SG Arrival Card (SGAC) & Entry Eligibility Checker 2026
Verify official 3-day filing window, health declaration, & 100% free ICA submission portal
Key Framework Criteria & Principles
1. Three-Day Submission Window
Arrival Day IncludedSGAC is generally submitted within 3 days including the day of arrival. For example, a Friday arrival permits submission from Wednesday.
2. Free Official ICA Service
S$0ICA's official SGAC e-Service and MyICA Mobile submission are free. Commercial sites may offer paid assistance, but ICA does not charge a SGAC processing fee.
3. Important Exemptions
Not UniversalAirside transit or transfer passengers who do not seek immigration clearance are exempt, as are Singapore citizens, PRs and Long-Term Pass holders entering via Woodlands or Tuas land checkpoints.
4. Electronic Health Declaration
Included in SGACThe Electronic Health Declaration is submitted together with SGAC. False or misleading health declarations can expose a traveller to prosecution under applicable law.
5. e-Pass Is Separate
Post-Arrival RecordSGAC is a pre-arrival declaration. The e-Pass is the post-clearance digital Visit Pass record issued to foreign visitors.
6. CBNI Reporting Is Separate
More Than S$20,000Travellers carrying more than S$20,000 in physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments must make a separate CBNI declaration. The requirement applies to both entry and departure.
Mandatory Eligibility Requirements
Step-by-Step Procedure
Check Whether SGAC Applies
Confirm the traveller will seek Singapore immigration clearance and check transit and land-entry exemptions.
Calculate the 3-Day Window
Use the arrival date to identify the permitted SGAC filing period beginning two calendar days before arrival.
Open Official ICA SGAC
Use ICA's official SGAC e-Service or MyICA Mobile. The official submission is free.
Enter Personal and Trip Details
Provide the requested passport, contact, travel and accommodation information.
Complete Electronic Health Declaration
Answer the health declaration accurately and update it before arrival if relevant information changes.
Submit and Save Confirmation
Save the SGAC acknowledgement, PDF where generated and D/E number.
Make CBNI Declaration if Required
If carrying more than S$20,000 in physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments, submit the separate CBNI declaration within the required 72-hour window.
Clear Singapore Immigration
Complete manual or automated immigration clearance and biometric checks as directed.
Check the e-Pass
Foreign visitors should retrieve the e-Pass and verify the maximum permitted stay and last day.
Checker Logic
Purpose
Determine whether SGAC is required and calculate the earliest permitted submission date.
Inputs
date
select
select
boolean
boolean
Submission Window
Formula
arrivalDate minus 2 calendar days
Earliest Date
arrivalDate - 2 days
Latest Permitted Date
arrivalDate
Example
Friday arrival -> submit from Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
Important Point
ICA expresses this as 3 days including the day of arrival, not simply as an exact 72-hour countdown.
Decision Tree
Output Fields
- SGAC required or exempt.
- Reason for exemption where applicable.
- Earliest submission date.
- Last date within the 3-day window.
- Official cost.
- Official submission channel.
- Warning that SGAC does not replace a visa or immigration pass.
Submission Window Examples
Who Must Submit
General Rule
Travellers entering Singapore and seeking immigration clearance generally need to submit SGAC.
Foreign Visitors
- Short-term visitors.
- Visa-required travellers.
- Visa-free travellers.
- Foreign visitors arriving by air.
- Foreign visitors arriving by sea.
- Foreign visitors arriving by land.
Residents
- Singapore citizens arriving by air or sea.
- Singapore citizens arriving at other entry points where the land exemption does not apply.
- Singapore Permanent Residents arriving by air or sea.
- Long-Term Pass holders arriving by air or sea.
Important Point
The SGAC rule depends on traveller status and whether the traveller seeks immigration clearance, not simply nationality.
Exemptions
Travellers who remain in the transit area and do not seek Singapore immigration clearance do not need SGAC.
Singapore citizens entering through Woodlands or Tuas are exempt.
Singapore PRs entering through Woodlands or Tuas are exempt.
Long-Term Pass holders entering through Woodlands or Tuas are exempt.
The land-entry exemption for Singapore residents and Long-Term Pass holders does not automatically apply when they return by air or sea.
