Singapore made global headlines last year when the government announced that biometric processing would replace travel document verification at Changi Airport in the first half of 2024.
But the city-state is going “passport-free” in another area: its land border with Malaysia.
Starting Tuesday, people traveling by car between Singapore and Malaysia can show a self-generated QR code instead of having to hand over their passports at two checkpoints.
new rulesThe Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said it would apply to travelers passing through Singapore’s Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints and would speed up entry and exit checks “without compromising safety.”
who is qualified
Singapore residents and foreign visitors can generate a QR code through the government’s QR code MyICA Mobile application. Passengers in the same carriage can also generate group codes for up to 10 people.
As before, travelers will undergo face-to-face inspections by immigration officials.
However, QR code clearance does not apply to two categories of travelers: those entering Singapore for the first time and those using a different passport from previous visits.
According to the authority, the new procedure is expected to reduce immigration processing times by more than 30%, saving about 20 seconds for cars carrying four passengers and up to one minute for cars carrying 10 passengers.
One of the busiest border crossings in the world
The checkpoint connecting the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru and Singapore’s Woodlands is one of the busiest international border crossings in the world.
According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore, from March 7 to 10, more than 1.8 million travelers passed through Singapore’s two checkpoints connecting Singapore and Malaysia.
Motorists from Malaysia wait to pass through the immigration checkpoint to enter Singapore on March 31, 2023.
Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty Images
The report said a record-breaking 495,000 people passed through the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints on March 8 – the Friday before Singapore’s public schools close for a week – surpassing the 485,000 recorded in August 2019.
Singapore plans to introduce QR code customs clearance services to more passengers passing through checkpoints through other modes of transportation later.
part of a bigger push
The QR code clearance program is part of a larger effort to modernize border controls and security procedures in the city-state to manage higher passenger volumes amid an aging workforce.
A Changi Airport Group representative told CNBC Travel that Changi Airport’s “passport-free” immigration check based on biometric verification is being trialled.
A launch date for the program has not yet been announced.
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