93 million travellers have cleared passport-less immigration in Singapore in less than a year - Focus on Travel News

Singapore was the first country in the world to implement passport-less immigration clearance on a large scale when it was rolled out across all four terminals at Changi Airport in September 2024.

Within two weeks of implementation, some 1.5 million travellers cleared immigration without having to present a passport. This number included passengers from trials that started at Terminal 3 in August 2024.

Air and sea checkpoints use facial or iris biometric scans, while land checkpoints employ QR code clearance. As of 30 June 2025, some 93 million travellers have cleared immigration without presenting passports.

The average clearance time for each traveller at Changi Airport has been reduced by 60%, from 25 seconds to 10 seconds. QR code clearance reduced processing time by up to 30 per cent at land check points.

All Singapore citizens and residents are able to clear immigration upon departure and arrival at Changi Airport. All foreign visitors will still need to present their passport for immigration clearance upon arrival in Singapore whilst they can enjoy passport-less clearance at Changi Airport when they depart.

No entry for high-risk travellers from 2026

Singapore’s Immigration & Control Authority (ICA) will issue no-boarding directives (NBDs) to transport operators, preventing high-risk travellers from boarding flights bound for Singapore from 2026 and ships from 2028. These directives target individuals who pose health, security or immigration threats to Singapore.

Transport operators who fail to comply with an NBD face fines up to $10,000. ICA said collecting passenger and crew information in advance has been standard practice for airline and ship operators.

However, such information is generally not readily available at land checkpoints and as such, an initial plan to implement similar measures at land checkpoints did not go through. This is understandable as a few hundred thousand people use the Causeway each day to commute to and from Johor in Southern Malaysia and Singapore mainly for work and study as well as for leisure.

Border security enhancements, including new profiling and detection capabilities, have enabled ICA to identify more high-risk travellers before their arrival. This resulted in a 43 per cent increase in foreigners refused entry in the first half of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024.

People denied entry include those previously barred from Singapore after convictions for certain crimes.

Singapore Border Checkpoints Set for Major Automation and Infrastructure Upgrades

Land checkpoints

ICA plans to implement its Automated Passenger Clearance System (APCS) at the second land checkpoint which is the Tuas Checkpoint by end-2026. The system will allow self-immigration clearance for travellers in cars, motorcycles and cargo vehicles without exiting their vehicles.

Immigration lanes can operate around the clock with reduced manpower and travellers will experience shorter waiting times for clearance.

ICA will implement APCS at the land checkpoint at the first land checkpoint, Woodlands, at a later date. Woodlands Checkpoint’s expansion will occur over the next 10 to 15 years. The Woodlands expansion will reduce average travel time during peak periods from 60 minutes to 15 minutes. The redevelopment will allow ICA to conduct security checks away from the core checkpoint structure, mitigating security risks and providing holding areas to reduce local road congestion.

New train link to be opened in December 2026

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will begin operations in December 2026. The RTS Link can serve up to 10,000 commuters per hour in both directions, compared to the current 640 capacity for KTM train services.

During peak hours, RTS Link train waiting times are expected to be less than four minutes. Passengers travelling in either direction will clear only one checkpoint at their departure point.

Changi Airport’s Terminal 5

In order to strengthen its position as a strategic air hub in the region, Changi Airport is investing billions of dollars to bolster connectivity, infrastructure, innovation and technology. Changi Airport Terminal 5 is slated to open by the mid-2030s. It has a planned capacity of about 50 million passengers annually.