Starting in 2025, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will offer a more convenient way to collect passports and identity cards without prior appointments at the new ICA Services Centre (ISC).
This advancement is part of the Integrated Smart Document Management System (iSMART), which was highlighted at ICA's annual Workplan Seminar on May 17. The iSMART system is designed to be a comprehensive solution that sorts, tracks, stores, and conveys documents, utilizing biometrics and robotics to automate the issuance of documents on demand.
The ISC, located adjacent to the current ICA building on Kallang Road, will consolidate various service centers into one cohesive unit. ICA's goal is to provide a seamless, one-stop service where customers can handle multiple needs at a single touchpoint, significantly enhancing the user experience.
Announced in 2019, the 10-storey ISC building is part of ICA's broader effort to modernize and streamline its services. This initiative includes significant strides in digitalization, with nearly 95 percent of ICA services now available online. The majority of customers already submit their applications through the ICA website or mobile app.
Image: The Straits Times/Lim Yaohui
Additionally, ICA has digitized several key documents. Birth and death certificates went digital in May 2022, followed by long-term passes for non-citizens in February 2023. The agency plans to continue reducing the issuance of physical documents, allowing the public to retrieve digital documents through the MyICA mobile app, MyICA e-service on the ICA website, or FileSG by GovTech.
This shift towards a "fuss-free experience" leverages advanced technologies to re-engineer processes, making interactions with ICA more efficient and user-friendly.
