E-registration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Singaporeans Travelling Abroad in View of Threats to Global Safety
Ministry of Foreign AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Seah Kian Peng’s inquiry regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ strategies to encourage more Singaporeans to e-register their travels abroad amidst global safety threats. Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan shared that the ministry is simplifying registration by reducing data fields and integrating its mobile application with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ SGSecure app. He highlighted partnerships with SATS Ltd and the development of a chatbot with Govtech to facilitate registration via social media channels like Facebook Messenger. Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan emphasized that while technology makes registration easier, the exercise remains voluntary, and citizens must practice personal responsibility through vigilance and travel insurance. The ministry continues to focus its resources on assisting those in genuine need during crises while urging travelers to stay in touch with their families.
Transcript
12 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in view of the increasing threats to global safety, what are the Ministry's plans to get more Singaporeans to e-register with the Ministry when they travel.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) encourages Singaporeans to eRegister their overseas travels through the MFA website or MFA@SG mobile application in our public outreach and messaging. To get more Singaporeans to do so, we will continue to make it easier and more convenient for them. For example, we have reduced the number of fields required to make the process more user-friendly.
The MFA App is now linked to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) SGSecure application. We have also collaborated with SATS Ltd to allow Singaporeans to eRegister via SATS' new travel application, and we are open to work with other partners to improve our consular services. We will continue to leverage technology to offer more convenient online platforms. One of our current priorities is to finalise the MFA Chatbot – in collaboration with Govtech – which can interact with users through conversational channels on social media platforms, such as Facebook Messenger, and allow users to eRegister. While we continue to explore different platforms for eRegistration, we are mindful that it is essentially a voluntary exercise. As our resources are often stretched and focused on providing assistance to those in genuine need during crises and emergencies, we also urge Singaporeans to do their part by taking precautions and practising personal responsibility by staying vigilant, observing local laws, purchasing travel insurance, and staying in touch with family and friends when overseas.