National Registration Act
(Chapter 201, Section 19)
National Registration Regulations
Rg 2
G.N. No. S 226/1991

REVISED EDITION 1990
(31st August 2000)
[3rd June 1991]
Citation
1.  These Regulations may be cited as the National Registration Regulations.
2.  [Deleted by S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Registration and re-registration under Act
3.—(1)  Subject to paragraph (3), a person who is required to register under the Act —
(a)may apply for registration in accordance with these Regulations at any time within the year that the person attains the age of 15 years; and
(b)must apply for registration in accordance with these Regulations within one year after attaining the age of 15 years (called in this regulation the specified period).
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(1A)  [Deleted by S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2)  [Deleted by S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(3)  Every person who is required to register under the Act but who was resident outside Singapore during the whole of the specified period must, within one year after the person’s return to Singapore, apply for registration in accordance with these Regulations.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(4)  Nothing in this regulation prevents the registration of a person who fails to apply for registration within the time specified in paragraph (1) or (3), as the case may be.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(5)  Without prejudice to section 16(1)(a) of the Act, every person who is required to re-register under section 7 of the Act but who has failed to do so before 31st December 1995 shall, as soon as is practicable, apply for re‑registration in accordance with these Regulations.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
Procedure and documents
4.—(1)  Every person who applies for registration under regulation 3(1) or (3), or re‑registration under regulation 3(5), 14, 14A or 14B, shall —
(a)subject to paragraph (3), provide to the registration officer an unmounted photograph that complies with the specifications set out in the National Registration (Photographs) Regulations 2017 (G.N. No. S 742/2017);
[S 743/2017 wef 01/01/2018]
(aa)provide such other personal identifiers as the registration officer may require;
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(ab)submit to all reasonable steps for the taking or recording of any personal identifier;
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(b)surrender his previous identity card, if any;
(c)[Deleted by S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(d)give the following particulars to the registration officer:
(i)his name or if he is known by different names, each of his names in full;
(ii)[Deleted by S 526/2002 wef 30/09/2002]
(iii)the full particulars of his place of residence;
(iv)his race;
(v)his language or dialect;
(vi)his place of birth;
(vii)his date of birth and sex;
(viii)[Deleted by S 526/2002 wef 30/09/2002]
(ix)his status as a citizen of Singapore or other citizenship or national status;
(x)[Deleted by S 526/2002 wef 30/09/2002]
(xi)such other particulars as the registration officer may consider necessary; and
(e)produce such documentary evidence as the registration officer may consider necessary to support the accuracy of any particulars submitted.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
[S 743/2017 wef 01/01/2018]
(2)  The registration officer may, in his discretion, endorse, with a stamp or other distinguishing mark, any document produced to him under this regulation.
(3)  A person is not required to submit an unmounted photograph under paragraph (1)(a) if the person has, within 3 months immediately preceding the date of the application mentioned in paragraph (1), submitted a photograph under regulation 3(1)(b) of the Passports Regulations 2007 (G.N. No. S 651/2007) that complies with regulation 3(2) of those Regulations.
[S 743/2017 wef 01/01/2018]
Authorisation for proxies
4A.  A person required to make an application or a report mentioned in regulation 3(1), 9(1), 10(1), 11(1), 14(1) or 14A(1) or who wishes to apply for re-registration under regulation 14B(1), may authorise another person to make the application or report mentioned in that regulation on behalf of the firstmentioned person.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
Issue of identity cards
5.—(1)  The registration officer may issue to the person mentioned in regulation 4 an identity card containing that person’s photograph and such other particulars as the Commissioner considers necessary for the purposes of identification of that person.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2)  Identity cards issued under these Regulations shall be of 2 types; one type being pink in colour for citizens of Singapore and the other being blue in colour for persons who are not citizens of Singapore.
(3)  [Deleted by S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Custody of identity card
6.  Subject to the provisions of these Regulations, any person to whom an identity card is issued shall, upon collection of the identity card, be responsible for its custody.
[S 40/2009 wef 16/02/2009]
Officers who may require production of identity cards
7.—(1)  Any registration officer, immigration officer, police officer, officer of customs, officer of the Central Narcotics Bureau or Special Investigator of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (referred to in this regulation as the inspecting officer) and any other officer or class or description of officer authorised in writing in that behalf by the Commissioner, may at any time require any person (not being a person exempted from registration under regulation 22) to produce his identity card for inspection, or to produce it within such time to such person and at such place as the officer requiring its production may think fit.
(2)  An inspecting officer may retain any identity card for the purpose of investigations.
