Nearly 42,000 foreigners refused entry in 2025
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Integration of ICA's passport-less clearance at automated immigration clearance lanes by September 2024 helped to streamline screening process at Changi Airport in Singapore
Singapore : About 41,800 foreign visitors were denied entry at Singapore's checkpoints between January and November 2025, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). The figure represents a sharp rise compared with previous years, prompting the authorities to introduce stricter pre-arrival controls from 2026.
Starting January 2026, selected airlines including Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, and AirAsia will take part in a new No-Boarding Directive (NBD) scheme. Under this initiative, airlines will prevent travelers from boarding flights to Singapore if ICA determines they are ineligible for entry. More carriers are expected to join the program from March 2026.
ICA said refusals in 2025 were nearly 26 percent higher than the total for 2024, and 46 percent higher than in 2023. Many cases were detected through ICA's enhanced clearance framework, which combines automated immigration lanes, biometric screening, counter-forgery technology, and data analytics.
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