Buy Singapore Identity Card: A Simple How-To

Well, let me tell ya, getting one of them Singapore Identity Cards, it ain’t like buying a bag of candy, you know? It’s a whole to-do.

What’s this Identity Card thing anyway?

From what I hear, it’s a must-have for all them young’uns in Singapore once they hit 15. Yep, before they turn 16, they gotta get themselves registered. It’s like a special card that says they belong there, you know? Like a “you’re one of us” kinda thing. They use it for all sorts of stuff, I reckon. Goin’ to the doctor, gettin’ a job, who knows what else.

• It’s important for young people.
• They need it for many things.

Who’s in charge of these cards?

There’s this bunch called ICA, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, they’re the ones who handle all this card business. They also keep an eye on who’s comin’ in and out of Singapore, making sure no funny business is going on. Land, air, sea, they got it all covered. Sounds like a big job to me.

Can anyone get this card?

Now, this is where it gets tricky. It ain’t for just anybody. You gotta be a Singapore citizen or a permanent resident, that’s what they call ’em. If you’re just visitin’ or somethin’, you ain’t gettin’ one of these cards. Foreigners, they get somethin’ different, a FIN number, I think they call it. It’s a whole different story.

What if you lose your card or somethin’?

Accidents happen, right? Maybe you lose it, maybe it gets all beat up. Well, you gotta go through some hoops to get a new one. There’s forms to fill out, papers to show, all that jazz. You gotta prove who you are all over again. It’s like losin’ your driver’s license, only probably a bigger pain in the neck.

And what about them folks who ain’t citizens but live there?

Now, there’s these folks, they call ’em stateless permanent residents. They ain’t citizens of nowhere, really. But they live in Singapore permanent-like. They get a different kinda card, a Certificate of Identity, they call it. More paperwork, more waitin’, I bet. Nothin’s ever easy, is it?

How long does it take to get one of these cards?

ICA says they’ll get it done in about a week, seven workin’ days. But, you know how these things go, sometimes it takes longer. Especially if your picture’s all blurry or your papers ain’t right. Then you gotta fix it all and wait some more. Patience is a virtue, they say. I say it’s a pain.

So, can you just buy one? Like, off the street?

Heck no! You can’t just buy one of these cards. It’s illegal, see? It’s a serious thing. You gotta go through the proper channels, do it the right way. Don’t go tryin’ to buy one from some shady fella, you’ll just get yourself in a heap of trouble. And trouble ain’t what you want, believe me.

Why is it so important anyway?

Well, it’s all about security, I guess. They gotta know who’s who, who belongs and who don’t. It’s how they keep things runnin’ smooth, keep everyone safe. At least, that’s what they tell ya. In this day and age, I guess you gotta have some kinda way to keep track of everyone. Times have changed, that’s for sure.

It’s not like buying a voter ID card

Some folks say it’s like losing your voter ID card but I don’t think so. You just download a form from the government, fill it out, show proof you live where you say you do and you are good to go. But getting the Singapore ID card seems like a whole ‘nother story.

So, there you have it. That’s the lowdown on them Singapore Identity Cards, as far as I can tell. It’s a complicated business, but that’s how things are these days. Just gotta follow the rules and hope for the best.

Tags: [Singapore Identity Card, Singapore IC, ICA, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore permanent resident, Certificate of Identity, Foreign Identification Number, FIN]