Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority is refreshing the SG Arrival Card interface from 26 August 2026: passport-scan autofill, a redesigned form, and seven added languages taking the total to 19. Nothing about who must file, when, or what it costs is changing — including the fact that Hindi has been on the form all along.
In this guide3 sections
What is actually new#
ICA's update adds passport-scan autofill, so travellers photograph their passport's data page and the form fills in the relevant fields instead of being typed by hand. The interface itself is redesigned for "smoother, easier navigation," in ICA's own description. Seven languages join the current twelve — Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Dutch, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Tagalog — bringing the total to 19. The website version goes live on 26 August; the MyICA Mobile app follows on a later date ICA has not yet fixed.
What does not change for an Indian traveller#
Hindi and Tamil have both been available on the SGAC since well before this update, so the language expansion adds nothing new for an Indian passport holder specifically. The card remains mandatory for every traveller arriving in Singapore — with the single exception of those transiting without clearing immigration — and it remains free through ICA's own channels. Only one submission is needed per trip: anyone who files before 26 August does not have to file again on the refreshed version afterwards.
Why the update matters more than it sounds#
A revised government form is routine, but a revised arrival form is also routinely faked. Third-party sites that charge ₹500–₹1,500 to "submit your Singapore arrival card" tend to refresh their own pages whenever ICA changes something, precisely because a genuine-looking update reassures a traveller who has not checked the real source. The only two facts worth checking directly on ICA's page before every trip are whether the card is still free and whether the URL is eservices.ica.gov.sg, not a lookalike. The full requirement — who is exempt, the submission window, and what the confirmation looks like — is in our Singapore Arrival Card guide; the separate visa process, which SGAC does not replace, is covered in Singapore visa for Indians.
VisaGyan is an independent journal, not affiliated with ICA or the Singapore government. Submit the SGAC only at eservices.ica.gov.sg or the MyICA Mobile app.
Frequently asked questions
- What actually changes on the SG Arrival Card from 26 August 2026?
- ICA is rolling out a refreshed interface with passport-scan autofill and seven more languages — Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Dutch, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Tagalog — taking the total from 12 to 19. The website version launches 26 August 2026; the MyICA Mobile app gets the update afterwards.
- Is the SG Arrival Card available in Hindi?
- Yes, already. Hindi and Tamil are among the current 12 languages and are unaffected by this update, so an Indian traveller filling the form today or after 26 August can do it in Hindi either way.
- Do I need to resubmit my arrival card after the update goes live?
- No. Only one SGAC submission is required per trip. A traveller who has already filed on the current version does not need to file again on the refreshed one.
- Does submitting the SG Arrival Card cost money?
- No. Submission through ICA's own channels — eservices.ica.gov.sg or the MyICA Mobile app — stays free after the update, exactly as before. Any site charging a fee to "process" it is not ICA.