Story ID: 
Singapore To Institute Pre-arrival Security Clearance
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The measure will go into effect early next year
Word Count: 227
In an effort to enhance its border security and preemptively screen inbound passengers, Singapore will introduce a No‑Boarding Directive (NBD) starting early next year. According to Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the policy will “instruct transport operators to deny boarding to travelers deemed high-risk or otherwise undesirable, even before they arrive at immigration checkpoints.”
Universal Weather & Aviation noted that the NBD will integrate with the existing Advance Passenger Information process, which operators must complete before departure. After submitting their data to the ICA, they will receive either an “OK to Board” or “Do Not Board” response for each person on the flight. In the case of the latter, the offending individual must be offloaded from the aircraft before departure.
All flights headed to Singapore must have all passengers and crew cleared, with a possible penalty of SGD 2,000 (about $1,555) per violation. Universal Aviation Singapore added that ICA may request additional documentation or confirmation, such as an SG Arrival Card completion.
ICA explained that its checkpoint modernization program—which uses features such as passport-less and QR-based clearance, automation, and biometric systems—has significantly improved security and efficiency. Since the beginning of the year, the authority stated that entry refusals have increased by 43% and contraband detection has risen by 28% as a result of additional profiling and detection capabilities.