Singapore QR Code Clearance by Car Explained

Short answer: if you cross the Causeway or the Second Link in a car, you no longer need to hand your passports to the Singapore immigration officer. Since 19 March 2024, car travellers at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints can clear Singapore immigration by scanning a QR code from the MyICA mobile app instead, and ICA says the scheme has been fully implemented at both land checkpoints since January 2025. One group code can cover up to 10 people in the same car. You still need to carry your passport, because ICA may ask for it in some cases and Malaysian immigration still checks identity on its side.

This guide explains how the QR code works for car travellers, who can and cannot use it, how to set it up before you leave home, and what is about to change at Tuas. For a side-by-side look at the two crossings themselves, see our Woodlands vs Tuas checkpoint guide.

What the QR code replaces

Before 2024, every car stopped at a Singapore immigration booth, the driver collected all the passports, and the officer scanned them one by one. In a full family car, that could take a few minutes per vehicle, and those minutes add up to long queues on a busy evening.

With QR code clearance, someone in the car simply scans one code at the booth. The code holds the passport details of everyone in the vehicle, so the officer does not need to handle a stack of passports. It works in both directions, when you leave Singapore and when you come back.

It is important to know what it does not replace. The MyICA code only covers Singapore immigration. Malaysia runs its own checks at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB), with its own QR system, which we cover further down.

Who can use QR code clearance

According to ICA, the QR code can be used by all traveller categories: Singapore citizens, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and foreign visitors. There are two main exceptions, and both are about the passport rather than the person.

Traveller	Can use the QR code?
Singapore citizens and PRs	Yes
Long-term pass holders (work pass, student pass and similar)	Yes
Foreign visitors who have entered Singapore before on the same passport	Yes
First-time foreign visitors to Singapore	No, show the physical passport on this first trip; QR clearance can be used on later trips
Anyone re-entering Singapore on a different (new) passport from their last visit	No, show the new passport once; QR clearance works again after that

If one person in the car falls into an exception, plan for that person to hand over a passport at the booth. Foreign visitors must also still submit the SG Arrival Card before arriving in Singapore, whether they clear by QR code or by passport.

Setting it up in the MyICA app

Do this at home, not in the queue. The process takes a few minutes per person the first time, and after that your codes are saved.

1. Download MyICA. The app is free on the App Store and Google Play.
2. Create a profile for each traveller. Singapore citizens, PRs and long-term pass holders can use Singpass so their passport details fill in automatically. Others can enter their details by hand or scan the passport's photo page.
3. Create a group. Choose "Car" as the vehicle type. A car group can hold up to 10 profiles.
4. Add everyone who will be in the car, including children, then generate the group QR code.
5. Name and save it. You can keep several groups, for example "Family" and "Parents", and pick the right one on the day.
6. Check the expiry date shown on the code. If it is close to expiring, generate a new one before you set off.

The rules for group codes

Group codes save the most time, but they only work if they match the car exactly.

• The numbers must tally. ICA rejects a group code if the details or the number of travellers do not match the people in the vehicle. If you made a code for five and only four are travelling, edit the group first.
• The same code can be reused. If the same people travel together again with the same passports, you can scan the same group code on every trip.
• Edit the group when it changes. Add or remove profiles and regenerate the code; there is no need to start over.
• Update after a passport renewal. If your profile came from Singpass, recreate it through Singpass so the new passport details overwrite the old ones. If you entered it by hand or by scanning, edit the profile with the new details. Remember that your first trip on a new passport still needs the physical passport.

What happens at the booth

The routine is short. Join the car lane, pull up to the booth, and have the QR code open on the screen before you reach the window. Scan it at the reader, wait for the officer to confirm, and drive on. Turn your screen brightness up and keep the phone steady; a dim or cracked screen is the most common reason a scan takes longer than it should.

The officer can still ask to see passports, check faces in the car or wave a traveller to a counter. That is normal and is one reason ICA reminds everyone to carry passports even when using the QR code. Keep them together in one pouch so you are not searching through bags at the window.

Travelling in a hired car

If you are a passenger in a private-hire car, taxi or chauffeured vehicle, the driver is also a traveller in that vehicle. Before the day, ask your driver or operator how they want to handle QR codes for your party, and keep everyone's passports within reach either way. At the booth, follow the driver's lead.

What is changing next: automated car lanes at Tuas

The QR code is the first step towards fully automated clearance for vehicles. ICA calls the new system the Automated Passenger Clearance System (APCS). In an APCS car lane, you drive in, scan your MyICA QR code yourself and complete a facial biometric check with cameras placed around the car, without an officer at every booth. Officers monitor several lanes remotely.

Works to convert Tuas Checkpoint began on 1 September 2026 and are expected to run until late 2027. During this period, parts of the departure car zones at Tuas are being closed in phases, and the existing staffed car counters are being replaced with APCS lanes. ICA has said the new lanes will open progressively at Tuas from early 2027, with Woodlands to follow. The good news is that the same MyICA QR code will be used, so setting it up now is not wasted effort.

While the works are on, Tuas may have fewer departure lanes open at some times. Check our live Woodlands and Tuas traffic cameras before you leave.

The Malaysian side is separate

After Singapore, you still have to clear Malaysian immigration. Malaysia has introduced QR code clearance for car lanes at BSI and KSAB through its own MyNIISe app, and Malaysia's Home Ministry reported almost 19.5 million QR transactions at the two Johor checkpoints by late June 2026. The MyNIISe code is a different code from MyICA, and Malaysian rules on passports still apply, so carry yours. Our BSI Johor Bahru immigration guide explains the Malaysian side in detail, and the MDAC guide covers who needs Malaysia's digital arrival card.

Practical tips for a smooth QR crossing

1. Set it up the night before. Create profiles and the group code at home, where you have time and a good connection.
2. Count heads, not names. Last-minute changes, such as a cousin joining or a child staying home, are the main cause of rejected group codes.
3. Keep one phone in charge. Decide whose phone holds the code and make sure it is charged.
4. Carry every passport. The QR code does not replace the passport for Malaysia, and ICA may still ask to see it.
5. Foreign family members: check whether this is their first entry on that passport, and submit the SG Arrival Card on time when coming into Singapore.
6. Time your trip. QR codes speed up each car, but they cannot clear a holiday jam. Our border travel timing guide shows when queues are shortest.

Crossing with a private car

The QR code makes each stop at the booth shorter, but the trip still has plenty of moving parts: two checkpoints, luggage, children and the drive on the other side. With a Luxway SGMY private car, your driver handles the route and picks the checkpoint based on live traffic, while you stay seated in the car through immigration on both sides. Pick-up is door-to-door anywhere in Singapore, 24/7, and the fare covers tolls, checkpoint fees, fuel and parking, with zero deposit and payment to the driver on arrival.

Plan your next crossing

Have your MyICA group code ready and leave the driving to us. See routes and fares on our Singapore to Johor private car page, read how to book, or Whatsapp us with your date, pick-up address and number of passengers. You can also find quick answers on our FAQ page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 14 October 2026