Immigration and Checkpoints Authority advises travellers to plan ahead due to increased congestion.
SINGAPORE: The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has warned of heavy traffic at the Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints over the upcoming National Day period, urging travellers to adjust their plans to avoid long delays.
With National Day falling on August 9, ICA expects a surge in traffic from August 5 to August 10, following a new high of over 290,000 travellers per day over the previous weekend, the highest since the reopening of land borders on April 1. This surpasses the previous record of 278,000 travellers during the June school holidays.
The peak traffic numbers during the 2019 National Day long weekend saw waits of up to four hours at the land checkpoints. ICA has advised travellers to plan for longer immigration clearance times and avoid peak travel hours, including:
Departing Singapore:
Friday (Aug 5): 3pm to 11.59pm
Saturday (Aug 6): 6am to 10am, 4pm to 9pm
Arriving in Singapore:
Sunday (Aug 7) to Wednesday (Aug 10): 6pm to 11.59pm
Travellers using the Woodlands Checkpoint should be aware of ongoing upgrading works on Malaysia’s Bangunan Sultan Iskandar immigration car booths, which are unavailable during this period.
Motorists can check traffic conditions via the Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website, the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System (EMAS), and ICA’s social media channels. Additionally, Malaysia has simplified entry procedures, with travellers no longer needing to fill out a traveller’s card in the MySejahtera mobile app.
