Singaporeans born in 2019 can get first passport for free
From Jan 1 next year, those born in 2019 will have their first passport application fee waived as long as the application is submitted on or before the child's first birthday.
The amendments will benefit citizens who are born this year and applying for their first passport in 2020.
The move comes after the Government announced it will waive the application fee for the first passport of citizens born on or after Jan 1 next year.
Yesterday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a press release that due to appeals, it has revised the eligibility to include those born this year as well. The waiver will be applicable only for online applications submitted through the ICA website.
Starting yesterday, parents collecting their child's birth certificate from hospitals or at the ICA building will be notified of the revised eligibility criteria.
From Jan 1 next year, parents who have an eligible child will receive a notification via the MyICA portal and can directly access the passport application process by clicking on that notification to apply without paying the application fee.
Alternatively, parents can log on directly to ICA's passport e-Service to apply for their child's first passport and will similarly receive a notification about the waiver after entering their child's birth certificate number if their child is eligible.
ICA also announced that from Jan 1 next year, children below the age of six will no longer need to be physically present when collecting their passports.
Children aged six and above, however, still need to be present for the collection of their passports as their biometric identifiers such as fingerprint and iris images will be taken at the point of collection. This would allow them to use the automated lanes for immigration clearance at the checkpoints.
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