- All travellers must submit the SG Arrival Card before arriving, except transit passengers and residents at the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints.
- Submit it within three days before arrival, counting arrival day, on the e-Service or MyICA Mobile app, at no charge.
- The card is not a visa, and a traveller who fails to submit can be denied entry.
Until 27 March 2020, visitors to Singapore filled in a paper disembarkation card known as the white card. The SG Arrival Card (SGAC) replaced it. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) now requires all travellers to submit it online before arriving, with two exceptions. Even residents who arrive by air or sea must still complete its health declaration.
What is the SG Arrival Card?
The SGAC is an online form that carries a health declaration. ICA describes it as the electronic version of the paper disembarkation card. Some travellers call it the immigration card or the landing card.
The health declaration is for disease control. ICA states that its purpose is to guard against importing diseases of concern and to protect the health of Singapore residents.
ICA states that the SG Arrival Card is not a visa. Visa requirements are separate, and ICA lists them on its Entering Singapore page.
Who has to submit the SG Arrival Card?
ICA’s rule applies to every nationality. Its page states that ‘All travellers are required to submit the SG Arrival Card’ before arriving in Singapore, together with the Electronic Health Declaration. That holds as at October 2026. A visitor from the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia submits on the same terms as any other foreign visitor.
ICA lists two exceptions. The first is people transiting or transferring through Singapore without seeking immigration clearance. The second is residents travelling through the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints. Residents are Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders.
The exception covers the land checkpoints only. ICA states that all travellers, including residents arriving by air or sea, must submit the electronic health declaration. A Singapore citizen landing at Changi Airport submits it.
Long-term pass holders are holders of the Student’s Pass, Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass and Work Pass. Holders of In-Principle Approval letters use the foreign visitor route described below.
The transit exception depends on immigration clearance. ICA defines transit travellers as those travelling to another country via Singapore, ‘without clearing Singapore arrival immigration’. Passengers transiting through Singapore stay in the transit area. ICA does not count a passenger as a transit traveller when the booking requires collecting tickets or baggage and checking in again. Such a passenger must meet the entry requirements, and the SGAC is one of them.
The requirement is current. ICA’s Entering Singapore page, last updated on 29 September 2026, lists the SGAC among its general entry requirements.
When can you submit the SG Arrival Card?
ICA sets a window of three days before arrival, ‘including the day of arrival’. The window opens on the second calendar day before landing and runs until arrival.
As the writer’s illustration, not an ICA example, a traveller landing on 14 December 2026 can submit from 12 December 2026. A submission made on 11 December 2026 falls outside the window.
ICA gives the reason for the window as avoiding unnecessary delays at immigration clearance. Its SGAC page gives no waiting time for the card. It states only that an acknowledgement email goes to the address declared once the submission succeeds.
How do you submit the SG Arrival Card?
ICA offers two official routes. One is the SGAC e-Service on its website. The other is the MyICA Mobile app, which is free to download on iOS and Android. The app has a profile-saving function that fills in saved details on later trips.
The e-Service opens with two options. Citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders submit a health declaration. Foreign visitors, including holders of In-Principle Approval letters, submit arrival information and a health declaration.
Group submission suits people travelling to Singapore together on one trip. ICA states that it is not meant for several trips, so each later arrival needs a new submission.
ICA states that submission is free of charge. It does not support or endorse commercial entities that submit the card for a fee, and says they are not affiliated with ICA. Travellers who use one of those services pay for something the official channels provide at no cost.
At the immigration counter, the traveller presents a travel document to the ICA officer. The card itself is submitted before arrival, not at the counter.
What happens if you do not submit, or declare something false?
ICA states that travellers who fail to submit the SGAC can be denied entry into Singapore.
False declarations carry a separate risk. ICA states that submitting a false declaration is an offence. It adds that people who make false declarations can be prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act.
A change in health status after submission has its own step. ICA directs travellers to update their health status through the Update SGAC feature on the e-Service.
Frequently asked questions about the SG Arrival Card
Do US citizens need the SG Arrival Card?
US citizens must submit the SG Arrival Card before arriving in Singapore, as at October 2026. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) requires all travellers to submit it. Its two exceptions cover transit passengers and residents at the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints. A US citizen arriving as a visitor uses the foreign visitor route on the e-Service. Submission falls within three days before arrival, counting the day of arrival. The card is not a visa.
How much is Singapore Arrival Card?
The SG Arrival Card costs nothing to submit. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) states that SGAC submission is free of charge on both the e-Service and the MyICA Mobile app. The app is free to download on iOS and Android. ICA does not support or endorse commercial entities that submit the card for a fee, and says they are not affiliated with ICA.
Should we print SG arrival card?
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) does not list printing as a step for the SG Arrival Card as at October 2026. Its instructions ask the traveller to submit the card online before arriving and to present a travel document at the immigration counter. ICA states that an acknowledgement email goes to the address declared once the submission succeeds. Neither the SGAC page nor the Entering Singapore page gives a position on carrying a paper copy.
Do transit passengers need the SG Arrival Card?
Transit passengers do not need the SG Arrival Card when they stay in the transit area and never seek immigration clearance. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) lists transiting or transferring without seeking immigration clearance as an exception. ICA does not count a passenger as a transit traveller when the booking requires collecting tickets or baggage and checking in again. ICA says such passengers should meet all entry requirements, and the card is among them.
Can one SG Arrival Card cover several trips?
One SG Arrival Card cannot cover several trips. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) states that group submission is meant for people travelling to Singapore together on one trip. A traveller who returns later submits again within three days before that arrival. The MyICA Mobile app has a profile-saving function that fills in saved details for later trips.
Can you change the SG Arrival Card after submitting?
The health status on a submitted SG Arrival Card can be updated through the Update SGAC feature on the e-Service. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) directs travellers to use it when their health status changes after submission. ICA states that submitting a false declaration is an offence. It also states that people who make false declarations can be prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act. ICA’s pages describe the update feature for health status only.
Sources
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: SG Arrival Card (SGAC) with Electronic Health Declaration
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: Entering Singapore
- Immigration and Checkpoints Authority: Transiting Through Singapore
Reviewed and updated by Jarrod Partridge, 5 October 2026.
