From 1 January 2018, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will introduce an optional National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) re-registration exercise for Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs) born before 1 January 1962.

2.    Currently, Singapore citizens and permanent residents must register for their NRICs at age 15 and re-register when they turn 30, and again when they turn 55. Through these exercises, Singapore citizens and permanent residents are issued with new NRICs bearing their most recent photographs, at a subsidised fee. 

3.    Singapore citizens and permanent residents born before 1 January 1962 are not covered in the mandatory re-registration of NRIC at age 55 exercise, as this requirement was introduced only from 1 January 2017. The optional re-registration exercise will allow these Singapore citizens and permanent residents to also have the opportunity to re-register for new NRICs bearing their most recent photographs, at a subsidised fee. 

Who is eligible for this exercise?

4.    Singapore citizens and permanent residents: (i) who are born before 1 January 1962; and (ii) who have not been issued with a replacement NRIC in the last ten years (i.e. current NRIC was issued before 1 January 2008), will be eligible for this exercise. 

What does the eligible group have to do if they decide to take up the option? 

5.    Eligible NRIC holders will receive a notification letter from ICA when it is their turn to re-register. All eligible NRIC holders will get their turn within the next five years. There is no need for NRIC holders to do anything, until they receive ICA’s letter. Once they receive ICA’s letter, they should re-register their NRICs within one year from the date of the letter. As NRIC re-registration for this group is entirely optional, they can also choose not to re-register, if they do not wish to.

6.    Eligible NRIC holders with a valid passport or Re-Entry Permit (REP) will receive the above-mentioned notification letter together with their passport expiry or REP renewal notice. This will be about three to nine months before their passports or REPs are due to expire. For greater convenience, eligible NRIC holders are encouraged to re-register their NRICs and apply their passports or REPs at the same time.  

7.    For avoidance of ambiguity: eligible NRIC holders without a valid passport or REP will also receive a NRIC re-registration notification letter from ICA over the next five years, as per paragraph 5 above.  

Re-registration procedures

8.    ICA’s notification letters will contain detailed information on how to apply for NRIC re-registration. The most convenient way to do so is online, via iC Online on the ICA website. Eligible NRIC holders can also re-register using the self-service kiosks located at the eLobby on Level 1 of the ICA Building.  

9.    Eligible NRIC holders will need to update their personal particulars and submit a recent photograph of themselves when re-registering.

Re-registration fees

10.    To enjoy the subsidised fee of $10 for Singapore citizens and $50 for permanent residents, eligible NRIC holders will have to re-register within one year from the date of the notification letter. Thereafter, the full fee of $60 will apply.

Collection of documents

11.    Upon successful re-registration, ICA will send an acknowledgement card to inform NRIC holders to collect their new NRICs. For their convenience, successful applicants can opt to collect their NRICs (and passports, if they applied for their passports at the same time that they applied for re-registration of their NRICs) at selected post offices near where they live or work, with a service fee payable to SingPost.  

12.    Otherwise, they can collect their NRICs from the ICA Building. In the same appointment, they can collect their passports, where relevant.

13.    All appointments can be booked via eappointment.ica.gov.sg or the eAPPT@ICA mobile app.

14.    Members of the public can visit our website at www.ica.gov.sg for more information on the optional NRIC re-registration requirements and procedures.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
23 NOVEMBER 2017