Automated immigration clearance at West Coast, Marina South piers from 2027

Those entering Singapore by sea via Marina South Pier and West Coast Pier will be able to clear immigration more quickly using automated lanes from 2027, after planned improvement works are completed.

- Kok Yufeng

Retrofitting and renovation works will also be carried out at Changi Point Ferry Terminal, although plans to introduce automated immigration clearance there are not confirmed.

The improvement works at West Coast and Marina South piers will start in December 2025, and are expected to be completed in the first half of 2027, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) told The Straits Times.

At present, travellers have to clear immigration at manned counters at these two checkpoints. These counters will be progressively replaced with automated lanes and self-clearance immigration kiosks, said ICA. Immigration clearance will continue to be available during this period.

The authority said that once these works are done, all sea travellers at both piers will be able to use automated clearance services.

Travellers in these automated lanes would then need to scan their passports before going through biometric scans such as facial and iris checks.

With the gradual roll-out of automated clearance, ICA will also be able to redeploy its officers.

Instead of manning the manual counters at the piers, they will be tasked with profiling travellers using the automated lanes and pulling out those who are suspicious for further checks.

On the whole, ICA noted that as at April 1, close to 14 million travellers had cleared immigration without presenting their passport at air and sea checkpoints in Singapore.