PR Passport Update: How to Transfer Your Re-Entry Permit with ICA

Short answer: For a PR passport update, you transfer your valid Re-Entry Permit (REP) to the new passport through ICA’s online e-Service, logging in with Singpass. Per ICA, as at 7 November 2026, there is no fee and processing generally takes 3 working days. Transfer it promptly, then print the permit and carry it when you travel.

This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. For matters needing legal advice, we work with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms.

How does a PR passport update work with ICA?

You do not file a new REP application. You use ICA’s e-Service to transfer the REP you already hold to the new passport. ICA’s page is titled “Transfer of Re-Entry Permit/Update Travel Document for Permanent Residents”, and it covers exactly this situation.

ICA (the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority) states that if you are a Permanent Resident (PR) with a valid REP and you have obtained a new travel document, you must promptly transfer your REP to that document. The word “promptly” matters. ICA does not give a number of days on the page we reviewed, so the safe reading is to start the transfer as soon as the new passport is in your hands.

A PR passport update is therefore a short administrative step, but it sits on top of a permit that controls your ability to leave and return. Your REP is the permit that lets you travel overseas and come back in as a PR. ICA’s PR application page says plainly that you must hold a valid REP to do that. If you want the full picture of how the REP itself is renewed, see our guide to Singapore Re-Entry Permit renewal for PR holders.

Does a new passport cancel my Re-Entry Permit?

ICA’s page does not say that a new passport cancels your REP. It describes the process as a transfer of your valid REP to the new travel document, which implies the permit continues rather than starts again.

What ICA does make clear is the obligation: the REP has to be moved across to the new travel document. Think of the REP as attached to the identity of the passport you travel on. When that passport changes, the link needs updating. The page does not say whether the expiry date of the REP changes after a transfer, so check the printed REP after the transfer is approved and compare its details with your records. If anything looks wrong, raise it with ICA.

The transfer is also a different thing from renewing a REP. A renewal extends your permit and is a separate e-Service with its own page on the ICA website. A transfer changes the travel document recorded against a permit that is still valid.

What are the steps to transfer a Re-Entry Permit online?

The process has five stages on ICA’s page: check fees, apply online, check processing time, check application status and retrieve the new REP. In practice it looks like this.

1. Collect your new passport and confirm that your REP is still valid. ICA’s page speaks of transferring a valid REP.
2. Go to ICA’s page for the transfer and select the apply online link. The e-Service asks you to log in with Singpass.
3. If you do not have a Singpass account, or need help logging in, contact Singpass. ICA says this on its page.
4. Complete the transfer application. ICA’s FAQ asks whether you need to prepare documents when submitting a transfer. The answer sits in the FAQ on the ICA page, so read it before you start rather than relying on this article.
5. Check the status of your application by logging in with Singpass again, using the status link on the same page.
6. Once the transfer succeeds, print out the REP for your records and carry the print-out when you travel.

We have not reproduced the screens inside the e-Service because they sit behind a Singpass login. If a field is unclear, ICA’s contact page is the right place to ask.

How long does the transfer take and what does it cost?

ICA generally processes a transfer within 3 working days, excluding the day of submission, and charges no fee. Some applications may take longer.

Item	What ICA says (as at 7 November 2026)
Fee for transferring the REP	No fee
Generally processed within	3 working days, excluding the day of submission
Log in method	Singpass
After a successful transfer	Print the REP and carry the print-out when travelling
Page last updated by ICA	27 October 2026

Do not confuse this with the fee for a REP itself. For context, ICA’s PR application page lists S$50 for a 5-year REP at the completion of formalities for a new PR. That is a different event, and the transfer carries no fee.

Can I travel while the transfer is being processed?

ICA’s page does not address travel during the processing window, so we cannot confirm it. Because a PR must hold a valid REP to return as a PR, avoid booking travel on the new passport until the transfer is approved and you hold the printed REP.

