Singapore Singpass / MyInfo¶
Definition¶
Singpass is Singapore's national digital identity, and MyInfo is the government API that pre-fills verified personal data — enabling zero-document eKYC where the customer simply authorizes data sharing.
How MyInfo Works for eKYC¶
sequenceDiagram
participant C as Customer
participant Bank as Bank App
participant SP as Singpass
participant MI as MyInfo API
participant GovDB as Government Databases
C->>Bank: Click "Verify with Singpass"
Bank->>SP: Redirect to Singpass login
C->>SP: Authenticate (password + 2FA)
SP->>MI: Request authorized data fields
MI->>GovDB: Fetch verified data
GovDB-->>MI: Name, DOB, NRIC, address, employment, income
MI-->>Bank: Government-verified data (digitally signed)
Bank->>Bank: Auto-fill application form
Bank->>C: Account opened — zero document capture!Key Stats¶
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Singpass users | 4.5M+ (97% of residents 15+) |
| MyInfo data fields | 300+ (identity, income, employment, property, education) |
| Transactions | 40M+ annually |
| Adoption | 700+ government + private sector services |
| eKYC time | < 1 minute (no document capture) |
Why Singapore's Model is Remarkable¶
| Feature | Impact |
|---|---|
| Zero document capture | No OCR, no photo upload, no face matching with document |
| Government-verified data | Data comes directly from government DB — highest assurance |
| Pre-filled forms | Customer doesn't even type their data |
| Income/employment | Bank gets IRAS-verified income — no payslip needed |
| Consent-based | Customer explicitly authorizes each data share |
Key Takeaways¶
Summary
- Singapore's Singpass/MyInfo achieves the ideal eKYC: zero documents, government-verified, 1 minute
- 97% population coverage makes it universal
- MyInfo provides 300+ data fields — far beyond basic identity (income, employment, property)
- This model is the benchmark for what digital identity-enabled eKYC can achieve
- Limitation: requires comprehensive government digital infrastructure — not easily replicable everywhere