Foreigners leaving Singapore no longer need passports stamped

Foreigners leaving Singapore no longer need passports stamped from April 22

Foreigners leaving Singapore will no longer need to have their passports stamped from next Monday (April 22).

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Wednesday that it would "cease the issuance of departure immigration endorsements", meaning stamps of departure dates on travel documents, from April 22.

This is part of ongoing efforts to streamline procedures at the checkpoints and make clearing departure immigration more efficient, it added.

Since September 2016, foreign travellers whose fingerprints were enrolled via the BioScreen system upon their arrival into Singapore have been able to use automated lanes when they leave the country. 

Such travellers do not receive stamps on their passports.

Before that, all foreigners departing Singapore had to get their passports stamped with the date of their departure by immigration officers at the manned counters.

The ICA said it would also be informing foreign authorities on its move to cease departure immigration endorsement for foreigners.

More information can be found at www.ica.gov.sg

~News courtesy of Straits Times~