Travelers heading to Singapore will soon see a new version of the Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC).
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has announced a series of improvements to the digital form travelers must complete before arriving in the city-state. The changes will include a refreshed interface, more language options and a smoother submission process.
The new version will be available for early access on the ICA website starting August 26, 2026, before being rolled out more broadly across the authority’s official channels.
The SG Arrival Card applies to travelers of all nationalities entering Singapore, including US and Canadian travelers as well as visitors from France, Belgium, Switzerland and other European countries. The requirement also applies to travelers who are visa-exempt for Singapore: the SGAC is not a visa and is separate from any visa or entry authorization that may otherwise be required.
Exemptions include travelers transiting through Singapore without clearing immigration, as well as Singapore citizens, permanent residents and Long-Term Pass holders entering the country through the Woodlands and Tuas land checkpoints.
The SG Arrival Card will expand from 12 to 19 languages
One of the most noticeable changes announced by the ICA is an expansion of the languages available to travelers.
The current version of the SG Arrival Card is available in 12 languages: English, Malay (Bahasa Melayu), Bengali, German, French, Vietnamese, Hindi, Tamil, Thai, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Korean.
The new interface will offer 19 languages, adding seven more options. The ICA has not yet disclosed which additional languages will be introduced.
The change is intended to make the process more accessible to international travelers. The authority is also promising a more user-friendly design with “smoother, easier navigation.”
The ICA is also highlighting a passport autofill feature designed to speed up the entry of travelers’ personal information.
However, this functionality already exists in various forms across Singapore’s current digital services.
The official MyICA Mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play Store, already allows travelers to scan the biographical page of their passport to automatically populate personal details.
The current website already supports passport autofill
The web version of the Singapore Arrival Card also currently allows travelers to avoid manually entering some of their personal information.
In the lead traveler section, the portal offers two options: “Retrieve with Passport” and “Retrieve with Visa Reference Number.”
The first retrieves personal data using the traveler’s passport, while the second allows eligible travelers to retrieve information linked to their Singapore visa reference number.
The passport autofill feature highlighted by the ICA is therefore not entirely new. Instead, the upcoming update appears designed to integrate the feature more directly into the new SGAC workflow and make it easier to use.
The preview released by the authority shows an “Autofill with Passport” button built directly into the personal information section.
Only one SGAC submission will be required during the transition
Travelers arriving in Singapore around the time the new interface launches will not need to submit two arrival cards.
The ICA says only one submission will be required, whether travelers use the current SGAC system or the updated version.
The main rules governing the arrival card are otherwise unchanged.
The SG Arrival Card can be submitted free of charge through the official eservices.ica.gov.sg portal within the three days before arrival in Singapore, including the day of arrival.
The SGAC also includes an electronic health declaration and does not replace a visa. Travelers who require a visa to enter Singapore must therefore obtain the appropriate entry authorization separately.
VisasNews Take
Singapore’s upcoming changes are primarily focused on improving the traveler experience. The SG Arrival Card already includes tools that can retrieve certain information from a passport or, where applicable, a visa reference number. The redesigned interface is expected to make those features easier to find and use while expanding the SGAC from 12 to 19 languages. The early-access launch scheduled for August 26, 2026, should also reveal which seven new languages are being added and provide a clearer picture of how the updated system differs from the current portal.
