Jakarta, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
Singapore
take firm steps to strengthen border security by refusing entry to travelers deemed to be high risk or pose a threat to health, safety and immigration.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will issue a No Boarding Directive (
No-Boarding Direction
or NBD) to transport operators to prevent such travelers from boarding ships or flights bound for Singapore.
As reported
Straits Times
, ICA plans to implement NBD in stages, starting at air checkpoints (airports) in 2026, and at sea checkpoints (ports) in 2028.
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Transport operators who violate this NBD directive can be subject to hefty fines, reaching up to S$10,000 (around IDR 115 million).This step was taken following the enactment of the Immigration (Amendment) Act on December 31, 2024.
ICA’s enhanced capabilities in profiling and early detection have enabled authorities to identify more high-risk travelers before they even arrive in Singapore.
This has proven effective, with a 43 percent increase in the number of foreign nationals refused entry to Singapore in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
Groups potentially denied entry include individuals who have previously been barred from entering Singapore after being convicted of certain crimes.
The Challenge of Increasing Traveler Volumes
Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam highlighted the ICA’s transformation when inaugurating the ICA Service Center (ISC) at Crawford Street on July 31.This service center, which has been operational since April, was built adjacent to the old ICA building.
Shanmugam stated that ICA’s transformation occurred amidst a very drastic increase in the volume of cross-border travelers.
He noted that the volume of travelers crossing Singapore’s checkpoints increased from 197 million in 2015 to 230 million in 2024.
Traveler volumes are predicted to continue to soar, driven by:
– Operation of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Network in December 2026.
– Opening of Changi Airport Terminal 5 scheduled for the mid-2030s.
– Woodlands Checkpoint expansion which will take place over the next 10 to 15 years.
“However, the limitation is that the number of ICA personnel cannot increase indefinitely, so we are relying more on technology to meet this demand and to truly navigate a more complex security environment,” concluded Shanmugam.
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