The practical risk is a mismatch. The REP is meant to match the travel document you present at the checkpoint. If you leave before the transfer is complete, you would be relying on a record that has not yet caught up with your passport. If your travel cannot wait, ask ICA directly before you fly, and keep any written reply with your travel documents.

Three working days is short, but add time for the weekend, public holidays and any request from ICA for more information. Build in a buffer before any overseas trip.

What if I am overseas or applying for my spouse?

ICA’s FAQ list on the transfer page includes both questions: how to transfer if you are residing or working overseas, and whether you can apply on behalf of your spouse. The answers are inside the ICA FAQs and AskGov, so confirm them there.

We have not repeated those answers here because they were not displayed in full on the page we reviewed, and immigration rules for people abroad can differ from the standard flow. If you live outside Singapore, check ICA’s FAQ before you assume the Singpass route works for you. If a family member’s passport has changed too, each person needs their own REP transfer unless ICA’s FAQ tells you otherwise.

Does my employer need to know about my new passport?

ICA’s transfer page sets out no step for employers. A PR does not hold a work pass, so there is no pass to update with MOM in the way an Employment Pass holder would have. That is our reading of the ICA page, and it is not a statement of every employer obligation.

Employers still keep records of identity documents. It is sensible practice to give HR the new passport details once ICA confirms the transfer, so that contracts, payroll, travel bookings and any visa letters for business trips use the right passport number. If your role depends on frequent travel, tell your manager when the transfer is approved so that bookings are made on the new document.

If you still hold an Employment Pass or S Pass and are not yet a PR, the sequence is different. Our article on passport expiry before Employment Pass renewal covers that case.

What happens if I do not transfer my Re-Entry Permit?

ICA’s wording is that you must promptly transfer, and that a PR must hold a valid REP to travel overseas and return as a PR. ICA’s page does not set out a penalty for a late transfer, so ask ICA if you have already waited a long time.

We would not treat a missed transfer as a minor admin error. A lapsed REP has its own consequences, which we explain in our guide to the Re-Entry Permit 180-day grace period, and what follows if PR status is lost is covered in PR reapplication after losing status through a lapsed Re-Entry Permit.

For ICA’s powers over a PR’s status more broadly, including convictions and the conditions attached to permits, read our post Can Singapore PR be revoked?. We do not repeat that material here.

Passport changes are only one trigger for updating ICA records. When your Singapore identity card falls due for re-registration at certain ages, a separate process applies, described in our guide to PR NRIC re-registration at 30 and 55.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee to update my passport details as a PR?

ICA states there is no fee for transferring a REP to a new travel document, as at 7 November 2026. The S$50 figure you may see elsewhere on ICA’s site relates to a 5-year REP issued when a new PR completes formalities, not to a transfer.

How do I log in to transfer my Re-Entry Permit?

Log in with Singpass. ICA’s page says that if you do not have a Singpass account or need help logging in, you should contact Singpass.

How long does ICA take to transfer a REP to a new passport?

ICA generally processes it within 3 working days, excluding the day of submission. Some applications may take longer, so allow extra time before travel.

Do I need to carry a printed copy of my REP?

Yes. ICA says that once you have successfully transferred your REP, you should print it out for your records and carry the print-out when travelling.

Can I transfer my REP if I am abroad?

ICA’s FAQ covers residing or working overseas, but we did not see the answer displayed in full on the page. Check ICA’s FAQ or contact ICA before relying on the standard online route.

Is a passport transfer the same as renewing my REP?

No. A transfer moves a valid REP to a new travel document. Renewal is a separate e-Service on ICA’s website for extending the permit itself.

If you need help with pass, PR or citizenship applications, contact Little Big Employment Agency. Email [email protected] or Call/SMS/WhatsApp +65 8501 7133.

Official sources used: ICA: Transfer of Re-Entry Permit/Update Travel Document for Permanent Residents and ICA: Permanent Residence Application.

Last reviewed: 7 November 2026. The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency.