In forceAmended2020 Revised Edition

Contents

Immigration Act 1959 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 2 · Entry Into and Departure from Singapore

5. Entry into and departure from Singapore

Amended

Last amended by an amending law of 2026. 2 amendments in all.

(1)

The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, prescribe approved routes and declare such immigration control posts, landing places, airports, train checkpoints or points of entry, as the Minister may consider to be necessary for the purposes of this Act, to be immigration control posts, authorised landing places, authorised airports, authorised train checkpoints or authorised points of entry, as the case may be.

The Minister may, in connection with any treaty specified in the First Schedule to the Cross-Border Railways (Border Control Co-location) Act 2026, prescribe under subsection (1) or (3) (as the case may be) an area outside Singapore as an authorised point of entry, an authorised point of departure or an immigration control post for the purposes of this Act.

(1A)

In declaring under subsection (1) any place to be an immigration control post, a landing place or an authorised point of entry, the Minister may specify that it or any part of the place is to be an immigration control post, a landing place or an authorised place of entry generally only for a fixed period or for fixed periods of time in any day, or only for the separate and exclusive immigration clearance of a particular person or class of persons.

(2)

A person must not, unless compelled by accident or other reasonable cause, enter or attempt to enter Singapore except at an authorised landing place, airport, train checkpoint or point of entry.

(3)

The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, prescribe approved routes and declare such immigration control posts, places of embarkation, authorised airports, authorised train checkpoints, authorised departing places or authorised points of departure, as the case may be.

(3A)

In declaring under subsection (3) any place to be an authorised departing place or an authorised point of departure, the Minister may specify that it or any part of the place is to be an authorised departing place or an authorised point of departure generally only for a fixed period or for fixed periods of time in any day, or only for the separate and exclusive immigration clearance of a particular person or class of persons.

(4)

A person must not, unless compelled by accident or other reasonable cause, leave or attempt to leave Singapore except at an authorised place of embarkation, airport, train checkpoint, departing place or point of departure.

(5)

Any person who contravenes subsection (2) or (4) shall be guilty of an offence.

(6)

Without affecting subsection (1A) or (3A), where upon the application of any person (called in this section the applicant), any place or any part of that place is declared under subsection (1) or (3) (as the case may be) to be an immigration control post, a landing place, an authorised point of entry or an authorised departing place or authorised point of departure for the separate and exclusive immigration clearance of the applicant, or a particular person or class of persons associated with the applicant, the Controller may, with the approval of the Minister, require the applicant to pay to the Controller a rate, at such intervals and at such amount or rate as may be prescribed, for or in connection with immigration clearance performed by immigration officers at that place or part thereof.

(7)

The number of immigration officers to be deployed at any immigration control post, landing place, authorised point of entry, authorised departing place or authorised point of departure mentioned in subsection (6) is to be determined at the Controller’s discretion.

(8)

In this section, unless the context otherwise requires —

“immigration clearance”, in relation to any person, includes refusing the person entry into Singapore or exit from Singapore;

“separate and exclusive immigration clearance” includes immigration clearance carried out only during a particular period or periods in a day for a particular person or class of persons.

Terms defined in s 2

authorised departing place
Defined · s 2
“authorised airport”, “authorised landing place”, “authorised train checkpoint”, “authorised point of entry”, “authorised departing place” and “authorised point of departure” mean, respectively, an airport, a landing place, a train checkpoint, a point of entry, a departing place or a point of departure declared as such under section 5;
Open s 2
authorised landing place
Defined · s 2
“authorised airport”, “authorised landing place”, “authorised train checkpoint”, “authorised point of entry”, “authorised departing place” and “authorised point of departure” mean, respectively, an airport, a landing place, a train checkpoint, a point of entry, a departing place or a point of departure declared as such under section 5;
Open s 2
authorised point of departure
Defined · s 2
“authorised airport”, “authorised landing place”, “authorised train checkpoint”, “authorised point of entry”, “authorised departing place” and “authorised point of departure” mean, respectively, an airport, a landing place, a train checkpoint, a point of entry, a departing place or a point of departure declared as such under section 5;
Open s 2
authorised point of entry
Defined · s 2
“authorised airport”, “authorised landing place”, “authorised train checkpoint”, “authorised point of entry”, “authorised departing place” and “authorised point of departure” mean, respectively, an airport, a landing place, a train checkpoint, a point of entry, a departing place or a point of departure declared as such under section 5;
Open s 2
Controller
Defined · s 2
“Controller” means the Controller of Immigration appointed under section 3;
Open s 2
entry
Defined · s 2
“entry” means —(a)in the case of a person arriving by sea, disembarking in Singapore from the vessel in which he or she arrives;(b)in the case of a person arriving by air at an authorised airport, leaving the precincts of such airport;(c)in the case of a person entering by land and proceeding to an immigration control post under section 26 or an authorised train checkpoint under section 25A, leaving the precincts of such post or checkpoint for any purpose other than that of departing from Singapore by an approved route;(ca)in the case of a child born in Singapore on or after 15 January 2005 who is not a citizen of Singapore, his or her birth in Singapore; and(d)in any other case, any entry into Singapore by land, sea or air,but shall not include in any case an entry made for the purpose of complying with this Act or an entry, expressly or impliedly, sanctioned by an immigration officer for the purpose of any enquiry or detention under the provisions of this Act;
Open s 2
immigration control post
Defined · s 2
“immigration control post” means a post established as such by the Controller at a place declared to be an immigration control post under section 5;
Open s 2
leave
Defined · s 2
“leave” means —(a)in the case of a person leaving Singapore by sea, embarking in Singapore on a vessel which is about to leave Singapore and remaining on board such vessel at the time of its departure for any place outside Singapore;(b)in the case of a person leaving Singapore by air, boarding an aircraft in Singapore which is about to depart from Singapore; (c)in the case of a person leaving Singapore by land, boarding and remaining in a train or other vehicle which is about to leave Singapore; and (d)in the case of a vessel, an aircraft or a train leaving Singapore by sea, air or land (as the case may be), departing from any authorised departing place in Singapore by sea, or from any airport or train checkpoint in Singapore, for any place outside Singapore;
Open s 2