Singapore birth extract: replace a lost certificate and save the digital file
Apply to ICA for a digital birth extract to replace a lost or damaged certificate for a birth in Singapore. Once approved, download it within 30 days and keep the complete issuer file, including its QR code and verification details.
A scan of an old birth certificate and a newly issued birth extract are different files. If you need a replacement from the issuer, start at ICA's birth extract service, rather than photographing a photocopy and calling it a replacement.
Select the right route
| What you need | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Replacement for a lost or damaged Singapore birth certificate | Apply for a birth extract |
| Birth record details are incomplete | Check ICA's record-search route |
| Approved extract awaiting download | Use the extract download service |
| Newborn's first certificate | Use the separate newborn certificate service |
The ICA e-Services directory lists separate links for newborn certificates, extract applications, extract downloads and verification. Choosing the right service first avoids looking for an older record inside the newborn-only download route.
Gather the record details
ICA's application page lists who can apply: the holder aged 21 or over, a parent, legal guardian or a solicitor acting for an eligible person. Prepare the holder's name, sex, birth date and birth certificate or NRIC number. For births overseas, approach the relevant foreign authority.
Copy details from a reliable record you already hold. Keep a note when you are uncertain about a spelling or date instead of silently choosing one version. A personal scan can help you read an existing number, but it does not resolve an error in the official register.
If you cannot supply the required particulars, review the search option before paying. Be clear about whether you are requesting a search or the extract itself, and keep the acknowledgement for the stage you actually submitted.
Work through the online application
Use ICA's illustrated application guide to follow the screens. It covers choosing the extract, applicant particulars, relationship and reason, supporting documents, confirmation and payment. The guide shows a 2 MB limit for supporting-document uploads; follow the current form if it gives a different instruction.
Before confirming, compare the form with your reference record line by line. Save the acknowledgement after submission and retain your application reference. Check that the contact address you entered is one you can access, since the approval and download are separate steps.
Download and preserve the complete file
ICA sends an approval notification for downloading the extract within 30 days. Download promptly, open the file and confirm it is the correct holder's record. Save the issuer file somewhere you can find again, rather than relying on a browser tab or an email preview.
Keep the original download unchanged. If you need a smaller file or a marked reference copy for a separate purpose, make a duplicate first. Re-exporting a PDF as an image can change its structure and readability; retain the issuer version for any official submission.
ICA's verification advice says an extract can be checked using its embedded QR code or the verification service linked from ICA. Keep that code and the accompanying details visible. Ask the receiving organisation what it needs before sending a modified copy.
Finish with a retrieval check
- The file belongs to the correct holder.
- The full issuer download is saved and opens correctly.
- The QR code and verification details are intact.
- The application acknowledgement is distinguishable from the extract.
- Any edited reference copy has a different name.
- The recipient's submission instructions have been checked.
Dokus can keep a reference copy organised with your family documents. Preserve the downloaded issuer file separately as well. The app does not issue an extract, authenticate it or guarantee acceptance for a particular application.
If the checklist separately requests an NRIC attachment, the Singapore document tools can prepare an accepted reference copy or reduce a scan. They do not make an ICA application portrait or replace the issued document.
Singapore birth extract questions
Is downloading an old scan the same as getting an extract?
No. An old scan is your personal copy. A digital birth extract is issued through ICA's official application process.
Where do I download an approved extract?
Use the digital birth extract download service linked from ICA's e-Services directory and follow your approval notification. It is separate from the newborn certificate download.
Should I crop out the QR code before sharing?
Keep the issuer file complete. The QR code supports official verification; check the recipient's instructions before creating a separate edited reference copy.