Continuous heavy traffic expected at land checkpoints due to upcoming public holidays, Qing Ming

SINGAPORE: With the Good Friday and Hari Raya Puasa public holidays approaching together with the Qing Ming festival, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has advised travellers to expect very heavy traffic at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints for the next three weeks.

Travellers should factor in additional waiting time at the checkpoints in the lead-up to and from Mar 28 to Apr 14, ICA said in a travel advisory on Monday (Mar 25).

Traveller volume at the Singapore-Malaysia border has been increasing, far surpassing pre-pandemic levels, and waiting times to clear immigration for car drivers have stretched up to three hours during peak periods due to traffic tailback from Malaysia, it added. 

"During the recent March school holidays, more than 5.1 million travellers crossed Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints," ICA said.

"ICA also saw the highest recorded number of travellers, close to half a million travellers, crossing the land checkpoints on Mar 15, 2024."

Good Friday, Qing Ming and Hari Raya Puasa are all coming up in the next three weeks. Good Friday falls on Mar 29, Qing Ming on Apr 4 and Hari Raya Puasa on Apr 10.

"We seek (travellers') understanding and cooperation to be patient, observe traffic rules, maintain lane discipline and cooperate with ICA officers," ICA said. 

To speed up immigration clearance, ICA encouraged those crossing the border by car to use the new QR code clearance system that was recently rolled out at Woodlands and Tuas. 

Instead of presenting their physical passports, car travellers can now generate single or group QR codes on the MyICA mobile application and scan them at the checkpoints. 

The group QR codes apply for travellers in the same vehicle and can include a maximum of 10 individuals. 

However, the use of QR codes for immigration clearance only applies to Singapore's checkpoints for now.

Travellers will still need to present their physical passports at Malaysia's checkpoints.

TRAVELLER'S CHECKLIST

Travellers' passports should have a remaining validity of at least six months and Singapore permanent residents who have renewed their passports should ensure that their re-entry permits have been transferred to their new passports, ICA said.

Long-term pass holders should notify ICA or the Ministry of Manpower of any change in their passport particulars before re-entering Singapore.

Prohibited or controlled items should not be brought into Singapore, ICA added. A list of dutiable, controlled and prohibited items can be found on the ICA website.

Those who bring in such items are required to proactively declare them to ICA's officers before being checked.

ICA also advised travellers to check the traffic situation at the land checkpoints before embarking on their journeys through traffic updates posted on the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) One Motoring Website, ICA's Facebook and X accounts, or local radio broadcasts.

Traffic updates can also be found on the Expressway Motoring and Advisory System installed along the Bukit Timah Expressway and Ayer Rajah Expressway.

ICA warned motorists to refrain from queue-cutting as it can cause severe congestion and compromise the safety of other drivers. 

"Errant motorists caught queue cutting will be turned away and made to re-queue," it said.

Drivers of foreign vehicles, meanwhile, should ensure that their Vehicle Entry Permits (VEPs) are still valid as those without a valid Autopass card, a VEP approval email from LTA or valid insurance will be turned back.

ICA added that drivers of foreign vehicles with outstanding fines with government agencies should settle these fines before entering Singapore.

"Those with outstanding fines may be denied entry into Singapore," the authority said.