Motorcyclists and pillion riders leaving Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint can clear immigration automatically at selected car lanes from Thursday, 15 October 2026, under a change by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
Facial recognition clears riders at these lanes, so each lane runs without an ICA officer posted at it. The option is open to Singapore residents, long-term pass holders and foreign visitors who have entered Singapore before.
Two seconds faster per motorcycle
In trials, clearance at the car lanes was 10 per cent shorter than at manual lanes, or two seconds per motorcycle. Because the lanes do not each need an officer, more of them can open to motorcycles at the same time. That adds clearance capacity at peak periods.
What riders do at the lane
- Lift the helmet visor and remove sunglasses and face masks before entering the lane.
- Insert the Autopass card, for foreign-registered motorcycles only.
- Scan the QR code from the MyICA mobile app, or a passport.
- Look at the screen so the camera captures a facial image for identity verification.
- Exit the lane once verification succeeds.
Who still clears at a counter
First-time foreign visitors, and travellers re-entering Singapore on a different passport from their previous trip, go through manual immigration clearance. They can switch to QR code and facial recognition on later trips. Riders who clear with a QR code still carry their passport, as ICA can ask to see it. A QR code generated on an old passport is rejected until it is updated in the app.
From fingerprints to faces since March
Facial images started replacing fingerprints as the main biometric check for motorcyclists and pillion riders on 31 March 2026. The switch began at 18 automated motorcycle lanes in the Arrival Zone of Woodlands Checkpoint and is being extended to all 70 automated arrival and departure motorcycle lanes there. At those motorcycle lanes, riders in full-face helmets take the helmet off so the camera can see the whole face.
Trials from January 2026 drew more than 150,000 motorcyclists and pillion riders. By 30 April 2026, more than 1.2 million riders and pillions had cleared immigration with facial images. At Tuas Checkpoint, facial recognition now runs at all 80 automated arrival and departure lanes for motorcyclists.
Clearing inside the vehicle next
The next stage is the Automated Passenger Clearance System (APCS), under which drivers and passengers in cars, motorcycles and cargo vehicles clear immigration without leaving their vehicles. Its car lanes, known as APCS@Car, can be set to clear up to two motorcycles at a time, depending on traffic. APCS@Car starts at Tuas Checkpoint from early 2027 and comes to Woodlands Checkpoint after the checkpoint is redeveloped.