(3)  Any inspecting officer, or any other officer authorised by the Commissioner, purporting to act under paragraph (1), shall, if so requested by any person from whom he has required the production of an identity card, produce for inspection by the person the written authority under which he purports to be acting.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(4)  For the purpose of receiving or considering any application for, or any matter connected with, the citizenship of Singapore as provided in any law for the time being in force relating to the citizenship of Singapore, any public officer or other person having any statutory duty under the provisions of any such law shall have all the powers of an inspecting officer conferred by paragraphs (1) and (2).
Other authority entitled to demand production of identity cards
8.—(1)  Any authority to whom a person required to be registered under the Act applies for the grant of any licence, permit or other document or for the exercise of the authority’s lawful functions, may, in its discretion, require the applicant to produce his identity card.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2)  If the applicant does not produce to the authority his identity card or other proof to the satisfaction of the authority that he has been registered under the Act, or exempted from registration under these Regulations, the authority may, in its discretion, defer consideration of the application until the applicant produces either his identity card or such other proof.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(3)  Where an invalid identity card has been produced to any authority referred to in paragraph (1), it shall be lawful for the authority to retain such identity card and forward it to the Commissioner for cancellation.
(4)  For the purpose of this regulation, “invalid identity card” means an identity card which ceased to be valid under section 7(2) of the Act.
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
(5)  For the purposes of this regulation, a reference to a person required to be registered under the Act includes a reference to a person permitted to re‑register under regulation 14B.
[S 743/2017 wef 01/01/2018]
Replacement identity cards
9.—(1)  Subject to paragraph (1A), where an identity card is lost, destroyed or so defaced that any particulars on the identity card are no longer decipherable, the person to whom the card relates must, within 14 days after the date on which the person becomes aware of that fact, report that fact and apply for a replacement identity card, in the form and manner required by the Commissioner.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(1A)  If the person mentioned in paragraph (1) is resident outside Singapore at the time that the identity card is lost, destroyed or defaced, the person must, in the form and manner required by the Commissioner —
(a)report the loss, destruction or defacement of the identity card within 14 days after the date on which the person becomes aware of that fact; and
(b)apply for a replacement identity card within 14 days after the person’s return to Singapore.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(2)  A replacement identity card may be issued in place of the one lost, destroyed or defaced on such conditions as may be imposed by the Commissioner.
(3)  Any person issued with a replacement for a lost identity card and who subsequently recovers possession of the lost identity card shall, within 7 days of its recovery, surrender the recovered identity card to a registration officer for cancellation.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(4)  Any person who finds or comes into possession of an identity card which does not belong to him shall, without undue delay, deliver it to the person to whom it relates or to a registration officer or to a police officer.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Replacement identity cards for incorrect particulars
10.—(1)  A person registered under the Act who —
(a)changes his name; or
(b)has in his possession an identity card containing any particulars, other than his address, which are to his knowledge incorrect,
shall, within 28 days, report the fact to a registration officer and apply for a replacement identity card with the correct particulars.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2)  A registration officer, if satisfied that any person who —
(a)reports any change of name under paragraph (1), has in fact changed his name; or
(b)reports that any particulars on his identity card, other than his address, are incorrect,
may issue him a replacement identity card.
(3)  A registration officer or a police officer may, in his discretion, require a person in possession of an identity card which, in the opinion of the registration officer or police officer, is in any way unsatisfactory for the purpose of the identification of that person to surrender the card and apply for the issue of a replacement identity card.
Collection of identity card
10A.—(1)  Upon the issue of an identity card (including a replacement identity card), the Commissioner or a registration officer shall, by notice in writing, inform the person to whom the identity card is issued to collect the identity card and surrender any previous identity card within such time and in such manner as may be specified in the notice.
[S 40/2009 wef 16/02/2009]
(2)  A registration officer may, by notice in writing, cancel any identity card that is not collected within the period specified in paragraph (1).
[S 40/2009 wef 16/02/2009]
(3)  The fee payable in respect of an identity card that is cancelled under paragraph (2) shall not be refunded.
[S 40/2009 wef 16/02/2009]
Report of change of residence
11.—(1)  A report of change of residence under section 10 of the Act shall be in such form and manner as the Commissioner may require.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
(2)  The form, if sent by post, shall be post-free.
