From 1 October 2020, Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) who need to change residential address when they move house can do so online, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on 28 September.
Currently, residential addresses have to be updated in person, by personally bringing their identity card (IC) and documentary evidence to a Neighbourhood Police Centre, Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP), or ICA building.
At the same time, those moving to or changing an overseas place of residence need to report the change to ICA via email.
Another important point to note: The police will no longer provide the service of changing residential address from December onwards.
To change residential address in Singapore on or after 1 Oct, Singaporeans and PRs may access a new e-service on ICA’s website to perform the task. The e-service will be available in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
The digital service will first require the applicants to login to their SingPass account. Thereafter completing the online procedure to change your residential address, they will receive a unique PIN sent by singpost to their new address within 3 to 5 days.
Once the applicant receives the PIN mailer, they have to logon to ICA’s e-service to enter the PIN. This is done to verfiy the address of the applicant. The new address will also be updated in the databases of public agencies in the One-Stop Address Reporting (OSCARS) initiative within one working day.
Upon verification, applicants will receive an acknowlegement that change in residential address has been performed successfully. They will also receive a sticker bearing the new address in the mail. Applicants must affix the sticker onto their back of their ICs, covering the old address.
It will be an offence if the user does not follow through to stick the new address label on the IC, according to the ICA.
One fewer thing to worry about, as there is no longer a need to show up at Police stations to change your residential address on your IC.
Changing residential address on behalf of another person
With the e-service, ICA said that Singapore residents living in the same household will be able to update their address in a single application.
Applicants can appoint proxies to submit an application for change of residential address on their behalf, as long as the proxies are SingPass holders.
The proxies have to provide the applicant’s date of issue and NRIC number to access the e-service. They must also obtain and enter the PIN mailed to the applicant’s new address to complete the process.
Singapore residents who are unable to change their address online and have no proxies to assist them may visit ICA for assistance.
“ICA would like to remind users of the new e-service that enforcement action will be taken against anyone who misuses it,” the authority said.
Under the National Registration Act, all IC holders need to update their address within 28 days of moving into a new home, whether the residence is located in or outside of Singapore.