5-min immigration clearance at newly revamped ferry terminal

Here’s some big news for travellers, especially those who swear by the ferry as their go-to transport mode! You now only need 5 minutes to complete the clearance process at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal before embarking.

The 3-decade-old ferry terminal, which is the arrival and departure point for multiple routes to and from Malaysia and Indonesia, reopened on 22 Mar after a year-long renovation. This S$20 million revamp has made the process of arriving and leaving via ferry very similar to that at Changi Airport.

15 new self-check-in kiosks at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal allow ferry passengers to print boarding passes and baggage tags without queuing at counters. Additionally, the number of bag drop counters has increased from 4 to 6 for an accelerated process.

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has also introduced a passport-less immigration system in Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to speed things up. Travellers can complete the clearance process through iris and facial recognition, reducing the process to about 10 seconds, similar to Changi Airport.

There are plans to allow ticket purchases to be made via kiosk in the future. Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) expects that up to 70% of passengers will use the kiosks for self-check-ins once they are fully operational by the end of 2025.

Following a 25% expansion in terminal capacity, the total annual customer volume has been increased from 2.4 million to over 3 million. To cater for these larger crowds, 14 new arrival and 8 departure lanes have been added.

Other upgrades include new F&B options, an outdoor play area for families with children, renovated toilets, solar panels, a prayer room and hybrid cooling systems. SCC hopes that this revamp will promote tourism growth and provide passengers at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal with an elevated user experience.

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