Official Channels
Official Website
https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard/
Mobile Application
MyICA Mobile
Cost
Free
Official Domain
.ica.gov.sg
Scam Warning
ICA warns that misleading websites can imitate official SGAC services and charge travellers a fee for a submission that ICA provides free.
Safety Rule
Use only ICA's official website or MyICA Mobile when submitting SGAC.
Information Collected
Personal Information
- Full name.
- Nationality.
- Date of birth.
- Passport or travel-document information.
- Contact information.
Trip Information
- Arrival date.
- Mode of travel.
- Flight or vessel details where applicable.
- Accommodation or Singapore address where required.
Health Information
- Electronic Health Declaration.
- Recent travel information relevant to the declaration.
Important Point
The exact information fields can differ according to the traveller's category and travel circumstances.
Group Submission
Availability
SGAC provides a Group Submission function for persons travelling together for one trip.
Purpose
Allows travellers in the same group to submit declarations together rather than completing each traveller as a completely separate transaction.
Important Correction
Do not publish an unsupported universal '10-person limit' unless the current ICA interface specifically states that limit at the time of publication.
Trip Restriction
The Group Submission facility is intended for a group travelling together on the same trip.
Updates And Changes
Health Change
If the traveller's health condition or relevant travel information changes after submission, ICA provides an Update SGAC function and the declaration should be corrected before arrival.
Travel Changes
Travel details should be kept current using the available official update/re-submission functionality.
Accuracy
Do not rely on an outdated SGAC when material information has changed.
Important Point
The original claim that every flight/hotel change can always be edited using a single reference number has been removed because the exact update functionality can depend on the field and current ICA interface.
Confirmation Records
Web Submission
Successful web submissions can generate an SG Arrival Card PDF.
Acknowledgement
ICA can send the submission acknowledgement to the declared email address.
D E Number
The SGAC submission is associated with a Disembarkation/Embarkation (D/E) number.
Mobile
In MyICA Mobile, submitted declarations can be retrieved from the SG Arrival Card section.
Printing
A printed SGAC is not the core immigration requirement; the information is maintained electronically.
Important Point
The SGAC acknowledgement is not an immigration approval.
E Pass
Who Receives It
Foreign visitors entering Singapore on a short-term visit pass.
Who Does Not
- Singapore Permanent Residents.
- Long-Term Pass holders.
Delivery
The e-Pass is sent to the valid email address declared in SGAC after the foreign visitor clears arrival immigration.
Contains
- Disembarkation/Embarkation number.
- Visit Pass details.
- Maximum number of days of stay.
- Last day of stay allowed.
Retrieval
The e-Pass can be retrieved through ICA's e-Pass Enquiry Portal using the D/E number or passport details.
Important Distinction
SGAC precedes arrival; e-Pass reflects the immigration status actually granted after clearance.
Cash And C B N I
Threshold
More than S$20,000 in total value of physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments.
Applies On
- Entering Singapore.
- Leaving Singapore.
Declaration
A full and accurate CBNI declaration is required by law.
Timing
For entry or departure, the declaration must be submitted electronically within 72 hours before the relevant movement.
Channels
- MyICA Mobile.
- ICA online CBNI declaration service.
Sgac Relationship
For arrivals, the CBNI declaration can be accessed under Other Declarations in SGAC after the SGAC submission.
No Cash Cap
There is no general maximum amount of cash or CBNI that can be brought into or taken out of Singapore; the legal requirement is reporting above the threshold.
Penalty
Failure to make a full and accurate CBNI report can carry a fine of up to S$50,000, imprisonment for up to 3 years, or both, and the CBNI may be seized or confiscated upon conviction.
Important Correction
Do not describe S$20,000 as a 'customs cash limit'. It is a mandatory reporting threshold, not a prohibition on carrying more.
Health Declaration
Purpose
The Electronic Health Declaration helps Singapore authorities manage public-health risks associated with travellers entering the country.
Timing
Submitted together with SGAC within 3 days including the day of arrival.
Change Rule
If relevant health information changes before arrival, the traveller should update the declaration through the official SGAC service.
False Information
False or misleading health declarations can lead to prosecution under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Historical Penalty
ICA has stated that false or misleading declarations can attract a fine of up to S$10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months, with higher penalties for subsequent offences. This should be described as an offence under the applicable law rather than as an automatic SGAC administrative penalty.
