In forceAmended2020 Revised Edition

Contents

Immigration Act 1959 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 4 · Procedure on Arrival in and Departure from Singapore

22. Provision of passenger and crew information by master, etc., of vessel arriving in, leaving or due to leave Singapore

Amended

Last amended by an amending law of 2023. 2 amendments in all.

(1)

The master, operator, owner, agent or charterer of every vessel arriving at any authorised landing place for persons arriving in Singapore by sea from a place outside Singapore or leaving or due to leave from any authorised departing place for persons leaving Singapore by sea to a place outside Singapore must, if required to do so by an immigration officer —

(a)

within such time, in such form and manner and containing such particulars of the crew as may be prescribed, furnish to the immigration officer (or another immigration officer) a complete and accurate list of all the crew who are or will be on board the vessel at the time of its arrival at the authorised landing place or at the time of its departure from the authorised departing place, as the case may be;

(b)

produce to the immigration officer (or another immigration officer) for inspection and interrogation every member of the crew as directed (either generally or specifically) by the immigration officer;

(c)

furnish to the immigration officer (or another immigration officer) such evidence of identity of each member of the crew within such time and in such form and manner as may be prescribed;

(d)

submit to such search of the vessel as may be necessary to establish the presence or absence of other persons on board; and

(e)

produce the vessel’s papers.

(f)

[Deleted by Act 31 of 2023 wef 31/07/2025]

(2)

In the case of vessels carrying passengers, the master, operator, owner, agent or charterer must, in addition, if required to do so by an immigration officer —

(a)

within such time, in such form and manner and containing such particulars as may be prescribed, furnish to the immigration officer (or another immigration officer) a complete and accurate list of all passengers who are or will be on board the vessel at the time of its arrival at the authorised landing place or departure from the authorised departing place, as the case may be;

(b)

(c)

produce to the immigration officer (or another immigration officer) for inspection and interrogation every passenger as directed (either generally or specifically) by the immigration officer.

(3)

Before the vessel arrives at the authorised landing place or departs from the authorised departing place (as the case may be), the master, operator, owner, agent or charterer must report to an immigration officer the presence on board of any stowaway, any unauthorised person, or any person proceeding to any country on that person’s removal from any other country by the competent authority of that other country.

(3A)

Any person who contravenes subsection (1)(a) or (2)(a) or (b) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

(3B)

The offence under subsection (3A) is a strict liability offence.

(3C)

Any person who contravenes subsection (1) (except paragraph (a)) or (2)(c) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

(3D)

Any person who hinders or obstructs any search of a vessel under subsection (1)(d) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

(4)

If any person whose presence has not been reported under subsection (3) is found on board the vessel, the master, operator, owner, agent and charterer of the vessel shall each be guilty of an offence and shall each be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $10,000 in respect of each such person.

(5)

In any proceedings under this section, the certificate in writing of an immigration officer who boarded or examined any particular vessel to the effect that the vessel carried, on arrival in Singapore, a total number of seamen corresponding in description to the particulars on the identification cards furnished under subsection (1)(c) is conclusive proof that the vessel did on arrival carry that number of seamen.

Terms defined in s 2

authorised departing place
Defined · s 2
“authorised airport”, “authorised landing place”, “authorised train checkpoint”, “authorised point of entry”, “authorised departing place” and “authorised point of departure” mean, respectively, an airport, a landing place, a train checkpoint, a point of entry, a departing place or a point of departure declared as such under section 5;
Open s 2
authorised landing place
Defined · s 2
“authorised airport”, “authorised landing place”, “authorised train checkpoint”, “authorised point of entry”, “authorised departing place” and “authorised point of departure” mean, respectively, an airport, a landing place, a train checkpoint, a point of entry, a departing place or a point of departure declared as such under section 5;
Open s 2
certificate
Defined · s 2
“certificate” means a certificate of status issued under the provisions of any regulations made under section 55;
Open s 2
crew
Defined · s 2
“crew” includes every seaman on a vessel, and every person employed in the operation of an aircraft or a train or in any service rendered to the crew or passengers of an aircraft in flight or a train in motion;
Open s 2
immigration officer
Defined · s 2
“immigration officer” means any person appointed under section 3;
Open s 2
leave
Defined · s 2
“leave” means —(a)in the case of a person leaving Singapore by sea, embarking in Singapore on a vessel which is about to leave Singapore and remaining on board such vessel at the time of its departure for any place outside Singapore;(b)in the case of a person leaving Singapore by air, boarding an aircraft in Singapore which is about to depart from Singapore; (c)in the case of a person leaving Singapore by land, boarding and remaining in a train or other vehicle which is about to leave Singapore; and (d)in the case of a vessel, an aircraft or a train leaving Singapore by sea, air or land (as the case may be), departing from any authorised departing place in Singapore by sea, or from any airport or train checkpoint in Singapore, for any place outside Singapore;
Open s 2
passenger
Defined · s 2
“passenger” means any person carried in a vessel, an aircraft or a train, other than the members of the crew;
Open s 2
stowaway
Defined · s 2
“stowaway” means a person who is secreted in a vessel, an aircraft or a train without the consent of the master or other person in charge of the vessel, aircraft or train and includes such a person who is arriving in or departing from Singapore on board any vessel, aircraft or train without the consent of the master or other person in charge of the vessel, aircraft or train;
Open s 2
vessel
Defined · s 2
“vessel” includes any ship or boat or other description of floating craft used in navigation, and includes any tackle, equipment, book, document, goods, cargo or things carried therein or thereon.
Open s 2