From 30 January 2026, airlines operating flights to Singapore—including the 24 daily services out of Hong Kong—will receive advance ‘No-Boarding Directive’ (NBD) notices naming passengers barred from entering the city-state. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced the measure on 28 November, saying it will screen passenger manifests and SG Arrival Card data before take-off and order carriers to deny boarding to travellers deemed undesirable or lacking valid documents.
The Straits Times reports that airlines failing to comply face fines of up to S$10,000 per offence, while staff who knowingly let a prohibited passenger board risk six months’ jail. The new regime mirrors US APIS vetting and is intended to keep security threats away from Changi before they ever reach passport control.
![Singapore to issue ‘no-boarding’ lists to airlines—what Hong Kong travellers need to know]()
For Hong Kong residents, the change means document validity (six months’ passport validity and any required visas) must be double-checked at check-in; mistakes could result in off-loading and extra costs. Travel-management companies are advising corporates to embed an automated passport-validity check 96 hours before departure and to brief road-warriors on the new rule.
Airline operations teams in Hong Kong will need to integrate ICA’s NBD feed with departure-control systems within the next two months. Aviation lawyers warn that carriers may adopt a conservative stance, denying boarding where doubt exists, so travellers should carry supporting documents such as onward tickets or invitation letters.
The Straits Times reports that airlines failing to comply face fines of up to S$10,000 per offence, while staff who knowingly let a prohibited passenger board risk six months’ jail. The new regime mirrors US APIS vetting and is intended to keep security threats away from Changi before they ever reach passport control.
For Hong Kong residents, the change means document validity (six months’ passport validity and any required visas) must be double-checked at check-in; mistakes could result in off-loading and extra costs. Travel-management companies are advising corporates to embed an automated passport-validity check 96 hours before departure and to brief road-warriors on the new rule.
Airline operations teams in Hong Kong will need to integrate ICA’s NBD feed with departure-control systems within the next two months. Aviation lawyers warn that carriers may adopt a conservative stance, denying boarding where doubt exists, so travellers should carry supporting documents such as onward tickets or invitation letters.
