PUBLISHED ONAugust 31, 2026 2:22 AMUPDATED37 minutes agoBYSean LerHeavy traffic is expected at Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints during the upcoming September school holidays, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in an advisory on Monday (Aug 31).
The September school holidays start on Sept 4 and end on Sept 14.
In its advisory, ICA highlighted that security checks have been stepped up at all checkpoints since Feb 28 — when US and Israel struck Iran — due to the heightened global security environment.
"Travellers should therefore expect longer waiting time during peak travel periods," ICA said.
Those intending to travel through the checkpoints should plan their journey in advance and consider travelling during non-peak hours such as early mornings and late evenings.
They can also check the Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website and ICA’s social media pages for the latest traffic conditions.
Travellers are also encouraged to use QR codes generated via the MyICA mobile app to enjoy "faster and more seamless" immigration clearance.
During the recent National Day long weekend between Aug 7 and 10, more than 2.1 million travelled across Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints.
Traffic peaked on Aug 7, with more than 593,000 crossings recorded at the land checkpoints in a single day.
According to ICA, car travellers experienced waiting times of up to three hours for immigration clearance due to traffic tailbacks from Malaysia during peak periods.
Traffic enforcement was also carried out during that weekend, with a total of 13 motorists caught for various traffic offences at Woodlands Checkpoint.
Of these, 11 vehicles were directed to make a U-turn and re-queue, while two drivers of foreign-registered vehicles were subjected to entry ban into Singapore for offences including crossing double white lines and queue cutting.
Ten of the 13 motorists were referred to the Traffic Police for further action.
Motorists are reminded to cooperate with ICA officers, observe lane discipline and follow traffic rules.
Those caught queue cutting will be directed to re-queue at the back of the line.
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