ICA working on portable device to verify passports of ship passengers

On duty: An ICA officer approaching a cruise ship to check passengers’ passports under the clearanceon- board system. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

THE Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) is working on a portable electronic device which could be used to check the passports of ship passengers and make the current system more efficient.

The present clearance-on-board system involves ICA officers physically checking cruise passengers’ documents on the ship before they reach Singapore Cruise Centre or Marina Bay Cruise Centre, where passports are then checked electronically.