(3)  Where the Commissioner amends the register in relation to a person’s residence after receiving a report of change of residence under section 10 of the Act, the Commissioner must send to the person a label stating the new residence (called in these Regulations a new address label) for affixing on the person’s identity card, or cause a new address label to be affixed on the person’s identity card.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
Affixing of new address label on identity card
11A.  A person who has received a new address label under regulation 11(3) must, as soon as practicable after receiving the new address label, affix it, or cause it to be affixed, on the person’s identity card.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
Death of identity card holder
12.  Upon the death of a person to whom an identity card was issued, the person in possession of his identity card shall, within 7 days after the date of death, surrender the identity card to the Registrar of Births and Deaths or to a registration officer.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Surrendering of identity cards
13.—(1)  Any person registered under the Act —
(a)who intends to leave Singapore permanently;
(b)who ceases to be a citizen of Singapore;
(c)whose re-entry permit has expired while he is overseas; or
(d)whose entry permit has been cancelled under the Immigration Act 1959,
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
shall surrender his identity card to a registration officer or, in exceptional circumstances, to an immigration officer or to a diplomatic or consular officer of the Government of Singapore in a foreign country —
(i)within 14 days of the date of his intended departure, if he is leaving Singapore permanently; or
(ii)immediately, after ceasing to be a citizen of Singapore or after the expiry or cancellation of his re-entry or entry permit.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2)  Any officer to whom any identity card is surrendered by any person under paragraph (1) shall issue a receipt to the person in such form as the Commissioner may determine.
[S 413/2006 wef 15/07/2006]
Re‑registration at age of 30 years
14.—(1)  Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), any person who —
(a)has been registered under the Act; and
(b)attains the age of 30 years on or after 1 January 2002,
must, within one year after attaining the age of 30 years (called in this regulation the specified period), apply for re‑registration in accordance with these Regulations.
(2)  Paragraph (1) does not apply to a person who has been issued with an identity card or a replacement identity card within 10 years immediately before the person attains the age of 30 years.
(3)  Where a person mentioned in paragraph (1) —
(a)proves to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that the person will be resident outside of Singapore during the whole of the specified period — the person may apply for re-registration in accordance with these Regulations at any time within the period of one year immediately before the date on which the person attains the age of 30 years; or
(b)resides outside Singapore during the whole of the specified period — the person must, within one year after the person’s return to Singapore, apply for re-registration in accordance with these Regulations.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(4)  Nothing in this regulation prevents the re‑registration of a person who fails to apply for re‑registration within the time specified in paragraph (1) or (3), as the case may be.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Re‑registration at age of 55 years
14A.—(1)  Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), any person who —
(a)has been registered under the Act; and
(b)attains the age of 55 years on or after 1 January 2017,
must, within one year after attaining the age of 55 years (called in this regulation the specified period), apply for re‑registration in accordance with these Regulations.
(2)  Paragraph (1) does not apply to a person who has been issued with an identity card or a replacement identity card within 10 years immediately before the person attains the age of 55 years.
(3)  Where a person mentioned in paragraph (1) —
(a)proves to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that the person will be resident outside of Singapore during the whole of the specified period — the person may apply for re-registration in accordance with these Regulations at any time within the period of one year immediately before the date on which the person attains the age of 55 years; or
(b)resides outside Singapore during the whole of the specified period — the person must, within one year after the person’s return to Singapore, apply for re-registration in accordance with these Regulations.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(4)  Nothing in this regulation prevents the re‑registration of a person who fails to apply for re‑registration within the time specified in paragraph (1) or (3), as the case may be.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Optional re-registration for persons born before 1 January 1962
14B.—(1)  Subject to paragraph (2), any person who —
(a)has been registered under the Act; and
(b)is born before 1 January 1962,
may apply for re‑registration in accordance with these Regulations.
(2)  Where a person mentioned in paragraph (1) receives a written notification from the Commissioner inviting that person to apply for re‑registration under that paragraph within a period of one year after the date of that notification (called in this regulation the specified period), that person may only apply for re‑registration —
(a)in any case where that person resides outside Singapore during the whole of the specified period, within one year after that person’s return to Singapore; or
(b)in any other case, within the specified period.
(3)  Paragraphs (1) and (2) do not apply to a person who has been issued with an identity card or a replacement identity card on or after 1 January 2008.
(4)  [Deleted by S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(5)  To avoid doubt, a person mentioned in paragraph (1) or (2) is not a person required to re‑register, or to be re‑registered, under the Act.
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
[S 743/2017 wef 01/01/2018]
Publication of information
15.  The Commissioner may, in his discretion, cause to be published any information derived from the register required to be kept and maintained under section 5 of the Act.
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
Powers of registration officer
16.  A registration officer may, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of these Regulations —
(a)call upon any person to appear before him to answer any question which the registration officer may consider reasonably necessary to ask that person; or
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(b)require any person applying for registration or re-registration to make such further declaration or supply such further particulars or documents as the registration officer may reasonably require.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(c)[Deleted by S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Duties of hotel keepers, etc.
