Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC): how to submit it for free, when, and which sites to avoid

In this guide

💡 The Short Version: The SG Arrival Card (SGAC) with Electronic Health Declaration is completely free. Every foreign visitor must submit it online within three days before arriving in Singapore (counting the arrival date) via the official ICA portal or the MyICA Mobile app. Never pay third-party websites: any site charging a fee is an unaffiliated commercial intermediary. After landing at Changi Airport, foreign visitors can use automated biometric immigration gates; Singapore no longer ink-stamps passports and emails your electronic visit pass (e-Pass) directly to your inbox. Or book a tour: If you want a comfortable arrival with luggage assistance and direct hotel drop-off after clearing immigration, book a private Changi Airport transferad.

⚠️ Beware of deceptive copycat websites charging processing fees. Unofficial commercial intermediaries purchase sponsored search engine advertisements mimicking the Singapore immigration portal, charging between US$30 and US$80 to submit your data. The official government service is 100 per cent free. Always check that the web address ends in .gov.sg or submit directly through the MyICA Mobile application.

What is the SG Arrival Card?

The SG Arrival Card (SGAC) is the digital declaration system operated by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore. It permanently replaced the physical white-and-green paper disembarkation/embarkation card (Form IMM 27) that arriving air, sea, and land passengers previously completed by hand.

The online declaration serves two statutory functions:

1. Immigration Disembarkation Record: Captures personal identity, flight or vessel details, and planned local accommodation.
2. Electronic Health Declaration: Gathers travel history over the preceding 14 days and screens for infectious diseases under Singapore’s Infectious Diseases Act.

Submitting the arrival card is mandatory under Singapore immigration law. Failing to submit, or submitting false declarations, is a criminal offence punishable by fines of up to S$10,000, imprisonment for terms of up to six months, or both.

A Singapore visit-pass stamp in a passport. Photo: Slleong, Public domain.

When and how to submit: The 3-day window

You can submit your SG Arrival Card strictly within three days prior to arrival, counting your calendar arrival date as day three:

If you attempt to complete the declaration four or more days in advance, the official ICA calendar interface will gray out your date and prevent form submission. Submitting 24 to 48 hours before boarding your flight ensures your record is processed and ready in the ICA border system upon arrival.

Step-by-step guide to official submission

Option A: The official ICA e-Service website

1. Visit the official government portal: eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard.
2. Click on “For Foreign Visitors (including In-Principle Approval holders)”.
3. Choose “Individual Submission” (or “Group Submission” for families travelling on identical itineraries, allowing up to 10 travellers in one batch).
4. Enter your personal particulars exactly as printed on your passport machine-readable zone: full legal name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date. Your passport must have at least six months of remaining validity.
5. Provide a valid, active email address and contact telephone number. Double-check your email address carefully: this is where your electronic visit pass (e-Pass) will be delivered upon arrival.
6. Enter trip logistics: mode of transport (commercial flight, private flight, ferry, or land bus), flight code (e.g., SQ317 or BA11), accommodation type (hotel, serviced residence, residential home), and hotel name.
7. Complete the health declaration: confirm whether you have experienced fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and declare any travel to Africa or South America within the prior 14 days (for yellow fever screening).
8. Review your entries and click Submit.
9. You will instantly receive an onscreen confirmation page with a barcode reference (e.g., DE-XXXXXXXXX) and an automated PDF confirmation email. You do not need to print this confirmation out; the record is linked electronically to your passport chip.

Option B: The MyICA Mobile app

Frequent visitors and families can download the official MyICA Mobile app (free on iOS and Android). The app allows you to scan your passport’s bio-data page using your phone camera to autofill details, and securely saves family profiles for one-tap submissions on future visits.

Clearing immigration: Automated biometric gates

Singapore’s border clearance is among the most technologically advanced in the world:

• Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI): Foreign visitors holding biometric passports from eligible countries (including the UK, EU nations, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and over 50 other jurisdictions) can proceed directly to the automated immigration lanes at Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 4 at Changi Airport. No prior registration or enrolment counter visit is required.
• Biometric Gate Procedure: Insert your passport photo page face-down into the reader. Look straight at the overhead camera screen for facial and iris scanning. The automated glass doors slide open in under 15 seconds. Children under six years of age and travellers with physical mobility considerations can use assisted special-care lanes.

The electronic Visit Pass (e-Pass)

Singapore has completely phased out physical rubber ink stamps in foreign passports.

