Singapore Biometric Passport

juzernie SG · 2006-08-17T11:29:15+00:00

Its a small price to pay for convenience and security. After all, we are resilient, we will adapt to change.

juzernie SG

From 96 pages to 64 pages...

From S$60 to S$80... (S$50 to S$70 if done via APPLES)

Validity Period remains at 5 years.

Is the cost justifiable? Confused

http://app.sprinter.gov.sg/data/pr/20060725983.htm

ditzy SG

Of course its justifiatble! You dare question the government? You have hell to pay! Laughing

Aveme SG

we can still use our present passport right?

ditzy SG

No! you have to get it changed before the 31st of july 2006. Laughing

Aveme SG

lol your reply cannot be trusted,have to go do a check on the immigration dept webbie later

juzernie SG

haha... yes of course you can.

but i find the price steep considering the number of pages reduced from 96 to 64.

on top of the new book inventory control number, no further changes to the holders particulars (including the photograph) will be allowed once the passport is issued. The BioPass holder will have to apply for a new passport if he needs to update any of his personal particulars.

juzernie SG

haha... that was funny but i really wonder why has the number of pages gone down with the increment of the passport fee. i bet they want to earn more $$. Laughing

the Bear SG

you can use the current passport until it expires Wink

it'll be $80 but with a $10 discount if you send your application in by post...

let's do a comparison, shall we? Wink

a quick search in Google:

Australia
A$150 for a 32-page passport
A$226 for a 64-page passport

New Zealand
NZ$150 for adult, NZ$80 for children
NZ$300 for urgent adult passport, NZ$230 for urgent child passport

Malaysia
RM300 for adults
RM150 for children

United States
US$97 for adults
US$82 for children

United Kingdom
GBP51 for adults (48-page one is GBP62.50)
GBP34 for children

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Because you can use the passport for 5 years instead of 10 years. Laughing

Also, they use new technology like biometric, which costs money, that is why it increased. And they have to kill some brain cells to come up with a random passport number. Current passport number = I/C number. They want to change it, whereby passport number is not equals to I/C number, to facilitate tracing of lost passports faster and prevent fake copies of the Singapore Passport.

SMRT Buses SG

Tuesday July 25, 10:17 PM

Biometric passport will be introduced in Singapore on Aug 15

SINGAPORE: Biometric passports will be introduced in Singapore from mid-August to replace the current ones which are non-biometric, but the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority says there is no need to rush to convert the present non-biometric machine-readable passports to a BioPass, even if you're travelling to the United States.

That is because the current machine-readable passports will continue to enjoy visa-free travel to the US up to 90 days, but these passports must still be valid for more than 6 months and have unused pages.

Applications that reach ICA on and before 8th August will be treated as applications for non-biometric passports while those received after 8th August will be for the BioPass.

Each bio-metric passport will cost $80.

Singaporeans who apply through ICA's e-service, deposit boxes or via post will get a $10 rebate.

According to ICA, on average, 100,000 pre-enlistee passport holders have their passports extended annually.

To avoid this inconvenience and cost, MINDEF has decided to remove passports-controls for these NS-liable males and allow them to be issued with passports of full validity.

This means pre-enlistee passport holders will no longer need to renew their passports once every 1 or 2 years. - CNA /dt

sohguanh SG

From software point of view getting a truly random number is very difficult. Furthermore you must ensure no 2 same number is generated during the sequence. More bits allocated will give a larger range of values to choose from but tat will also mean software work slower Mr. Green

ndmmxiaomayi SG

If so easy, a JavaScript can solve it. Laughing

photo_seeker SG

I actually supports the BioMetric Passport cause it will beef up security.

As for the $80, I find it pretty alright with the added security.

juzernie SG

Originally posted by the Bear:
you can use the current passport until it expires

it'll be $80 but with a $10 discount if you send your application in by post...

let's do a comparison, shall we?

a quick search in Google:

[b]Australia
A$150 for a 32-page passport
A$226 for a 64-page passport

New Zealand
NZ$150 for adult, NZ$80 for children
NZ$300 for urgent adult passport, NZ$230 for urgent child passport

Malaysia
RM300 for adults
RM150 for children

United States
US$97 for adults
US$82 for children

United Kingdom
GBP51 for adults (48-page one is GBP62.50)
GBP34 for children

[/b]

Wow... So with all these figures, I think we should not complain about the price of a BioPass. Laughing

juzernie SG

Yeap I won't deny the fact that new technology costs money to implement. Smile

concerned_man SG

someone who have seen the new biometric passport complained about the display of name.

For example in the old passport : Tan Ah Gao
New Biometric Passort : Ah Gao Tan

anyone can verify?

Thanks.

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Because they forget to revert. Laughing

In Asia,

First Name = Surname
Last Name = Given name

In Europe and US,

First Name = Given name
Last Name = Surname

Singaporeans who don't know this and fill up as per normal will get their name inverted.

SMRT Buses SG

Wednesday August 16, 6:17 PM

5,500 Singaporeans applied for biometric passports during official launch

SINGAPORE : The first Singaporeans have started receiving the new biometric passports.

About 200 have already been issued to the public by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

During its official launch on Tuesday, 5,500 Singaporeans applied for the new passport.

This is a huge surge in numbers as ICA usually sees about 2,000 passport applications in a day.

Since last week, ICA officers have been preparing their service counters to meet this surge in demand.

Unlike the old passport, the new passports has added security features to prevent tampering and forgery.

They cost S$80 and are expected to replace the old passports in ten years.

ICA says there is no deadline for Singaporeans to rush to apply for the new passports if their existing ones have sufficient unused pages and remaining validity. - CNA/ch

FireIce SG

every 5yrs we pay govt $80???

the Bear SG

only if you want to travel

there is no law saying you must have a passport if you do not want to travel Wink