Travelers crossing Singapore land checkpoints by car will soon be able to use QR codes instead of their passports to clear immigration. Starting in early 2024, travelers will be able to create a profile and generate an individual or group QR code on the MyICA mobile app using details from Singpass or their passports.
The Automated Passenger In-Car Clearance System (APICS) developed by HTX will allow travelers to perform “self-clearance” with minimal intervention by officers. Starting in the first quarter of 2024, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will progressively replace manual counters at the passenger halls of all checkpoints with about 800 new automated lanes under the Automated Border Control System (ABCS).
This move will allow arriving and departing Singapore residents, as well as departing visitors that use car, to enjoy contactless clearance using QR without having to present their passports. The next-generation ABCS lanes will provide travelers with an even smoother and speedier clearance experience while enabling ICA to cope with rising traveler volumes and limited manpower resources. (https://www.madisonavenuemalls.com/)
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The agency will also open a new integrated ICA Services Centre in Lavender, expected to become operational in 2024. In order to provide a “seamless, one-stop service” where people can be served at a single touchpoint even if they require different services.
The center will feature an Integrated Smart Document Management System (iSMART) for customers to collect documents like their identity cards and passports by themselves. The use of AI to detect anomalies in scanned images of cargo, parcels and baggage is also being trialed. The agency says that this will strengthen Singapore’s ability to detect potential threats in cargo and stop their entry.
Source : CNA
