AMPONTOONS.COM Report by journalist Namira Yunia Lestanti
AMPONTOONS.COM, SINGAPORE – In an increasingly sophisticated digital age, the Singapore government has announced the release of a new immigration system, the Automated Passenger In-Car Clearance System (APICS).
Developed by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), the system allows travelers to no longer show their passport when entering Singapore immigration.
Instead, they will be asked to show the QR code on the MyICA application when going through the immigration control desk.
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“When fully implemented, the automated system will allow travelers to ‘self-clear’ in the comfort of their own car with minimal intervention from officials,” the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said.
Furthermore, in its official statement, the ICA explained that the launch of the APICS system will take place in phases starting from the first quarter of 2024.
Then, in 2026, APICS lanes will be introduced at checkpoint levers so that officers don’t have to be stationed in every car lane. In addition, the APICS system will be implemented at Woodlands and Tuas stations, which connect Singapore and Malaysia, in 2028
For your information, before the official release, this system had already passed the tests at Tuas Checkpoint and Terminal 4 of Changi Airport in 2019.
“We tested the Automated Passenger In-Car Clearance System (APICs) in 2022 and about 94% of travelers can use it without the help of officers,” the ICA said as quoted by Channel News Asia.
This transformation was deliberately implemented by the Singapore government with the aim of speeding up the process of transferring travellers’ data when they are at the immigration control desk.
In this new way, travelers also do not need to renew their passports when visiting Singapore.
While this innovation increases the threat of counterfeiting terrorist data, Singapore’s Minister of Home Affairs and Law, K. Shanmugam, believes the ICA can overcome this challenge.
“I am confident that ICA will continue to fulfill its mission as a world-class immigration and border agency, and I am looking forward, we look forward to, continued transformation,” said K. Shanmugam.
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