17.—(1)  The owner, manager or other person in charge of any hotel, boarding house, hostel or other like dwelling place shall not accommodate any person, other than a person exempted from registration or re-registration under regulation 22, unless he is in possession of an identity card issued to him and produces it at the time of his request for accommodation to the owner, manager or other person.
(2)  Where any person seeks accommodation at any hotel, boarding house, hostel or other like dwelling place and is not in possession of, or fails to produce, an identity card issued to him, it shall be the duty of the owner, manager or other person in charge thereof to notify the nearest police station of the fact immediately.
(3)  Where any person seeks accommodation at any hotel, boarding house, hostel or other like dwelling place and claims to be a person exempted from registration under regulation 22, the owner, manager or other person in charge thereof shall take all reasonable steps to satisfy himself that the person claiming such exemption is entitled in law to the exemption before providing accommodation for him.
(4)  Any owner, manager or person in charge of a hotel, boarding house, hostel or other like dwelling place who accommodates any person in contravention of this regulation or fails or neglects to notify the police in accordance with paragraph (2) shall be guilty of an offence.
18.  [Deleted by S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
19.  
[Deleted by S 556/2007 wef 01/12/2007]
Offences
20.  Any person who —
(a)in any application or report (as the case may be) under regulation 3(1), (3) or (5), 9(1), 10(1), 11(1), 14, 14A or 14B, whether made on his own behalf or on behalf of another, makes any statement or gives any information which is false in any material particular, and which he either knows or believes to be false or does not believe to be true;
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
(b)[Deleted by S 413/2006 wef 15/07/2006]
(c)fails to comply with a summons or requisition of a registration officer made under regulation 16;
(d)being a parent or guardian of a person under the age of 16 years, conduces, by neglect or otherwise, to the commission of an offence by such person;
(e)being a person who has been granted unrestricted residence in Singapore under any written law relating to immigration in force in Singapore and who has not applied for registration in accordance with these Regulations within 30 days after the date of his entry into Singapore or, if he was already in Singapore at the time of the grant, within 30 days after the date of the grant;
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(f)being a public officer or a registration officer, except in the public interest and with the permission of the Commissioner, or for the purpose of criminal proceedings, publishes or communicates to any person any information contained in the register required to be kept under section 5 of the Act or any book or record made under or for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of these Regulations; or
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
(g)fails to comply with any provision of these Regulations,
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both.
21.  [Deleted by S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
Exempted persons
22.—(1)  The following persons shall be exempted from the requirement to register under the Act:
(a)the President of Singapore;
(b)a child of any age before the start of the year in which he attains the age of 15 years;
[S 610/2008 wef 01/12/2008]
(c)any person who is authorised or permitted to remain in Singapore by virtue of a pass issued under the Immigration Act 1959;
[S 847/2020 wef 01/10/2020]
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
(d)any person to whom a diplomatic identity card, a consular identity card or an international organisation identity card has been issued by the Government;
(e)a member of any visiting armed force lawfully present in Singapore (excluding locally enlisted personnel) in possession of the official identity card or other document of identity ordinarily issued to members of such force; and
(f)any person in possession of a valid identity card which has been issued to him in any of the States of Malaya under the provisions of any law for the time being in force in the States of Malaya relating to the issue of identity cards and who has not been granted unrestricted residence in Singapore under any written law relating to immigration in force in Singapore.
[S 701/2016 wef 01/01/2017]
(2)  Every person referred to in paragraph (1)(f) who resides in Singapore for a period exceeding 30 days shall report to a registration officer in such form as the Commissioner may require —
(a)his place of residence in Singapore, within 40 days of his arrival in Singapore; and
(b)every subsequent change of residence in Singapore, within 28 days of such change.
Destruction of identity cards and other documents
23.—(1)  Subject to Part 19 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 and section 17 of the National Library Board Act 1995, the Commissioner may order the destruction of any of the following items in the Commissioner’s possession if the Commissioner is of the opinion that the item is obsolete, invalid or no longer required:
(a)any identity card issued under the Act;
(b)any document (including a record of a personal identifier) obtained by the Commissioner or a registration officer from a person registered or required to be registered under the Act.
[S 743/2017 wef 01/01/2018]
[S 410/2022 wef 31/12/2021]
(2)  For the purposes of this regulation, a reference to a person required to be registered under the Act includes a reference to a person permitted to re‑register under regulation 14B.
[S 743/2017 wef 01/01/2018]
Fees
24.—(1)  The fees payable for the purposes of these Regulations shall be as set out in the Schedule.
(2)  The Commissioner may, in his discretion, waive any fee required to be paid under these Regulations.
[G.N. Nos. S 226/91; S159/95; S560/95; S134/96; S538/96; S 130/97; S115/98; S356/98; S133/99; S575/99]
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