Immediately upon walking through the automated immigration gate, the ICA system transmits a digital electronic Visit Pass (e-Pass) to the email address registered on your SG Arrival Card.

The e-Pass PDF document outlines:

• Your full name and passport number.
• Your official date of entry into the Republic of Singapore.
• Your permitted length of stay (typically 30 or 90 days depending on your nationality).
• The exact last day of permitted stay, after which you must depart to avoid overstaying penalties.

Keep this email accessible on your smartphone; luxury hotels or tax refund counters may occasionally request to view your digital e-Pass to confirm your tourist tax status.

Who does not need to submit the SG Arrival Card?

The only categories of travellers exempt from submitting the SGAC are:

1. Transit Passengers: Passengers transferring between international flights at Changi Airport who remain strictly within the airside transit lounges and do not clear immigration into Singapore.
2. Land Checkpoint Residents: Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and Long-Term Pass holders entering Singapore via the Woodlands or Tuas land causeways. Note that foreign tourists crossing from Malaysia by bus or train must submit an SG Arrival Card prior to reaching the checkpoint.

Yellow fever vaccination requirements

Under International Health Regulations and Singapore Ministry of Health regulations, any traveller (including transit passengers) who has visited or transited through any country with risk of yellow fever transmission within the six days prior to arriving in Singapore must present an International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever.

• Countries subject to yellow fever checks include specified nations in sub-Saharan Africa (such as Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Ghana) and South America (such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador).
• The vaccination must be administered at least 10 days before arrival in Singapore to be valid under World Health Organization guidelines.
• Travellers who cannot produce a valid certificate when entering from an endemic zone face mandatory quarantine for up to six days or refusal of entry by ICA border health officers.

Common submission errors and troubleshooting

• Updating your submission if flight details change: If your flight is rescheduled or your hotel accommodation changes after you submit, do not create an entirely new submission. Use the “Update SGAC” feature on the official ICA website: enter your reference number and passport details to edit and resubmit your itinerary without fee.
• Surname and given name sequence: Enter your names exactly as they appear in the machine-readable passport zone (the bottom two lines of your passport photo page). If your passport does not distinguish between surname and given name, enter your entire legal name into the surname field.
• Flight transit vs arrival: If your itinerary involves a scheduled 12-hour layover at Changi and you intend to exit transit to visit Jewel Changi Airport or sleep at an airport hotel outside the transit area (such as the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport), you are legally clearing Singapore immigration and must submit an SG Arrival Card beforehand.

Re-submitting for regional day trips

If you embark on a day trip out of Singapore—such as taking a ferry to Batam or Bintan in Indonesia, or taking a coach to Johor Bahru or Legoland Malaysia:

• When you exit Singapore, your current visit pass is cancelled.
• You must submit a new SG Arrival Card within three days before re-entering Singapore via the ferry terminal or land checkpoint.
• Submit the new form on your mobile phone via the MyICA app while in Malaysia or Indonesia before heading to border control.

Practical next steps

Once your arrival card is submitted, review our guide to Changi Airport to Singapore city to plan your transfer into downtown. Install an eSIM for Singapore before boarding to ensure immediate data access upon landing, and consult where to stay in Singapore for central accommodation. For public transit payment methods, see our Singapore public transport guide.

Common questions

Is the Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC) free to submit?

Yes. Submitting the SG Arrival Card with Electronic Health Declaration is completely free of charge. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) does not charge any application or processing fees and does not endorse commercial third-party websites that charge for submissions.

When should I submit the SG Arrival Card?

You must submit your declaration within three days before arriving in Singapore, counting your day of arrival. For example, if your flight lands on Friday 15 May, you can submit your form anytime from Wednesday 13 May onwards. Submissions opened earlier than three days will be rejected by the portal.

How do I submit the SG Arrival Card?

Submit online via the official Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) portal (eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard) or download the free official MyICA Mobile application from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Choose 'Foreign Visitors' and enter your passport, flight, and accommodation details.

Does the SG Arrival Card replace a Singapore visa?

No. The SG Arrival Card is an electronic disembarkation card and health declaration; it is not an entry visa. Citizens of visa-exempt nations (including the UK, EU, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) do not need a visa, while travellers holding passports from visa-required countries must secure an approved entry visa in addition to the arrival card.

Do children and babies need an SG Arrival Card?

Yes. Every single traveller entering Singapore—including infants, toddlers, and children—requires an individual SG Arrival Card submission. Families can use the 'Group Submission' feature on the ICA portal to submit up to 10 family members under one transaction.