Home affairs minister and coordinating minister for national security, K Shanmugam, said the changes were necessary as traveller volumes surged — from 197 million in 2015 to 230 million in 2024
Singapore will from next year begin blocking the entry of travellers deemed a health, security or immigration threat by issuing no-boarding directives to airlines and shipping operators, according to local media.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the measure, enabled under amendments to the Immigration Act that came into force on 31 December 2024, will be rolled out at air checkpoints in 2026 and at sea checkpoints in 2028. Transport operators who fail to comply face fines of up to SGD 10,000.
The move comes amid a sharp rise in refused entries. In the first six months of 2025, 43 per cent more foreigners were turned away compared with the same period last year, which the ICA attributed to enhanced profiling and detection capabilities. These measures have allowed officials to identify more high-risk travellers before their arrival, including people previously barred for certain criminal convictions.
Home affairs minister and coordinating minister for national security, K Shanmugam, said the changes were necessary as traveller volumes surged — from 197 million in 2015 to 230 million in 2024 — and were set to grow further with major infrastructure projects, including the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System, due in December 2026, and the expansion of Changi Airport Terminal 5.
While airlines and shipping companies already provide passenger and crew information in advance, such data is not readily available at land checkpoints. Authorities are studying ways to extend similar pre-arrival screening to land crossings, where many visitors arrive via Malaysia.
Diplomatic observers said Singapore, with a population of over six million and a history of vigilance against extremist threats, remains sensitive to risks linked to groups such as ISIS as well as racial, religious and political tensions.
Shanmugam said manpower at the ICA could not “grow indefinitely”, making greater use of technology essential to managing both rising traveller numbers and a more complex security environment.
