Singapore adds passport autofill and 7 languages to arrival card

Singapore is upgrading its mandatory digital arrival system on Aug. 26, adding passport-scan autofill and seven more languages to make crossing the border faster for tourists, expats and remote workers.

What changed

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is refreshing the SG Arrival Card (SGAC) web portal, with the MyICA Mobile app getting the same updates shortly after. The headline feature is passport autofill: travelers can scan the photo page of their passport to automatically populate key fields such as full name, document number and expiration date.

The platform is also expanding from 12 to 19 supported languages. The additions are Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Dutch, Filipino, Italian, Russian and Spanish.

Submission stays free on the official ICA website and app. The agency again warned travelers to steer clear of third-party commercial sites that charge fees to file what is a no-cost form.

The rules to remember

All foreign visitors, tourists and remote workers entering Singapore must submit the SGAC along with an electronic health declaration within three days before arrival. Travelers transiting through Changi Airport without clearing immigration are exempt.

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders arriving by air or sea still need to file a health declaration, but they are exempt at the Woodlands and Tuas land checkpoints.

If you already submitted an arrival card before the interface upgrade, there's no need to resubmit — each trip requires only one successful filing.

What it means for nomads

For anyone passing through Singapore, the process itself isn't new, but it should get quicker. Scanning your passport cuts out manual typing, and the extra language options lower the friction for non-English speakers.

If you use Singapore as a regional base or make frequent trips, creating a profile in the MyICA Mobile app saves your core details for one-tap submissions on future entries — a useful shortcut for repeat travelers. Just remember the three-day window before arrival, and always file directly through ICA's official channels to avoid paying for something that is free.

Originally reported by Stamped Nomad.