You Can Soon Change Your Address Online Using Your SingPass

Let’s be honest here.

The real reason we love the internet isn’t because we can watch 1,000 movies in a month for the price of one on Netflix or because there’s a limitless repository of cute cat videos on YouTube.

Rather, we love the internet because it’s allowed us to be our true selves: lazy bastards.

In the past, if you wanted some supper at 2am in the morning, you’d have to put on some clothes, drag yourself out of bed, and scour the streets in search of open shops.

Now, all that’s required is a few taps and swipes of your thumb and your food is on its way to your house.

The same goes for shopping, which is now as easy as setting an alarm on your phone.

Soon, there’ll be yet another thing you can do on your phone that will save you a trip outdoors.

You Can Soon Change Your Address Online Via SingPass

Are you moving house?

Need to report a change in your residential address but don’t enjoy expending energy?

Well, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has good news for you.

From October, Singaporeans and PRs will be able to report a change in their residential address online, ICA said on Monday (28 Sep).

As you know, the law requires all identity card (IC) holders to update their address within 28 days of moving into a new home, even if their residence is located abroad.

Currently, residents who move into new homes have to update their address in person at a Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP), Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) or the ICA building.

This, as you can imagine, requires lots of walking, something many of us intensely dislike.

They then have to present their ICs as well as documents for their new address to change the address listed on their ICs.

Those who move abroad will have to inform ICA through email, according to CNA.

New Procedure

But, from 1 Oct, this will be a much simpler process.

Come October, residents will be able to use their SingPass to change their address online, through an e-service on ICA’s website.

Once the application is complete, applicants will receive a unique PIN sent via mail to their new address within three to five days.

To verify the new address, applicants then have to enter this PIN via the e-service. Once verified, they will receive an acknowledgement that the change is successful, and voila!

Applicants will also receive a sticker via mail which bears the new address. They are required to stick this on the back of their ICs.

ICA said this move is part of their efforts to “digitalise” its services, adding that the new e-service will be available in English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil.

Proxies Can Submit Applications on Your Behalf

Now, if you’re the kind of person who’s so lazy that you don’t even have the energy to submit an application on your phone, I’m deeply concerned, but there’s good news for you as well.

You can appoint proxies to submit an application on your behalf, as long as they’re SingPass holders.

You’ll have to provide them with the PIN that’ll be mailed to your new address, of course.

Furthermore, if your whole family is moving to a new address, only a single application is necessary.

According to CNA, the police will stop processing requests for a change of address at NPPs and NPCs from December, so if you’re not technologically savvy, you may visit ICA for assistance.