Since 11 March 2022, Singapore has stopped issuing physical entry stamps in passports. The Electronic Visitor Pass or e-Pass is the replacement of the physical entry stamps.
In this article, you will learn everything about the e-Pass, how to retrieve it and why you should save a copy for your records.
If you have landed on this article but haven’t been to Singapore yet, read the Singapore Visa Guide for various visa options for tourists, their eligibility and requirements.
Table of Contents
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What is Singapore Electronic Visit Pass or e-Pass?
Singapore Electronic Visit Pass or e-Pass is a digital endorsem*nt that governs how long a visitor is allowed to stay in Singapore. The e-Pass includes the following three crucial pieces of information.
- Your date of entry in Singapore
- The maximum days of stay granted and
- The last day of your allowed stay
The e-Pass is issued and sent to your email after clearing the arrival immigration in Singapore. It will be sent to the email address that you have declared in your SG Arrival Card.
The e-Pass can also be retrieved on the ICA website using the Disembarkation/Embarkation (DE) Number from the SG Arrival Card.
If you retrieve your e-Pass after leaving Singapore, you will see a remark in your e-Pass that you have already left Singapore.See the remarks in “red” in the above sample.
Your e-Pass will be available for 1 year from the date of arrival in Singapore. If you like to retrieve a copy for your records, you must do so within 1 year of entry.
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Why you should retrieve Singapore e-Pass?
It’s a good idea to save a copy of your Singapore e-Pass for your records. You might need a copy of your e-Pass for various reasons. Here are some of the reasons I can think of.
Reason 1: To prove your entry and exit from Singapore
You may have to prove that you have entered and exited Singapore for certain visa applications.
For example, when applying for Malaysia eVisa, you must upload proof of entry and exit stamps from your last visited country.
If your last visited country was Singapore, you must upload a copy of your Singapore e-Pass as proof of entry and exit from Singapore.
Reason 2: To demonstrate your travel history
You are required to upload your travel history for some visa applications. For example, when applying for a Canada visa, you must upload your travel history as a supporting document.
Your travel history is all the visas and entry and exit stamps in your passport. If Singapore was one of the countries in your travel history, attaching a copy of your Singapore e-Pass along with visas and stamps from your passport will help include Singapore in your travel history.
Reason 3: To prove that you have “used” your Singapore visa
A Singapore visa can be used as a substitute visa to enter certain countries. For example, you can travel to Panama using a Singapore tourist visa.
One of the requirements to enter Panama is that your Singapore tourist visa must have been used to enter Singapore at least once. To prove that you have entered Singapore with your Singapore visa, you must present a copy of your Singapore e-Pass. The e-Pass will confirm that you have entered Singapore on your Singapore tourist visa.
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How to retrieve your Singapore e-Pass?
An e-Pass is issued and sent to your email after you clear immigration in Singapore.
The email is sent to you within 5 minutes of clearing immigration. But there have been reports that it took longer than that for some. If you haven’t received the email, check your spam or junk folders.
This email would be the one you have declared in your SG Arrival Card submission.
If you haven’t received the email or misplaced it, you can retrieve your e-Pass on the ICA website.
Follow the below steps to retrieve your e-Pass online.
Step 1: Search
- Go to the Singapore e-Pass Enquiry Portal
- Enter your Disembarkation/Embarkation (DE) Number
- Click on the blue “Retrieve e-Pass” button.
Where can you find Disembarkation/Embarkation (DE) Number?
You can find the Disembarkation/Embarkation (DE) Number in your SG Arrival Card acknowledgment email. If you have downloaded a copy of your SG Arrival Card PDF, it will be on the first page of the PDF.
If you do not remember your Disembarkation/Embarkation (DE) Number or misplaced your SG Arrival Card acknowledgment email/PDF, you can also retrieve your e-Pass using your passport information.
To retrieve your e-Pass with passport details, click on the link “Retrieve with passport information” on the search page.
Then, enter the following information.
- Date of Birth
- Nationality/Citizenship
- Passport Number
- Date of Passport Expiry
Click on the blue “Retrieve e-Pass” button.
Your Singapore e-Pass information will be displayed on the next page.
Step 2: View e-Pass
On the e-Pass information page, you can check the day you have entered, your granted stay and the last day of your allowed stay in Singapore.
Click on the blue “PDF Download” button to download a PDF copy of your e-Pass.
IMPORTANT
For your records, retrieve a copy of your e-Pass after leaving Singapore. This copy will say that you have already departed Singapore. This works as proof of entry as well as exit from Singapore.
That’s it! If you are having trouble retrieving your e-Pass, let me know in the comments below. I will see if I can help in any way.