Yellow Fever
Separate Requirement
Trigger
Travellers who have spent time in a yellow-fever-risk country may need to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate under Singapore's border-health rules.
Timing
The applicable requirement is based on recent travel history rather than simply the passport nationality.
Important Point
The certificate requirement is separate from the SGAC itself.
Arrival Immigration
Basic Requirements
- Valid individually issued travel document.
- Passport with at least 6 months' validity for non-Singapore passport holders.
- Visa where required unless an exemption applies.
- SGAC where required.
- Compliance with customs, public-health and immigration requirements.
Automated Clearance
Foreign visitors can use automated lanes at Singapore passenger halls subject to ICA's immigration and biometric requirements.
Admission
Submission of SGAC or use of automated immigration does not guarantee admission.
Stay
Foreign visitors must comply with the last permitted day shown on the e-Pass.
Customs And Prohibited Goods
Customs Declaration
Goods exceeding applicable GST import relief or duty-free concession may need declaration and tax payment through Singapore Customs.
Prohibited Goods
Travellers must not bring prohibited items into Singapore.
Red Channel
Dutiable, controlled or prohibited goods must be declared through the appropriate customs channel.
Important Point
Customs declarations are distinct from SGAC, even though travellers may encounter related declarations during the same pre-arrival workflow.
Work Pass Reminder
Visitor Status
SGAC submission does not create work authorisation.
Foreign Workers
A foreigner intending to work in Singapore must hold the appropriate MOM work authorisation before beginning employment.
Work Pass Examples
- Employment Pass.
- S Pass.
- Work Permit.
- Other qualifying MOM work-pass routes.
Ipa
An In-Principle Approval letter is part of the work-pass process where applicable and does not convert SGAC into a work permit.
Before Arrival Checklist
- Determine whether SGAC applies.
- Calculate the 3-day submission window.
- Use only the official ICA SGAC e-Service or MyICA Mobile.
- Prepare passport and trip details.
- Provide an accurate Electronic Health Declaration.
- Update the declaration if relevant health information changes.
- Check whether visa requirements apply separately.
- Check yellow-fever requirements if recent travel history triggers them.
- Make a CBNI declaration if carrying more than S$20,000 in physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments.
- Keep the SGAC acknowledgement and D/E number accessible.
After Arrival Checklist
- Clear immigration using manual or automated processing.
- For foreign visitors, check the e-Pass after arrival.
- Confirm the actual maximum stay and last permitted day.
- Do not assume SGAC submission equals entry approval.
- Do not work unless separately authorised.
- Keep the e-Pass available electronically where relevant.
Application Process
Check Whether SGAC Applies
Step 1Confirm the traveller will seek Singapore immigration clearance and check transit and land-entry exemptions.
Calculate the 3-Day Window
Step 2Use the arrival date to identify the permitted SGAC filing period beginning two calendar days before arrival.
Open Official ICA SGAC
Step 3Use ICA's official SGAC e-Service or MyICA Mobile. The official submission is free.
Enter Personal and Trip Details
Step 4Provide the requested passport, contact, travel and accommodation information.
Complete Electronic Health Declaration
Step 5Answer the health declaration accurately and update it before arrival if relevant information changes.
Submit and Save Confirmation
Step 6Save the SGAC acknowledgement, PDF where generated and D/E number.
Make CBNI Declaration if Required
Step 7If carrying more than S$20,000 in physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments, submit the separate CBNI declaration within the required 72-hour window.
Clear Singapore Immigration
Step 8Complete manual or automated immigration clearance and biometric checks as directed.
Check the e-Pass
Step 9Foreign visitors should retrieve the e-Pass and verify the maximum permitted stay and last day.
Practical Checklist
- Determine whether SGAC applies.
- Calculate the 3-day submission window.
- Use only the official ICA SGAC e-Service or MyICA Mobile.
- Prepare passport and trip details.
- Provide an accurate Electronic Health Declaration.
- Update the declaration if relevant health information changes.
- Check whether visa requirements apply separately.
- Check yellow-fever requirements if recent travel history triggers them.
- Make a CBNI declaration if carrying more than S$20,000 in physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments.
- Keep the SGAC acknowledgement and D/E number accessible.
Required Document Checklist
Common Mistakes & Legal Misconceptions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Official Government Sources & Statutory Verification
Wise Global Expat Money Transfer
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