What changed on 18 September: facial recognition is now operating at all 80 automated arrival and departure motorcycle lanes at Tuas Checkpoint. Eligible riders and pillion passengers scan a MyICA QR code or passport, then use their face as the primary biometric instead of a fingerprint.

If you cross the Singapore–Malaysia border by motorcycle, the Tuas side of the process has changed. Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) says facial recognition is now available across all 80 automated motorcycle lanes at Tuas Checkpoint, completing the rollout that began at Woodlands earlier this year.

The change is practical rather than cosmetic. Instead of touching a fingerprint scanner as the main identity check, eligible riders and pillion passengers present a passport or MyICA QR code, enter the automated lane and look into a camera. ICA designed the system to make motorcycle clearance more contactless and to avoid some of the problems fingerprint readers can have when hands are wet.

For Singapore residents who ride to Johor regularly, this is a new routine to learn. For returning foreign visitors entering Singapore by motorcycle, it can also make later crossings simpler — but only if the traveller is eligible for automated clearance and still follows the document and helmet rules.

01 · What changed at Tuas Checkpoint?

On 18 September 2026, ICA announced that facial recognition had gone live at all 80 automated motorcycle arrival and departure lanes at Tuas Checkpoint. The move follows the earlier rollout at Woodlands Checkpoint, where facial images began replacing fingerprints as the primary biometric for motorcyclists and pillion riders from 31 March.

ICA had already flagged Tuas for a third-quarter 2026 rollout in its March media release. With the Tuas switch-on, both Singapore land checkpoints now use the facial-image process on their automated motorcycle lanes.

Important: this is a Singapore-side immigration change. It does not change Malaysian immigration procedures at the other end of the crossing, and it does not remove the need to carry your passport.

02 · Who can use facial recognition?

ICA says the system is available to:

  • Singapore residents using the automated motorcycle lanes;
  • long-term pass holders who are eligible for automated clearance; and
  • foreign visitors who have previously entered Singapore and already have the required immigration record.

There are two common situations where a visitor should not assume the automated face-scan lane will work immediately. First-time foreign visitors need to undergo manual immigration clearance first. A returning foreign visitor who is entering Singapore with a different passport from the one used on the previous trip must also clear manually on that trip.

After that manual clearance, ICA says eligible visitors can use QR code and facial recognition on subsequent motorcycle entries.

03 · The clearance steps at an automated motorcycle lane

The sequence is straightforward, but the helmet and face-obstruction rules matter. ICA’s published instructions set out the following process:

  1. Present and scan your passport or MyICA QR code.
  2. Wait for the entry barrier to rise, then move into the lane.
  3. Lift your helmet visor. If you are wearing a full-face helmet, ICA says the helmet needs to be removed so your facial features are fully visible.
  4. Remove sunglasses and face masks if you are wearing them.
  5. Look into the camera for facial-image capture and identity verification.
  6. Once verification succeeds, the exit barrier rises and you can clear immigration.

For a pillion passenger, the same principle applies: the traveller must be clearly visible to the facial-recognition camera and follow the lane prompts.

04 · You still need to carry your passport

“Passport-less” can be misleading if it is read too literally. ICA encourages eligible travellers to use QR codes generated in the MyICA mobile app because they make the document-presentation step quicker, but the authority still requires travellers to carry their passports.

ICA may ask to see the physical passport for verification. Riders who have changed passports should also update the QR code in MyICA before travelling; otherwise, ICA says the old QR code will be rejected.

That makes the safest pre-ride checklist very simple: make sure your passport is with you, confirm the QR code matches your current passport, and have your face unobstructed when you reach the camera.

05 · How Tuas fits into the wider land-checkpoint rollout

ICA began trials of facial recognition for motorcycle clearance at Woodlands in January 2026. More than 150,000 motorcyclists and pillion riders took part in those trials before the wider rollout began on 31 March.

The first operational phase covered 18 automated motorcycle lanes in the Woodlands arrival zone, before the system was progressively extended to all 70 automated arrival and departure motorcycle lanes there. Tuas was always planned as the next step.

ICA has said the broader New Clearance Concept is aimed at more contactless, secure and faster immigration processing. The agency has also been expanding QR-code and biometric clearance across other vehicle types, although those projects have their own timelines and should not be confused with the motorcycle rollout that is now live.

06 · What riders should do before the next Tuas crossing

  • Update MyICA and generate a current QR code if you use QR clearance.
  • Carry your passport even when using the QR code.
  • Lift your visor before the scan.
  • Remove a full-face helmet when prompted so the camera can see your full face.
  • Take off sunglasses and face masks for the biometric check.
  • If you are a first-time foreign visitor, or you are returning on a different passport, expect manual immigration clearance first.
  • Remember that Malaysian border procedures are separate; this update covers the Singapore checkpoint.

Regular cross-border riders will probably adapt quickly, but the full-face-helmet rule is the detail most likely to catch people by surprise. If you normally approach the booth with your face covered, expect an extra step before the camera can verify you.

07 · Why this matters for residents and visitors

Motorcycles are an important part of daily cross-border travel between Singapore and Johor. Even a small reduction in friction at an immigration lane can matter when thousands of people are moving through the checkpoints, especially during commuting peaks and holiday periods.

The bigger benefit is consistency. Woodlands riders have already been learning the facial-recognition process since March; Tuas users now get the same basic biometric approach across the automated motorcycle network. That reduces the chance of riders having to remember completely different primary identity checks depending on which crossing they use.

For visitors, the main takeaway is not “no passport required”. It is that returning eligible travellers can make use of the automated motorcycle lanes more smoothly after their first manual clearance, provided their passport information and biometric record are current.

08 · Sources and verification

This report was fresh-checked on 19 September 2026 against current official and major-news reporting:

Checked: 19 Sep 2026. Border procedures can change, so use ICA’s own channels and MyICA for the latest operational instructions before travelling.