Getting a Singapore Passport - ICA

Singapore passport is issued by The Republic of Singapore for the citizens of Singapore. Singapore is claimed to be most powerful passports in the world along with which Japan, South Korea, Germany, UK, and USA are some of the competitive countries to have a powerful passport. This passport allows Singaporeans to travel freely to other countries with visa requirements.

All Singapore passports are issued exclusively by the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) of Singapore for Singaporean citizens. Only citizens of Singapore can apply for this passport. The validity of the passport is 5 years.

Since it is the world’s most powerful passport among the whole world it is visa-free for over 189 countries and territories along with the passport of Japan. Singapore passport is a passport favored due to its counterfeits relatively liberal visa requirements for Singaporean travelers and tendency for immigration to clear Singaporean passport holders. In the airport counter if a person has a Singaporean passport then it is easy for them to get through the counter because of the value of Singaporean passport. The passport includes features of digital photos and special ink from October 1999 and converting biometric passport from August 2006.

HISTORY OF SINGAPOREAN PASSPORT:

The first creation of Singaporean passport was made at 20th June 1966 which was replaced with the Singaporean Provisional Passport which was issued in 17th August 1965. Between the years 1963 and 1965 Malaysian passports were issued to the residents of Singapore. This was during the Strait Settlement where Singapore was the capital from 1832 till 1946 where it issued an own passport prior to World War II.

Between the years 1967 and 1999, Singapore also issued as a Restricted Passport where the passport cover was blue in cover where the passport was given mainly to travel to West Malaysia. The restricted passport was conceived with the fact that many Singaporeans would regularly travel to West Malaysia for business and leisure purposes. A restricted passport has been issued after 1999 because of the lack of demand. The red Singapore Passport was then deemed to only be able to travel as an overseas passport for the Singaporean citizens from January 2000.

SINGAPORE PASSPORT APPEARANCE:

• The front cover of the passport is bright red in color where the words given are REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE on the front top of the cover along with the coat of arms of Singapore. The motto of Singapore is Majulah Singapura which is specified on the scroll of the coat of arms. The word PASSPORT is the then printed in a biometric passport symbol.
• The passport contains the note of the country’s president addressing the authorities to all territories
• Photo of the person’s passport on the left
• Type (PA – biometric passport)
• Code of issuing state (SGP)
• Passport number
• Name
• Gender
• Singapore nationality
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Date of issue
• Date of expiry
• Modifications
• Authority
• National ID number

Along with this later facial recognition technologies was introduced with the release of the ePassport to improve the identity verification and reduce identity related fraud.

ISSUES OF NATIONAL SERVICES:

• All male citizens of Singapore are to be conscripted for two years as National services
• Before the country had a policy of limiting the validity of the passport for boys aged 11 and above
• Before applying the needed a 9-month extension of their passports
• These extensions are added with the rubber stamp
• The Singapore government has stated the objective of such exit control measures which is the deter NS-evasion and measures which serve a psychological reminder of the citizens of NS obligation
• Now as per the Ministry of Defense there are limited validity passports
• Exit permits are still required for overseas trips which last for more than 3 months.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP IN SINGAPORE:

• In Singapore dual citizenship is strictly prohibited by the Singapore government
• But it can also be sometimes received by the birth in a foreign country, registration, and descent from a foreign citizen parent.
• Singapore citizens who voluntarily apply for intentionally acquire citizenship by the government.
• Foreigners who are as Singapore citizens are required to renounce foreign citizenship
• When a child has one Singapore citizen the parent then the child can apply for Singapore citizenship and within a year, they can receive the citizenship
• But before 22 years they need to choose one citizenship and not dual citizenship
• At 18 years a person can apply for the citizenship themselves.