Question:
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the annual number of applications for NRIC and passport respectively in the past five years; (b) how many of these applications are online applications; and (c) what are the age profiles of those who have submitted non-online applications.
Answer:
1. The annual number of passport applications, the proportion of online applications, and the age profiles of those who submitted non-online applications can be found in Tables 1A and 1B below.
Table 1A: Annual Number of Passport Applications and
Proportion of Online Passport Applications (2014 – 2018)
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
|
Annual Applications
|
653,762
|
690,968
|
665,871
|
691,516
|
717,108
|
|
Proportion of Online Applications
|
52%
|
53%
|
54%
|
56%
|
60%
|
Table 1B: Proportion of Non-Online Passport Applications
by Applicant Age Profile (2014-2018)
|
Age Group
|
Proportion of Non-Online Passport Applications
(2014-2018)
|
|
20 & below
|
26%
|
|
21-30
|
14%
|
|
31-40
|
12%
|
|
41-50
|
15%
|
|
51-60
|
17%
|
|
61-70
|
11%
|
|
Above 70
|
6%
|
|
|
Note: The percentages do not add up to 100% due to rounding off.
2. NRIC applications are received mainly through the mandatory NRIC registration and re-registration exercises at age 15, 30 and 55, as well as the optional NRIC re-registration exercise for those born before 1 January 1962 (i.e. those above age 55 as at 1 January 2017). In addition, NRIC applications are also submitted by those who wish to change their NRIC particulars, or to replace their lost or damaged NRICs.
3. For each of the above groups, the annual number of applications, and the proportion of online applications can be found in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Annual Number of NRIC Applications and
Proportion of Online Applications (2014 – 2018)
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
|
Mandatory NRIC Registration by 15-year-olds
|
|
Annual Applications
|
46,319
|
50,343
|
44,641
|
44,050
|
41,369
|
|
Proportion of Online Applications
|
NA. There is no online option for this group, as registration is currently conducted on-site in schools.
|
|
Mandatory NRIC Re-Registration by 30-year-olds and 55-year-olds1
|
|
Annual Applications
|
28,305
|
32,651
|
30,541
|
61,501
|
80,319
|
|
Proportion of Online Applications
(i) 30-years-olds
(ii) 55-year-olds
|
(i) 51% (ii) NA
|
(i) 54%
(ii) NA
|
(i) 59%
(ii) NA
|
(i) 63%
(ii) 36%
|
(i) 76%
(ii) 48%
|
|
Optional NRIC Re-Registration by those born before 1 January 1962
(above 55 years old as at 1 January 2017)2
|
|
Annual Applications
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
71,041
|
|
Proportion of Online Applications
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
43%
|
|
Other NRIC Applications3
|
|
Annual Applications
|
92,026
|
90,898
|
95,783
|
93,843
|
89,005
|
|
Proportion of Online Applications
|
5%
|
6%
|
5%
|
5%
|
7%
|
1 NRIC re-registration at 55 years old was introduced in 2017.
2 Optional re-registration was introduced in 2018, for those not covered by mandatory NRIC re-registration at age 55, which was introduced in 2017.
3 The majority of these applicants have to appear in person with supporting documents and do not submit online applications.
