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No. S 468

Passports Act

(Chapter 220)

Passports
(Amendment)
Regulations 2006

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3(1) of the Passports Act, the Minister for Home Affairs hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Passports (Amendment) Regulations 2006 and shall come into operation on 15th August 2006.

Amendment of regulation 2

2. Regulation 2 of the Passports Regulations (Rg 1) is amended —

(a)

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “enter”, the following definition:

“ “fingerprint”, in relation to an individual, means a record (in any form and produced by any method) of the skin pattern and other physical characteristics or features of any of his thumbs or fingers;”; and

(b)

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “photograph”, the following definition:

“ “Singapore biometric passport” means a Singapore passport which contains unique biological data specific to the holder;”.

Amendment of regulation 4

3. Regulation 4 of the Passports Regulations is amended by deleting paragraph (2) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(2) Every application for a Singapore passport to be issued on or after 15th August 2006 must be accompanied by —

(a)

one photograph of the applicant; and

(b)

unless expressly dispensed with by an authorised officer, the following fingerprints:

(i)	the applicant’s left and right thumbprints;
(ii)	where it is possible to furnish only one thumbprint, the applicant’s only thumbprint and one other fingerprint; or
(iii)	where it is not possible to furnish any thumbprint, the fingerprint of any 2 of the applicant’s other fingers.”.

Amendment of regulation 5

4. Regulation 5 of the Passports Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after paragraph (2), the following paragraph:

“(3) All Singapore passports issued on or after 15th August 2006 shall be Singapore biometric passports.”.

Amendment of First Schedule

5. Paragraph 1 of the First Schedule to the Passports Regulations is amended by deleting sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) and substituting the following sub-paragraphs:

“(a)	Republic of Singapore Passport issued on or after 15th August 2006 —

(i)	where the application is made in Singapore by post or through deposit boxes designated by the Controller for the receipt of passport applications

$70

(ii)	where the application is made (in Singapore or elsewhere) using an electronic application service

$70

(iii)

where the application is made in any other manner

$80

(b)	Replacement fee for lost or damaged Republic of Singapore Passport under regulation 9(5) —

(i)	first replacement

$50

(ii)	second or subsequent replacement

$100”.

Deletion and substitution of Fourth Schedule

6. The Fourth Schedule to the Passports Regulations is deleted and the following Schedule substituted therefor:

“FOURTH SCHEDULE

Regulation 4(4)

SPECIFICATIONS OF APPLICANT’S PHOTOGRAPH

1. Standard and quality

(a)	The photograph must be in colour.

(b)	The photograph must have a plain white background or, in the case where the applicant’s hat or head covering is white, a plain light grey background.

(c)	The photograph must be in sharp focus and clear with no ink marks or creases.

(d)	The photograph must be printed on high quality paper at high resolution with a matt or semi-matt finish.

(e)	The photograph must be taken with uniform lighting and must not show any flash reflections or shadows on the applicant’s face or any uneven bright spots or red eyes.

2. Dimensions

(a)	The photograph must be 35 millimeters wide by 45 millimeters long when measured without borders.

(b)	The applicant’s face must take up at least 70% of the photograph and be between 25 millimeters and 35 millimeters when measured from his chin to the crown of his head.

3. Style

(a)	The photograph must show the applicant looking directly at the camera, with eyes open and clearly visible. Both edges of the applicant’s face must be clearly shown.

(b)	The photograph must not show the applicant looking over any shoulder (portrait style) and his head must not be tilted.

(c)	No part of the applicant’s face must be obstructed by any hair.

(d)	The top of the applicant’s shoulders must be visible in the photograph.

(e)	The photograph must not show the applicant wearing any sunglasses.

(f)	If the applicant wears any optical aid, the photograph must show the applicant’s eyes clearly with no reflection off the glasses.

(g)

The photograph must not show the applicant wearing any hat or other head covering, other than a hat or other head covering which the applicant habitually wears for religious reasons or due to custom. If any such hat or other head covering is worn, the photograph must still be a full frontal view of the applicant’s head and shoulders, showing the applicant’s facial features in its entirety with eyes open and clearly visible. Both edges of the applicant’s face must be clear.

(h)	The photograph must show the applicant alone with no chair back, toys or other persons visible.”.

[G.N. Nos. S 197/2002; S 530/2002; S 28/2005; S 151/2005]

Made this 26th day of July 2006.

BENNY LIM

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.

[ICA/0138/70 (1); AG/LEG/SL/220/2005/1 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 3(2) of the Passports Act).