PDPC NRIC rules: what changes
Collecting full NRIC numbers or NRIC copies by default has been restricted since 2019, and NRIC-based authentication must stop by 31 December 2026. A masked NRIC from Singpass keeps your guest register compliant.
For local guests, one Singpass scan pulls a government-verified name, masked NRIC, date of birth, registered address and mobile straight into your guest register. Foreign guests check in the way they always have, with passport capture built into the same flow. No NRIC photocopies to lock away. No fake details at the counter.
50 free check-ins. No credit card. Runs alongside your PMS.
Front desks still photocopy NRICs and passports, then keep the copies in a drawer or a shared folder. The details often go unchecked, deposits get charged to walk-ins who gave a false name, and every stored NRIC copy is a PDPA risk. The PDPC has told organisations not to collect full NRIC numbers or keep NRIC copies by default since 2019, and from 31 December 2026 the NRIC can no longer be used to authenticate guests either.
Collecting full NRIC numbers or NRIC copies by default has been restricted since 2019, and NRIC-based authentication must stop by 31 December 2026. A masked NRIC from Singpass keeps your guest register compliant.
Two flows: one to set up your property, one your guests already know.
Create an account for your hotel and add each property or front desk. Choose which verified fields you want on the guest register.
Put the QR code at reception, on a counter stand, or in a pre-arrival email. Each desk gets its own code and its own log.
Verified guests appear on your dashboard in real time. Search, filter by date, and export the guest register as CSV whenever you need it.
The guest scans the QR with their phone camera. Nothing to install beyond the Singpass app they already have.
They authenticate with face or fingerprint. Their verified details fill the guest register automatically.
Guests without Singpass enter passport details on the same screen, marked as self-declared so you know the assurance level.
Every hotel checks in overseas guests, so the passport fallback is part of the product, not an afterthought.
Names, masked NRIC and date of birth come from Singpass MyInfo, not a form. The person at your desk is who they say they are.
Guests without Singpass check in with passport capture on the same screen. Every hotel serves overseas visitors, so the fallback is built in.
No full NRIC stored, no photocopies in a drawer. Consent is part of the Singpass flow, and you keep only the masked fields you configured.
A verified identity behind every booking makes security deposits and incidental charges much harder to dispute with a false name.
Singpass fills name, date of birth, address and mobile in seconds. Less typing at the counter and shorter queues at peak arrival.
Run SingVMS at reception without ripping out your property management system. Export verified guest data or connect it through our API.
Local guests share verified MyInfo fields in one tap. Foreign guests are captured on the same screen.
How front-desk registration changes when identity is verified at the source.
| At the front desk | Manual photocopy | Generic PMS check-in | SingVMS (Singpass) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local guest identity | Photocopied, unverified. | Typed by staff, unverified. | Government-verified via Singpass. |
| NRIC handling | Full NRIC copied and stored. | Full number keyed into the PMS. | Masked NRIC only. Full number never stored. |
| Foreign guests | Passport photocopy in a drawer. | Manual passport entry. | Passport capture in the same flow. |
| Deposit fraud risk | High. Fake names slip through. | Medium. Details unverified. | Low. Identity confirmed at check-in. |
| PDPA exposure | High. Loose copies of IDs. | Depends on the PMS. | Minimised. Consent and masked data built in. |
| Guest register export | Manual. Paper or scans. | CSV of unverified data. | CSV of verified check-ins, anytime. |
| Check-in speed | 2-3 minutes and a photocopier. | 1-2 minutes of typing. | Seconds. Guest scans and taps. |
What operators ask before switching from the photocopy to verified check-in.
No photocopier required. Guests without Singpass, which includes most overseas visitors, enter their passport details on the same check-in screen your local guests use. The entry is marked as self-declared so your front desk knows which records are Singpass-verified and which came from a passport. You capture what you need for the guest register without keeping loose photocopies.
You collect a masked NRIC, not the full number. Since 2019 the PDPC has told organisations not to collect full NRIC numbers or keep NRIC copies by default, and from 31 December 2026 they must also stop using the NRIC to authenticate people. Singpass returns a masked NRIC (for example S****567A) that identifies the guest for your register while keeping you on the right side of both rules. The full number is never stored.
SingVMS records the verified guest details, name, masked NRIC or passport number, date of birth, address and mobile, in a searchable log you can export as CSV. Licensed hotels in Singapore are required to keep a register of guests, and a verified digital log is easier to produce on request than a stack of photocopies. Check your own licensing conditions for the exact fields you must retain, then configure those fields per desk.
When a guest checks in with Singpass, the name and identity behind the booking are confirmed by the government source, not typed at the counter. That makes it far harder for someone to give false details, run up incidental charges, and then dispute the deposit as "not me". Every verified check-in is timestamped and tied to a real identity in your log.
With one Singpass tap a local guest shares a verified name, masked NRIC, date of birth, registered address and mobile number, pulled from MyInfo. You choose which of these fields your front desk collects. Nothing is shared until the guest approves it inside the Singpass app.
No new app and no account. Local guests use the Singpass app already on their phone. Foreign guests fill the passport fields in their mobile browser. The whole flow runs from a QR code, so there is nothing to install at the desk or for the guest.
Both work. You can put the QR code on the counter for guests to scan while they wait, on a self-service stand in the lobby, or in a pre-arrival email so returning guests are checked in before they reach reception. Verified check-ins appear on your dashboard either way, which shortens the queue at peak arrival times.
Consent is built into the Singpass flow, only the masked fields you configure are kept, and the full NRIC is never written to any database. SingVMS handles the data in line with PDPA, including retention settings you control from the dashboard. Compared with photocopies sitting in a drawer, a consented, masked, access-controlled log is a far smaller PDPA risk.
Set up your property in minutes. 50 verified check-ins free, no credit card. Foreign-guest capture included.