Back then, the long process of making an appointment, travelling, queuing at the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to collect your passport would probably have you groaning in despair.
According to the ICA website, ICA has been issuing over 5,000 passports daily since March 2022—nearly three times the pre-COVID-19 volume in 2019.
To manage this surge, more officers have been redeployed to work around the clock, leading to increased foot traffic and long queues at ICA Building for passport collection and related enquiries, necessitating additional staff for crowd management.
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Fortunately, things seem to be becoming more convenient.
Soon, people will be able to self-collect their passports and identity cards at the ICA without having to make an appointment beforehand.
This update was announced at ICA’s annual Workplace Seminar, which took place at Marina Bay Sands on 17 May, 2024.
ICA Rolling Out New iSMART System
In a news release, ICA announced their latest update on the Smart Document Management System (iSMART), introducing it as “an end-to-end solution that sorts, tracks, stores and conveys documents. It also automates on-demand issuance of documents to customers by leveraging biometrics and robotics.”
This is part of the agency’s efforts towards a seamless customer experience by revamping processes and utilising technology.
The facility will enable automated and on-demand issuance of documents using biometrics and robotics.
This new system will be set in place at the upcoming 10-storey ICA Services Centre (ICS), which is currently under construction next to the current ICA Building in Lavender. It is expected to commence operations in 2025.
The new facility will consolidate various ICA service centres under one roof, allowing customers to access multiple services at a single touchpoint, according to ICA.
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“The new ISC will take a more customer-centric approach. The aim is for the same counter to attend to all of the person’s needs, whether it is about his NRIC, passport, or immigration passes,” said Minister of State for Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim
The New Clearance Concept (NCC)
ICA has also announced their New Clearance Concept, which upon implementation, would allow Singapore to become the first country to allow all foreign travellers, including first-time visitors, to use automated lanes without prior enrollment and to depart without presenting passports.
By the end of 2024, contactless immigration clearance will be available for arriving Singapore residents and all departing travellers at Changi Airport, Seletar Airport, and Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS).
As of May 2024, nearly 95% of ICA’s services are digital, with customers using the MyICA app or website for applications.
After digitising birth and death certificates in May 2022 and long-term passes in February 2023, ICA plans to gradually reduce physical documents, offering digital access via the MyICA app, ICA website, or GovTech’s FileSG.
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