Airlines to bar 'undesirable' & 'prohibited' visitors from boarding flights to S’pore from Jan. 30

Airlines operating flights to Singapore will begin barring "undesirable" visitors from boarding planes from Jan. 30, 2026.

The new no-boarding directive (NBD) will require airlines to stop passengers flagged as risks by local authorities, according to Nikkei Asia.

Airlines that do not comply with such notices may also be fined up to S$10,000.

Airlines will be notified of such travellers before flight

The new directive aims to prevent entry of "undesirable" or "prohibited" travellers, based on prior data, including online entry declaration forms, flight manifests and other data sources.

According to a Nov. 28 media release by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the measure enhances Singapore's border security by preventing potential threats from reaching its shores in the first place.

Airlines will be informed via an NBD by ICA identifying those who are not allowed to fly to the country.

NBDs may also be issued to those who do not meet standard entry requirements, such as holding a valid visa or a passport with at least six months' validity.

ICA said that those who are denied boarding but still intend to enter Singapore must first seek approval from the authority in writing, before making new travel arrangements to Singapore.

Airlines to be fined for not complying

A spokesperson from national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) told Nikkei Asia that it "will comply with" the NBD.

Other airlines such as AirAsia, Emirates, Scoot, and Turkish Airlines will also adopt the scheme, with more airlines expected to follow.

Airlines that fail to comply with such notices may be fined up to S$10,000.

Employees may also be fined or jailed up to six months.

Top photo via Changi Airport/Facebook