Rollout of Automated Clearance to All Travellers to Singapore starting 2023
On Feb 15th, the Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced that Singapore will be implementing automated lanes for faster immigration clearance upon arrival in Singapore.
Foreign visitors will no longer have to proceed to the manual counters to have their iris and facial biometrics cleared. They will have access to the automated lanes, which the Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders are already using to enter the country.
“The use of iris patterns and facial features as primary identifiers for immigration clearance not only provides more robust and reliable identity authentication of travellers, but (also) more hygienic, convenient and efficient immigration clearance,” said ICA during its annual statistical report conference.
In October 2021, the issuance of e-Passes was implemented at Changi Airport by the Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
In Mar 11th, The e-Pass implementation will be extended to all checkpoints in Singapore. All foreign visitors visiting Singapore for a short period are required to apply for the e-Pass via SG Arrival Card e-Services at https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard/.
The e-Pass will contain details of the visit pass granted, including the maximum number of day(s) of stay and the last day of stay allowed in Singapore. Visitors are required to provide a valid email address of their own, as the e-Pass will be issued to the email address upon clearing the immigration check.
The e-Pass also acts as a replacement for the manual stamping process of passports.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, ICA has implemented several initiatives as an effort to Singapore’s reopening of borders. These included redesigning the manual counters at checkpoints so travellers can self-scan their passports, making immigration clearance safer for everyone.
ICA also implemented digital and automated cargo clearance to transport items in a safer and efficient method, which bolster Singapore’s position as a global port.
Last October, it implemented an On-the-Fly clearance concept at Tuas Port with the cargo cleared while the vehicle is moving. Cargo permits are cleared once the ICA image analysts confirm the safety of the cargo via scanned images of the cargo consignment.
ICA also uses mobile tablets to clear permits on the spot at checking bays in order to increase cargo clearance speed.
