Singapore
Automated lanes to be set aside for Singaporeans, PRs at border checkpoints
From the second half of 2024, all foreign visitors – regardless of nationality – will be able to clear immigration at Singapore's air, land and sea checkpoints using automated lanes.
A woman standing in front of the automated lane at Woodlands Checkpoint Train Checkpoint on Jun 14, 2023. (File Photo: CNA/Hani Amin)
SINGAPORE: While all foreign visitors will have access to automated immigration clearance later this year, some lanes will still be reserved for Singaporeans and permanent residents.
The proportion of such dedicated lanes will be “flexibly adjusted to meet prevailing operational needs, taking into account the traveller profile”, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in parliament on Monday (Feb 26), in response to a question by MP Darryl David (PAP-Ang Mo Kio).
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced earlier this month that from the second half of 2024, all foreign visitors – regardless of nationality – will be able to clear immigration at air, land and sea checkpoints using automated lanes.
They will not have to enrol for the lanes beforehand and will not have to present their passports when leaving Singapore.
Currently, only Singapore residents and foreign visitors from 60 jurisdictions can use these lanes to enter the country.
230 more automated lanes at Singapore's border checkpoints planned for 2024
Automated lanes increase immigration clearance rates at Woodlands Checkpoint bus halls by 20% at peak times: ICA
Last year, 160 automated lanes were added to Singapore’s checkpoints. Another 230 will be installed this year to cater to the increasing number of travellers, said ICA.More than 192 million travellers cleared Singapore's checkpoints in 2023, an increase of 84 per cent or 88 million more people compared with 2022.
During the school and public holidays period, traveller volume at the land checkpoints exceeded pre-COVID levels, reaching about 440,000 daily.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will still set aside lanes for dedicated use by Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) after it implements automated lanes by the second half of 2024 for foreign…see more
Mr David then asked what measures were in place to help some Singaporeans, especially families with young children, who cannot use automated lanes.
Assoc Prof Faishal said there are currently automated lanes at selected passenger halls in Changi Airport for family groups and wheelchair users.
These Special Assistance Lanes were put in place in late 2022, making Singapore the first country in the world to introduce an automated lane for multiple travellers to perform self-immigration clearance as a group.
The lanes have been fully installed at Changi Airport's Terminal 2.
Assoc Prof Faishal added: “This is something we want to make sure that when they go out of Singapore, they come back to Singapore, they feel not only happy when they land at Changi Airport or pass by our checkpoints, but they have the ease of entry.
“We’ll continue to look at how we can really enhance the travelling journey process of our Singaporeans.”
ICA also said earlier this month that its next generation Automated Border Control System (ABCS), to be introduced this year, will progressively replace the existing automated lanes and manual counters at all checkpoints.
ICA plans to eventually have about 800 ABCS lanes installed at Singapore's air and land checkpoints, progressively replacing manual counters from the first quarter of this year.
This means that Singapore residents and departing visitors will not need to present their passports.
