The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will issue no-boarding directives (NBDs) to transport operators, preventing high-risk travellers from boarding ships and flights bound for Singapore. These directives target individuals who pose health, security or immigration threats to the Republic.
ICA announced the initiative at its 2025 Workplan Seminar on 31 July 2025. The authority plans to roll out NBDs for air checkpoints from 2026 and sea checkpoints from 2028.
Transport operators who fail to comply with an NBD face fines up to $10,000. The move follows the Immigration (Amendment) Act, which took effect on 31 December 2024.
An initial plan to implement similar measures at land checkpoints hit roadblocks.
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.
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.
New ICA Services Centre Features Automated Document Collection and Robot Management
Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam officially opened the ICA Services Centre (ISC) in Crawford Street on 31 July 2025. The centre began operations in April and sits adjacent to the previous ICA building.
The ISC features self-collection kiosks where eligible customers can collect passports and identity cards anytime within their appointment date. Users input personal identification information and complete iris verification before collecting documents.
Customers can collect both passports and identity cards on the same day in one transaction at the kiosks. These kiosks reduce collection time by 55 per cent compared to manual counters, allowing document pickup within five minutes of arrival.
Height-adjustable kiosks accommodate wheelchair-bound users. One officer can now manage four self-collection kiosks simultaneously, compared to manning just one counter previously.
The kiosks form part of ISC’s Integrated Smart Document Management System (iSMART), which launched in July 2025. The system comprises over 100 robots that sort, store, retrieve and issue passports and identity cards.
Document retrieval and delivery, previously handled by ICA officers, are now managed by robots. The ISC has integrated information services from five levels in the old building into a single floor.
Around 95 per cent of ICA services have gone digital. More than 95 per cent of the public now submit applications online.
Singapore Border Checkpoints Set for Major Automation and Infrastructure Upgrades
ICA achieved its vision to transform checkpoint clearance operations by becoming among the first border agencies worldwide to implement passport-less immigration clearance. This initiative was part of the New Clearance Concept announced in 2019.
All travellers to and from Singapore can now clear immigration through an automated, passport-less process. 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. QR code clearance reduced processing time by up to 30 per cent at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.
ICA plans to implement its Automated Passenger Clearance System (APCS) at 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. Travellers will experience shorter waiting times for clearance. ICA will implement APCS at Woodlands Checkpoint at a later date.
Shanmugam noted that traveller volumes through Singapore’s checkpoints rose to 230 million in 2024, compared with 197 million in 2015. He expects further increases with upcoming infrastructure developments.
The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link will begin operations in December 2026 (finally!). 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 Terminal 5 is slated to open by the mid-2030s. Woodlands Checkpoint 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.
Shanmugam said ICA’s manpower cannot grow indefinitely, requiring greater reliance on technology to cope with demand and navigate the complex security environment.
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