Advertisement

Parents' dialect to be included on digital birth certs in Singapore from 1 Sept

For those issued between 29 May and 31 August, 2022, parents may re-download their child’s certificate from 1 September onwards, with the inclusion of the parents’ dialect. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
For those issued between 29 May and 31 August, 2022, parents may re-download their child’s certificate from 1 September onwards, with the inclusion of the parents’ dialect. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — From 1 September, the dialects of a newborn's parents will be included in digital birth certificates, after authorities received several queries about the decision to exclude the information.

For those issued between 29 May and 31 August, parents may re-download their child’s certificate from 1 September onwards, with the inclusion of the parents’ dialect.

This will be at no additional cost, said the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a press release on Friday (12 August), adding that more details will be shared later.

Prior to the introduction of the digital birth certificate on 29 May, the physical birth certificate of a child carried the registered dialect of the parents, but not the dialect of the child.

Several fields of information that were not necessary for policy and other administrative needs, including the parents’ dialect, were not included in the digital birth certificate, to simplify the registration process, and to reduce the number of fields, it noted.

Information about the parents’ dialect continues to be registered by ICA, and is available in Singpass.

"However, we acknowledge the feelings that have been expressed on the matter," said ICA on its decision to reinstate the information in digital birth certificates.

"We should have made clear the reasons for not including the information on the parents’ dialect in the digital birth certificate, and that the information was still available in Singpass," it added.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.

Yahoo Singapore Telegram
Yahoo Singapore Telegram