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Automated lanes to be set aside for Singaporeans, PRs at border checkpoints

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.

File photo of a passenger clearing immigration at an automated lane at Changi Airport Terminal 2.

File photo of a passenger clearing immigration at an automated lane at Changi Airport Terminal 2.

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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 Member of Parliament 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.

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.

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. CNA

For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.

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Immigration and Checkpoints Authority Faishal Ibrahim

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