Singapore Immigration Will Stop Issuing Departure Endorsements

Get ready for shorter waits when leaving Singapore after your next trip to the island state. Starting 22 April 2019, foreign passport holders leaving Singapore will not have their passports stamped at the immigration counter.

According to a CNA report, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) will eliminate the departure endorsements with the objective of speeding up the immigration process, among others.

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Before this new ruling, foreigners leaving Singapore would have their passports stamped by immigration officers, however, those eligible to use the automated lanes received none.

Singapore’s move towards smoother traffic at its borders have been improving in the past couple of years.

Six months ago, they launched a new electronic arrival card for foreigners visiting Singapore – visitors would be able to submit their travel information in advance via the ICA website or its mobile app.

Last week, the ICA started using iris and facial images for clearance at the Tuas Checkpoint (the border between Singapore and Malaysia), eliminating the process of presenting passports or thumbprints.