The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) said that manual immigration counters at all checkpoints will be gradually replaced by about 800 automated lanes using ABCS from the first quarter of 2024.
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Aiming to provide faster and safer customs and immigration procedures, from 2024, Singaporeans and visitors entering and leaving the country will be able to pass through checkpoints without using their passports.
According to the announcement of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA), people can clear immigration by scanning QR codes at land checkpoints. ICA officers will check the traveler's facial image using QR code data. The same QR code can be used for future trips if the traveler's passport details do not need to be updated. For air travel, the new contactless Automated Border Control System (ABCS) will be available at the passenger lounge.
ICA said manual immigration counters at all checkpoints will be gradually replaced by about 800 automated lanes using ABCS from the first quarter of 2024. The ABCS lanes will use biometrics for clearance. This is part of the New Clearance Concept (NCC) announced by ICA in 2019.
In addition, the agency will continue to accelerate the transformation of border clearance services to facilitate the movement of people and goods. To help officers better detect potential threats, ICA is trialing the use of artificial intelligence to monitor for anomalies in scanned images of goods, parcels and baggage.
The Automated Passenger Clearance System (Apics) will be further refined before being rolled out in phases at road checkpoints, according to the Straits Times. From 2026, Apics lanes are expected to allow travellers to use the system without the assistance of staff, simply scanning a generated QR code and presenting their biometrics for identity verification.
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