Singapore is known around the world as a great travel destination, combining ultra-modern architecture, lush green spaces, and an incredibly efficient transport infrastructure. Much of this legendary efficiency begins before you even arrive at Changi Airport. If you are planning a trip to the Lion City, you will need to complete one important administrative task: SG Arrival Card and Electronic Health Declaration.
1. What is SG Arrival Card (SGAC)?
The Singapore Arrival Card is a mandatory electronic landing and health declaration form required by the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. It serves two purposes – border control and public health monitoring.
First, it records your travel logistics, passport details, and accommodation preferences in Singapore’s automated system before you step in front of an officer or approach a biometric gate. Second, it is a digital health declaration under the Singapore Infectious Diseases Act, which helps local health authorities monitor and mitigate cross-border health threats.
2. Who should submit the SGAC form?
The scope of SGAC requirements is enormous and applies to almost anyone who wants to cross the border into Singapore. However, there are specific rules that will apply depending on your residence status and location.
- Foreign Visitors: Every tourist, business traveler or short-term visitor arriving in Singapore by air, land or sea must complete the full SGAC form, including their personal details, travel logistics and health declaration.
- Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents (PR) and Long-Term Pass Holders: If you are a Singapore resident or holder of a long-term visa (such as a student pass, work pass or dependent pass), you will need to submit part of the SGAC e-Health Declaration when returning home by air or sea.
Two major exemptions
- Land checkpoint residents : Singapore citizens, permanent passport holders and long-term passport holders arriving in Singapore from Malaysia via Woodlands or Tuas checkpoints are completely excluded from SGAC.
- Air Passengers: If you are transferring from one flight to another at Changi Airport and not going through immigration, you do not need to fill out the SG Arrival Card. You can stay in the lounges, browse the shops duty-free and board your next flight without any documents. However, if your airline does not check your luggage to your final destination, forcing you to collect and recheck your luggage, you will need to fill out the SGAC.
3. Maximum submission period of 3 days
Timing is everything when it comes to the SG Arrival Card. The ICA permits travelers to submit their information only within three days prior to arrival, including the day of arrival itself.
4. Prerequisites: Documents to get Before You Start
Filing the card is straightforward, but if the portal sits idle for too long, the session will time out for security reasons. To prevent losing your progress, make sure you have the following information right in front of you:
- A Valid Passport: Your passport must possess at least 6 months of validity remaining from the date you land in Singapore.
- Flight/Travel Details: Please have your flight number and exact arrival dates ready. If arriving by sea or land, you will need the vessel name or bus/vehicle registration details.
- Accommodation Information: You must provide the exact address of where you are staying. If you are staying at a recognized hotel, the form features a drop-down searchable list of properties. If you are staying at a residential property or with family, you will need the specific zip code, block, and street details.
- Contact Details: A valid, working email address is non-negotiable. This is where your official receipt and e-Pass records will be routed.
5. Step-by-Step Submission Guide
You can complete the SGAC through two authorized portals: the official ICA web e-Service or the MyICA Mobile App. Using the My ICA Mobile App is highly recommended for frequent travelers or groups, as it allows you to scan the machine-readable zone of your passport to auto-populate fields and saves your profile details for future trips.
Here is the exact procedure to execute your submission successfully:
1.Access the Portal: Official Channels Only.
The ICA Mobile App is available for download from the ICA Mobile App. Select the button corresponding to your status: Foreign Visitor or Singapore Resident.
2.Select Submission Type: Only vs. Submission Type. Family Setup.
Choose between Individual Submission or Group Submission. Group submissions allow you to file for up to several family members or travel companions simultaneously, applying identical flight numbers and hotel details to everyone at once.
3.Enter Personal & Passport Details: Accuracy is Critical.
Enter your full name exactly as it appears on the passport’s bio-data page. Avoid mixing up your first name and surname. Enter your passport number, expiration date, date of birth, and nationality. If using the app, take a steady photograph of your passport to fill this instantly.
4.Input Trip and Accommodation Information: Logistical Specifications.
Specify your mode of travel. Enter your flight code, your embarkation city, and your departure city. Search for and select your hotel or enter your local residential address.
5.Complete the Health Screening Questionnaire: Legal Declaration.
Answer the brief health questions honestly. You will be asked if you are exhibiting a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and whether you have traveled to a designated Yellow Fever endemic zone within the last six days.
6.Review, Submit, and Confirm: System Acknowledgment.
Double-check your passport number and email address for typos. Hit submit. A digital confirmation receipt containing an explicit application number will hit your email inbox within minutes.
6. Beware of Online SGAC Scams
Because the SG Arrival Card is mandatory, it has become a lucrative target for international cyber criminals and predatory third-party agencies. If you type Singapore Arrival Card into a standard search engine, the first few results are frequently sponsored advertisements pointing to lookalike portals.
These deceptive websites copy Singapore government color schemes, utilize official-looking lions or merlion icons, and feature URLs designed to mislead. Once you fill out their form, they hit you with a “processing fee” or “service charge” ranging anywhere from $25 to $80 USD.
How to protect yourself: Always check the URL. True Singapore government websites always terminate with the domain suffix .gov.sg. If a portal requests credit card details or demands a fee to process your SGAC, exit the page immediately. It’s a scam.