New passport: how to transfer a Singapore Re-Entry Permit
Singapore permanent residents should transfer a valid REP promptly after receiving a new travel document. ICA explains the online process, fees, timing and personal login requirement for spouses.
No transfer fee. Some cases take longer. A PR spouse must apply personally using their own Singpass.
A Singapore permanent resident who receives a new passport should promptly transfer a still-valid Re-Entry Permit (REP) to the new travel document through ICA’s e-Service. The transfer is free and requires Singpass. ICA generally processes it within three working days, excluding submission day; some cases take longer.[1]
Before travelling, check the passport details, REP validity and completion status separately. A submitted request is not the same as a completed update.
Identify the right service first
A valid REP attached to an old passport is the situation addressed by the transfer service. Applying for or renewing an REP is a separate ICA procedure. ICA advises permanent residents with a new passport to update their information promptly and links entry as a permanent resident to a valid REP with updated passport details.[1][2]
Keep the passport and REP expiry dates as separate calendar entries. When one changes, check the other. Updating a travel-document record should not be treated as a decision granting a new REP validity period.
This distinction is useful for households whose members renewed passports at different times. One person may need a straightforward transfer while another needs to address an expiring permit before travelling.
Submit, check and retrieve
Log in to the transfer service with your own Singpass and follow its instructions. ICA says documents are generally unnecessary and will request any needed material by email. Keep the account’s contact details current and monitor messages after submission.[1]
Check the result through the e-Service. After a successful transfer, print the REP for your records and carry it when travelling. Allow room in the travel timetable for additional processing rather than treating the usual three-working-day period as guaranteed.[1]
A practical record can contain the submission date, status, new passport number and retrieved permit. Check the final details against the physical passport before filing the record. This is a suggested personal check, not an additional ICA filing requirement.
Overseas applicants and spouses
The online transfer is available overseas where the applicant has valid Singpass access and a still-valid REP. Location alone is therefore not the deciding factor; the validity conditions still matter.[1]
A citizen or permanent-resident sponsor cannot perform the transfer for a sponsored spouse. The PR spouse must personally log in using their own Singpass to make the declaration and transfer. Families can help organise documents without substituting one person’s account for another’s required declaration.[1]
If the passport or permit has expired
ICA’s published answer distinguishes residence from travel: a PR in Singapore can continue residing there when a passport expires, but cannot travel with that expired passport. After obtaining a new one, the person should renew or transfer the REP according to its status.[3]
An applicant already overseas without a valid REP falls outside the valid-permit transfer procedure described here and should consult ICA’s guidance for that situation. Resolve that issue before relying on this article’s ordinary update steps.
Official sources
General policy information; individual circumstances and the competent authority’s requirements govern each application.