Debated in Parliament on 10 Mar 2014.
Mrs Lina Chiam asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider allowing the passports of Singaporeans aged above 65 to have a 10-year expiry date.
Since 1 April 2005, all new Singapore passports are issued with a validity period of five years, instead of the previous 10-year validity period. The shorter five-year validity period enables the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to incorporate changes to security technology and features in a timely manner. This ensures the security and integrity of the Singapore passport and makes it robust and less susceptible to forgery and tampering. The passport validity period applies to all Singapore passport holders, regardless of the individual’s age. We are not considering making a differentiation based on age at this point in time.
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