From Tuesday, people traveling via car between Singapore and Malaysia can show self-generated QR codes rather than handing over their passports at two checkpoints.Singapore made global headlines last year when the government announced that biometric processing will replace travel document verifications at Changi Airport in the first half of 2024.
The new procedure is expected to reduce immigration processing time by more than 30% — saving around 20 seconds for cars traveling with four passengers and up to one minute for cars with 10 people, according to authorities.The checkpoint linking the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru to Woodlands in Singapore is one of the busiest international border crossings in the world.
From March 7 to 10, more than 1.8 million travelers crossed Singapore's two checkpoints that link the island with Malaysia, according to its Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.On March 8 — the Friday preceding a week-long break for Singapore public schools — a record-breaking 495,000 people crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, exceeding the 485,000 travelers recorded on August 2019, it said.
Singapore plans to roll out the QR code clearance to more travelers crossing checkpoints via other modes of transport at a later date.The QR clearance program is part of a larger push to modernize border control and security procedures in the city-state to manage higher traveler volume amid the crunch of its aging workforce.
Changi Airport's "passport-free" immigration clearance, which is based on biometric verification, is undergoing trials, a representative of Changi Airport Group told CNBC Travel.