Singapore travellers planning to head into Malaysia during the upcoming public holiday weekends and June school holidays may want to prepare for significant congestion at the land checkpoints.
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has announced that very heavy traffic is expected at both Woodlands Checkpoint and Tuas Checkpoint from May 26 to Jun. 28, 2026.
The warning comes as Singapore enters a busy travel season covering the Hari Raya Haji period, Vesak Day long weekend and the June school holidays, which traditionally see massive cross-border traffic between Singapore and Malaysia.
According to ICA, more than two million travellers crossed the land checkpoints during the recent Labour Day long weekend from Apr. 30 to May 3. Traffic hit its peak on Apr. 30, when close to 580,000 travellers crossed in a single day alone.
During the busiest periods, motorists reportedly faced waiting times of up to three hours due to traffic congestion stretching back from Malaysia.
Security Checks Tightened Amid Global Situation
ICA also revealed that security checks at all checkpoints have been intensified since Feb. 28, 2026 due to the heightened global security environment and recent developments in the Middle East.
Travellers should therefore expect even longer clearance times during peak periods, especially during weekends and holiday eves.
Authorities are advising Singaporeans to plan their journeys carefully and travel during off-peak timings where possible. ICA suggested that early mornings and late evenings may offer slightly smoother traffic conditions.
Travellers are also encouraged to monitor checkpoint traffic updates through official channels before setting off.
QR Code Clearance Recommended For Faster Processing
ICA highlighted that newer immigration initiatives introduced under Singapore’s New Clearance Concept have helped improve checkpoint efficiency.
These include QR code clearance through the MyICA mobile app, as well as facial clearance systems for motorcyclists and pillion riders.
According to ICA, these systems have boosted clearance throughput by over 35 per cent during peak departure periods compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This translates to around 7,600 additional travellers being processed every hour.
Authorities are strongly encouraging travellers to generate QR codes via the MyICA application before arriving at the checkpoints to reduce waiting times.
Queue Cutting & Dangerous Driving Under Enforcement Spotlight
ICA also warned motorists against queue cutting and dangerous driving behaviour near the checkpoints.
The agency stated that queue cutting disrupts traffic flow significantly and motorists caught doing so will be forced to rejoin the queue from the back of the line.
During the recent Labour Day weekend alone, 19 motorists were reportedly caught committing traffic-related offences and dangerous driving behaviour near the checkpoints.
Enforcement actions included referrals to the Traffic Police for further investigation, forced U-turns to re-queue and bans from entering Singapore.
Travellers Reminded To Check Documents Before Travel
ICA also reminded travellers to ensure their passports have at least six months of validity before travelling.
Short-term visitors entering Singapore must submit their Singapore Arrival Card with health declaration through the MyICA app within three days before arrival.
Drivers of foreign-registered vehicles were also reminded to ensure their Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP), insurance and Autopass documentation remain valid before attempting to enter Singapore.
From Nov. 2, 2026 onwards, foreign vehicles with outstanding fines related to traffic offences, parking offences or vehicular emissions may also be denied entry into Singapore.