Singapore to Enforce No-Boarding Rule for Undesirable Passengers from Jan 30

Singapore will introduce a new pre-departure screening measure from January 30, 2026, requiring airlines to stop travellers identified as undesirable or who fail to meet entry requirements from boarding flights bound for the Republic.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced the measure on Friday, November 28, as part of wider efforts to strengthen border security.

Under the new no-boarding directive (NBD), airlines operating at Changi and Seletar airports will receive notices listing travellers who are prohibited from entering Singapore.

These include individuals flagged as potential security risks as well as those who do not possess valid documents such as visas or travel papers with at least six months' validity. Airline staff will be required to prevent these passengers from boarding.

In its statement, ICA said the directive enhances Singapore's ability to intercept threats at an early stage. It explained that the NBD enables the agency to block "identified prohibited or undesirable travellers whom we are aware of from advance traveller information... from boarding the flight for Singapore."

Currently, ICA relies on information submitted through the SG Arrival Card and flight manifests to identify high-risk travellers, who are then subjected to enhanced checks on arrival. From January 30, the screening will shift earlier in the process, occurring once airlines share advance traveller information before flights depart for Singapore.

Airlines receiving an NBD notice must ensure the flagged traveller is not allowed to board. In some cases, carriers may also be instructed to conduct extra verification, such as checking visa validity or confirming the submission of an SG Arrival Card for passengers and crew.

The new rules carry strict penalties for non-compliance. Airline operators that fail to enforce an NBD may face fines of up to S$10,000. Pilots and airline employees can also be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Travellers who are denied boarding but still intend to enter Singapore must first obtain approval from ICA through its online feedback channel before arranging a new flight.

The NBD framework will be expanded in 2028 to cover sea-going vessels carrying travellers into Singapore. The directive is part of a suite of border-control measures passed by Parliament in September 2023 to enhance national security.

In a related update, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that from Dec 1, permanent residents (PRs) who are overseas without a valid re-entry permit (REP) will be given a 180-day window to apply for one if they wish to retain their PR status. These changes update previous rules under which PRs without a valid REP were considered to have lost their status immediately.

The complete details on the revised entry and REP requirements will be published on the ICA website.