Singapore · biometric border control · eGates · API/PNR

New Clearance Concept and passport-less clearance

In operation Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: Not published

ICA announced its New Clearance Concept in 2019 to move border checks from staffed counters to automated lanes for people, vehicles and cargo ¹. From May 2024 all foreign visitors could use automated lanes at Changi on arrival without prior enrolment ¹. Singapore residents, and all travellers on departure, clear immigration with face and iris biometrics and no passport, using advance airline manifests, and land checkpoints use QR codes ². ICA said full roll-out at Changi was complete on 30 September 2024 and average clearance time fell from 25 to 10 seconds ³. No contract, vendor or cost was published in these releases.

Key terms

Buyer: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
Vendor: Not published
Vendor based in: Not confirmed
Signed: Not published (concept announced 2019)
Duration: Not published
Value: Not published
Funding: Not published
Procurement route: Not published
System ownership: Not published
Data terms: Token-less clearance relies on facial and iris biometrics and on advance manifests submitted by airline and ship operators (ICA, 31 July 2024). Storage terms not published

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

24 October 2024: ICA reported passport-less clearance fully in place at all four Changi terminals since 30 September 2024, with close to 1.5 million users by 15 October 2024 and average clearance time cut from 25 to 10 seconds ³

Sources

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to [email protected]. Last checked 19 October 2026.