SINGAPORE – As borders opened in 2022 and global trade picked up pace, more automated lanes at Singapore’s checkpoints and a faster clearance process for cargo were introduced to manage the volume of travellers and goods.

Aside from extending the use of automated lanes, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) also fully digitalised the clearance process for conventional cargo – goods loaded onto vehicles without the use of a container.

More automated lanes at checkpoints

The Automated Clearance Initiative, introduced in May 2022, enables eligible foreign travellers entering Singapore for the first time to use automated lanes for immigration clearance.

These travellers have to provide their biometric details, which ICA said is done automatically when undergoing immigration clearance. No separate registration is required.

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Since last December, wheelchair users and families of up to four people have also been able to use automated lanes at selected passenger halls in Changi Airport.

After scanning their passports at the automated lanes, travellers can clear immigration by scanning their irises and facial features using the cameras and biometric scanners.

Before the introduction of the lanes last December, family groups and travellers using wheelchairs had to present their passports for immigration clearance at manned counters.

In 2022, a total of 125 automated lanes were installed at Singapore’s checkpoints. ICA said it plans to install another 61 lanes in 2023. 

Faster clearance for cargo vehicles 

To reduce the time taken for cargo clearance, ICA has fully introduced paperless clearance for conventional cargo vehicles at the air cargo and port checkpoints.

Drivers simply need to submit their vehicle licence plate number and corresponding permit number via ICA’s SG Arrival Card e-service before the cargo arrives at the checkpoint. ICA officers will then match the details for clearance purposes.

Previously, cargo drivers had to present hard copies of permits and supporting documents at the checkpoints for ICA officers to manually process. 

The new process has reduced clearance time by more than two minutes per vehicle, ICA said on Friday. 

Birth and death certs go digital

Since May 29, 2022, the ICA has stopped issuing physical birth and death certificates in a move to make the registration processes easier.

Instead, digital certificates are now issued and parents no longer need to make a trip to the hospital or ICA Building to collect a physical birth certificate. 

The next-of-kin of a person who has died will also receive a digital death certificate from the My Legacy portal after the death is certified by a registered medical practitioner. They do not have to register the death.

This allows the bereaved family to focus on other matters in their time of grief, ICA said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.