Singapore | Passport-Free Departures from 2024

At the Singapore Expo on Friday, May 5, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) previewed several technological and procedural advancements that would be implemented to provide a faster and more secure immigration and customs clearance process.

Highlights Include
  • From 2024, Singapore residents and departing visitors will clear immigration without contact or having to show their passports. 800 automated lanes using the Automated Border Control System (ABCS) would replace the manual counters at all checkpoints. Travelers will scan a QR code instead of their passports.
  • ICA’s Services Centre Next Generation (SCNG) aims to provide a “No Fuss; No Visit; No Waiting” experience and is expected to open in 2024 as a one-stop service centre for all of ICA’s services. Birth and death registration and passport renewal can be done online as of the end of 2022.

Also featured were the Automated Clearance Initiative, implemented in May 2022, and the Special Assistance Lanes, introduced in December 2022.

Erickson Insights

Erickson Immigration Group will continue to share updates as more news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting or case-specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.