Singapore cracks down on undesirables

Planning to visit Singapore? Better make sure you don't have any skeletons in your closet.

Around 41,800 foreigners deemed undesirable have been turned away at Singaporean checkpoints in the first 11 months of 2025 - and would-be visitors will face even greater scrutiny from 2026.

A new "no-boarding" directive initiative will mean the unwanted will not even get to board flights to Singapore, let alone make it to the immigration desks.

From January, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and AirAsia will implement the NBD directive, with more airlines to follow in March.

The new move will bar travellers from boarding their flights if they are found to be ineligible for entry into Singapore, the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said.

Undesirable or prohibited immigrants, and those who do not meet Singapore’s entry requirements, will not be allowed to board flights bound for Singapore.

The ICA currently uses advance traveller information, including that provided in the arrival card, flight manifests and other sources of data, to identify high-risk travellers when they arrive at checkpoints. These travellers are flagged for more stringent checks when they clear immigration.

Now airlines that receive an NBD notice must not allow these travellers on board.

The move aims to strengthen Singapore’s border security by keeping potential threats from reaching the country in the first place.

Airline operators that fail to comply with an NBD notice will be guilty of a strict liability offence.

If a pilot of the aircraft or an employee of the airline operator enables a person subjected to an NBD to board an aircraft, he or she will be liable on conviction to a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment for a term of up to six months, or both.

The Straits Times reported that the 41,800 foreigners turned away so far this year represents a jump of 26% over 2024 and 46% more than those refused entry in 2023.

Australian travellers gamble on skipping insurance

Just about every time I open a newspaper there is a sob story.

Someone fell out of a raft and suffered head injuries. Or slipped on the pavement and broke a leg. Or suffered a heart attack somewhere remote. Or missed their flight. 

And, invariably, someone has opened a Go Fund Me campaign for these unfortunate folk, who were too stupid - or too cocky - to take out travel insurance.

A new survey has revealed that one in seven Australian travellers (14%) went on their most recent overseas trip without any travel insurance coverage – a trend that is particularly pronounced among younger travellers, with 23% of under-30s gambling on going uninsured.

The survey of 1001 travellers, conducted by Quantum Market Research on behalf of the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller, found that two-thirds (65%) of those who travelled without insurance gave it some thought before deciding to go without. 

Almost a third of those travellers (31%) deciding to forgo insurance due to travelling to a destination they perceived as safe.

"Travelling anywhere, whether it’s overseas or domestically, is the highlight of many people’s years, but even when travelling to destinations perceived to be safe the unexpected can still happen," said ICA CEO Andrew Hall. 

"Understanding your policy and assessing what kinds of activities you plan on undertaking while you’re travelling is the best way to make sure you’re protected.

"We encourage any travellers to understand their exclusions and assess whether they need additional cover for any risky behaviours they're considering. Check Product Disclosure Statements and speak directly to insurers with any questions."  

Other findings of the survey include: 

Willingness to take risks: A large portion of travellers (45%) were willing to take risks in pursuit of unique or memorable experiences, such as trying unfamiliar foods and visiting challenging environments. 

Medical tourism: Close to half (46%) of travellers had, or would personally consider, travelling overseas for a medical procedure - most commonly dental care (30%). The most common motivation was the lower cost of treatment. 

Alcohol-related risks: While 70% of Australian travellers consumed alcohol while overseas, well under half (43%) understood that travel insurance policies vary significantly in their coverage of those affected by alcohol. 

The current global political environment: Over half (56%) of travellers agreed that the current global political environment has meant that there are countries they had planned to visit but they will now avoid. 

Full survey results can be found on the Smartraveller website.

Image: Kaitlyn Thurlow, Scop.io