, as this can change.

What to Expect at the Immigration Counter

After submitting the Singapore Arrival Card, present your travel document to the ICA officer at the immigration counter — your SGAC submission is verified electronically.

When you arrive in Singapore, the immigration process works as follows:

1. Proceed to immigration — follow signs to Arrival Immigration at Changi Airport, or the relevant checkpoint for sea/land arrivals.
2. Present your passport — the ICA officer will scan your passport and verify your SGAC submission electronically. You do not need to show a printed copy.
3. Provide biometrics — you will be required to provide biometric data (fingerprints, facial scan, and/or iris scan) during immigration clearance. Travelers who refuse to provide biometrics may be denied entry.
4. Receive your Visit Pass — if your entry is approved, your Visit Pass is stamped in your passport or issued electronically (e-Pass). This specifies how long you may stay.

Short-term visitors should ensure they have sufficient funds and proof of onward travel (return or connecting tickets, visas for next destination). Overstaying your Visit Pass is a punishable offence in Singapore.

Automated Clearance at Changi Airport

Changi Airport offers automated immigration clearance for all travelers — including first-time visitors to Singapore. No prior enrolment or registration is required.

To use automated clearance:

• Hold a valid ICAO-compliant passport (most modern passports qualify)
• Proceed to the automated clearance lanes
• Scan your passport at the kiosk and provide biometrics

Singapore residents can also use passport-less clearance at both arrival and departure immigration at Changi Airport.

For land checkpoints (Woodlands and Tuas), travelers arriving by car, motorcycle, lorry, or bus can use a QR code for immigration clearance.

FAQs About the Singapore Arrival Card

Is the Singapore Arrival Card still required in 2026?

Yes — the Singapore Arrival Card is still required in 2026. All travelers entering Singapore must submit it within 3 days before arrival.

How do I get a Singapore Arrival Card?

Submit the Singapore Arrival Card for free via the ICA SGAC e-Service at eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard, or through the MyICA Mobile app (available on iOS and Android).

Can I fill in an e-Arrival Card?

The Singapore Arrival Card is entirely electronic (the “e” in e-Arrival Card refers to the same SGAC system). There is no paper version. Submit it online via the SGAC e-Service or MyICA app within 3 days before your arrival.

How early can I submit my Singapore Arrival Card?

You can submit the Singapore Arrival Card up to 3 days before your arrival in Singapore, counting the arrival day itself. You cannot submit earlier than 3 days before arrival.

Who is exempt from the Singapore Arrival Card?

Two groups are exempt: (1) transit/transfer passengers who pass through Singapore without clearing immigration, and (2) Singapore citizens, Permanent Residents, and Long-Term Pass holders entering via Woodlands or Tuas land checkpoints.

What happens if I don’t submit the Singapore Arrival Card?

Failing to submit the Singapore Arrival Card is an immigration offence. The penalty for a first offence is a fine of up to S$10,000 and/or 6 months imprisonment. Repeat offences carry fines up to S$20,000 and/or 12 months imprisonment.

How long is the Singapore Arrival Card valid?

The Singapore Arrival Card is valid for one trip only. You must submit a new SGAC for every arrival in Singapore. It does not have a multi-entry validity period.

Do I need a Singapore Arrival Card if I already have a Singapore visa?

Yes — the Singapore Arrival Card and a Singapore visa are separate requirements. The SGAC is a pre-arrival declaration required of all travelers (with narrow exemptions). If your nationality requires a visa, you need both.

Can I submit the Singapore Arrival Card for my family?

The SGAC e-Service offers a Group Submission option for travelers arriving together on the same trip. You can submit declarations for multiple group members in one session. Each person still requires their own individual declaration.

What is the MyICA Mobile app?

The MyICA Mobile app is ICA’s official free mobile application for iOS and Android. It allows you to submit the Singapore Arrival Card and includes a profile-saving feature that auto-populates your personal details for future trips.

Do I need to print the Singapore Arrival Card?

No — you do not need to print the Singapore Arrival Card. After submission, you receive an email acknowledgement. ICA officers verify your submission electronically using your passport details at the immigration counter.

What if my health status changes after I submit the SGAC?

If your health status changes after submission — for example, you develop symptoms before departure — use the “Update SGAC” feature on the SGAC e-Service to update your declaration. Do not ignore the change.

Is the Singapore Arrival Card required for transit passengers?

Transit passengers who do not clear immigration (i.e., remain airside) are exempt from the SGAC requirement. However, if your transit involves clearing immigration — for example, if you need to collect baggage and re-check it — you must submit the SGAC.

What is the difference between the SGAC and the Visit Pass?

The Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC) is a pre-arrival declaration you submit before entering Singapore — it is required of all travelers. The SGAC does not guarantee entry; the Visit Pass is the actual authorization to stay.