The following is a press lease by the Immigrations & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
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The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will introduce National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) re-registration at age 55 from 1 January 2017.
The need for Re-registration at Age 55
Currently, Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs) register for their NRIC at age 15 and re-register at age 30. The re-registration at age 30 allows SCs and PRs to update their identity information, including their photographs.
As NRIC holders get older, the photographs on the NRIC will become outdated. This may cause difficulties in identification, particularly for the elderly. Besides possible inconvenience to the NRIC holders, this may also lead to security risks because the authorities may not be able to correctly identify an individual based on his outdated photograph. The re-registration at age 55 will allow SCs and PRs to get new NRICs with their most recent photographs.
Who will need to Re-register?
SCs and PRs who are: (i) turning 55 years old on or after 1 January 2017 (i.e. born on or after 1 January 1962); and (ii) who have not been issued with a replacement NRIC in the 10 years before their 55th birthday, will be required to re-register their NRIC.
Re-registration Procedures
NRIC holders who are required to re-register will receive a notification letter from ICA one month before their 55th birthday. They will have one year to complete the re-registration – from after they turn 55 years old and before their 56th birthday. Those who are residing abroad can re-register their NRIC within one year of their return to Singapore.
The most convenient way for NRIC holders to re-register is to do so online via iC Online on the ICA website. They can also re-register using the self-service kiosks located at the eLobby on Level 1 of the ICA Building. NRIC holders who are unable to re-register online can complete the hardcopy application form enclosed in ICA’s notification letter and mail it to the ICA Citizen Services Centre.
NRIC holders will need to update their personal particulars and submit a recent photograph of themselves when re-registering.
Re-registration Fees
A subsidised re-registration fee of $10 for SCs and $50 for PRs will be charged to recover part of the costs to produce an IC. This is the same amount for NRIC registration at age 15 and re-registration at age 30.
Collection of NRICs
Upon successful re-registration, ICA will send an acknowledgement card to inform the NRIC holders to collect their new NRICs. The NRIC holders can book an appointment via eappointment.ica.gov.sg or eAPPT@ICA mobile app.
Collection can be done at the ICA Building. NRIC holders can also opt to collect the new NRICs at selected SingPost outlets, with a service fee of $6 payable to SingPost. For greater convenience to the public, ICA will also explore partnering with other public sector agencies or the private sector, to provide more NRIC collection points in the future.
Enrolment of Iris Images
For one-stop convenience, ICA plans to also enrol iris images at the point of NRIC collection from 2017. The use of iris scan technology will augment current identity verification methods using photographs and fingerprints. The iris enrolment process is convenient, contactless and non-intrusive.
Failure to Re-register
Re-registration at age 55 is compulsory. It is an offence under the National Registration Act if the NRIC holder fails to re-register his NRIC within one year of turning 55 years old, or within one year of his return to Singapore if he is residing overseas. ICA will also send out reminder letters, six and nine months after the NRIC holder turns 55 years old, to ask him to re-register if he has not done so.
Optional Re-Registration for SCs and PRs who have turned 55 Years Old before 2017
ICA will also introduce optional NRIC re-registration for SCs and PRs who have turned 55 years old before 2017 (i.e. born before 1 January 1962). This optional re-registration exercise will commence from 2018 onwards. ICA will provide more details of this exercise next year. There is no need for this group of NRIC holders to do anything in 2017.
Members of the public may visit our website at www.ica.gov.sg for more information on the NRIC re-registration requirements and procedures.