Certain travelers can now enjoy passport-free travel in Singapore.

• Starting from Tuesday, travelers driving between Singapore and Malaysia can present self-generated QR codes instead of surrendering their passports at two border control points.
• The new procedure is estimated by authorities to decrease immigration processing time by over 30%.

In 2024, Changi Airport will implement biometric processing to replace travel document verifications, as announced by the Singapore government, making global headlines.

The city-state is abolishing passport requirements on its land border with Malaysia.

Starting from Tuesday, travelers driving between Singapore and Malaysia can present self-generated QR codes instead of surrendering their passports at two border control points.

The new rule for immigration clearance at Singapore's Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints will speed up the process without compromising security, as stated by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.

Who is eligible

Passengers traveling in the same car can generate group QR codes of up to 10 people via the MyICA mobile app, which is accessible to both Singapore residents and foreign travelers.

Immigration officers conduct a face-to-face check of travelers.

Two groups of travelers, those entering Singapore for the first time and those using a different passport from previous visits, do not have QR-code clearance.

According to authorities, the new procedure is expected to decrease immigration processing time by over 30%, resulting in a reduction of approximately 20 seconds for cars with four passengers and up to one minute for cars with 10 people.

One of world's busiest border crossings

One of the busiest international border crossings globally connects Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to Woodlands in Singapore via a checkpoint.

Over 1.8 million travelers passed through Singapore's two checkpoints connecting the island with Malaysia from March 7 to 10, as stated by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.

On March 8, the day before a week-long break for Singapore public schools, a record-breaking 495,000 people crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, surpassing the 485,000 travelers recorded on August 2019, it was stated.

At a later date, Singapore intends to expand the use of QR code clearance to travelers crossing checkpoints via other modes of transport.

Part of a larger push

The QR clearance program is a key component of the city-state's effort to streamline border control and enhance security measures, in response to the growing number of travelers and the aging workforce.

A trial of Changi Airport's "passport-free" immigration clearance, which uses biometric verification, is being conducted, according to a representative of Changi Airport Group.

A launch date for this program has not been released.