ABOUT GOVERNMENT RECORDS DATABASE

AVAILABLE SECTIONS ON THIS PAGE:

1. HOW DO I SEARCH FOR GOVERNMENT RECORDS IN NAS' COLLECTION?

You may use the basic search feature and enter keywords relevant to your topic of interest. To define specific search parameters such as the agency whose records you wish to read, or a particular time period, use the Advanced Search feature.

2. HOW AND WHERE DO I VIEW GOVERNMENT RECORDS?

Listings that have a PDF logo can be viewed online. For other Government Records, a request has to be submitted. The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) will liaise with the government agencies on your behalf for approval. Some files may be made available for viewing online, others at the Archives Reading Room (ARR) of the National Archives of Singapore at 1, Canning Rise, Singapore 179868.

3. HOW DO I SUBMIT AN E-REQUEST TO VIEW GOVERNMENT RECORDS?

To submit an e-Request, please click on the “Request to View” button available at the Archives Online page of the specific record that you wish to view. This will add the record to your Cart. After selecting all the records that you wish to view, click on the “Cart” at the top navigation bar, and follow the steps to submit your order.

Please ensure that all information submitted is accurate and as comprehensive as possible. Do note that with effect from 18 Sept 2025, you will no longer be required to submit additional details via a separate email.

4. WHAT IF I WISH TO SUBMIT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FOR MY REQUEST?

Please submit your supporting documents (if any) via this link here. If needed, NAS may reach out to you regarding your supporting document submissions.

5. WHAT DETAILS MUST I PROVIDE IN MY E-REQUEST IF I AM MAKING A REQUEST AS PART OF A RESEARCH GROUP?

Please submit the e-Request under the name and particulars of the individual in your group who will be viewing the file at the ARR terminals. This is because the email notification and OTP that will allow for viewing of the file will only be sent to the email account which is used to raise the e-Request.

6. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PROCESS MY E-REQUEST?

Each request to view Government Files may take upwards of 12 weeks to process. This takes time as the Government Files have to be converted from their original format to digital and enhanced for optimised viewing before being sent to agencies in charge of the records. The agencies will assess the file contents and prepare the files for reading, before notifying NAS of the outcome of the review.

7. WILL I BE NOTIFIED OF THE STATUS OF MY E-REQUEST?

Once an agency updates the National Archives of Singapore on the status of the record that you have requested, the system will send you an email.

Processing of Government Records may take upwards of 12 weeks depending on the availability of digitised records, the review process by the respective agencies in charge of the records, and the preparation of records for reading. We are unable to provide you with a status update at every stage of the process.

Some files may be made available for viewing online, others at the Archives Reading Room (ARR) of the National Archives of Singapore at 1, Canning Rise, Singapore 179868. While the ARR is open from 10am to 9pm daily, except Public Holidays, please note that full services, such as access to Digital Viewers (Restricted) and ARR duty officers, are only available on Mondays to Fridays (10am – 6.30pm). More information about visiting can be found here http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/faq.

8. WILL I BE ABLE TO READ ALL THE RECORDS I REQUEST FOR?

The National Archives of Singapore facilitates requests for access to records. However, the final decision rests with the agency in charge of the records. The agency will decide whether the record(s) may be read, taking into account national security concerns, confidentiality obligations, and personal privacy.

After receiving the decision by the agency, the e-Request system will update you on the status of each record.

9. WILL I BE ABLE TO USE (REPRODUCE, CITE OR QUOTE) THE CONTENTS OF THE RECORDS THAT I AM PERMITTED TO READ?

Depending on the conditions governing access, written permission may be required for the reproduction, citation and quotation (RCQ) of the record.

For such files, please complete the RCQ form. The National Archives of Singapore will liaise with the government agencies on your behalf.

Records may contain data that is protected by the Personal Data Protection Act or other laws (collectively referred to as Personal Data), and access given does not constitute permission to use or disclose such data. If you come across any Personal Data, it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not reveal it without permission. If any use or revelation of Personal Data on your part breaches the Personal Data Protection Act or any other laws, you will agree to remove such Personal Data from the public domain and you acknowledge that National Archives of Singapore may suspend or bar you from access to records or other archives.

10. HOW DO I REQUEST COPIES OF RECORDS THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE?

If the files are permitted for reproduction and you require a physical copy, please visit the Archives Reading Room to make printouts.

Printing charges:

*Price listed above are subjected to periodic reviews

We regret that at this time, the National Archives of Singapore does not have a document delivery service.

11. IS THERE ANY CHARGE FOR READING GOVERNMENT RECORDS?

There is no charge to read files at the Archives Reading Room.