The goal is to use the quick response barcodes to make immigration clearance more convenient.
Starting yesterday, travelers heading through Singapore’s checkpoints in Woodlands and Tuas are able to use QR codes instead of their passports in order to make their way through more quickly and conveniently.
The idea is to simply scan the barcode to speed up immigration clearance
All people need to do is have a single QR code scanned – one that is generated ahead of arriving at the checkpoint – to gain clearance for everyone traveling within the vehicle. This option entirely removes the need to hand over a passport to Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) car counter officer.
The ICA has been working on the development of this system using a quick response barcode to improve the efficiency and convenience of immigration clearance without risking compromising security.
The QR codes for immigration clearance is generated using a special mobile app
Travelers who want to be able to scan a barcode for immigration clearance must first download the MyICA mobile app onto their mobile device. Once it is installed, they can enter their passport details into the app, which then generates a unique QR code to represent those details.
The option is available to Singapore residents, people who have been to Singapore before and who are returning. They must each use the MyICA app and fill it in before heading to the checkpoint, so they have the barcode ready.
On the other hand, those who are visiting for the first time, and those who are re-entering the city state but who are using a different passport than the one they used previously will need to present their passports. That said, on subsequent trips, they will then be able to use the MyICA app and a generated unique QR code.
There are two types of barcode that the app can generate. The first represents a single individual. The second represents a group travelling within the same vehicle. For instance, a car with four people in it could either each have their own barcodes to be scanned or can generate one barcode to represent everyone in the vehicle.
