Singapore to stop accepting Malaysian collective travel documents next year
Singapore will stop accepting the Malaysian collective travel document (MCTD) at its international entry points, effective from Jan 1,2021.
“This is to strengthen the security and efficiency of immigration clearance at Singapore’s checkpoints, ” said the republic’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement Wednesday (Feb 5).
According to the ICA, the MCTD is a travel document issued by the Immigration Department to groups of five to 20 Malaysian nationals, in lieu of passports.
However, the ICA said the MCTD poses security concerns as it facilitates the sharing of one travel document by multiple unrelated travellers.
Other than the MCTD, the ICA said it does not accept any other countries’ collective travel documents.
The ICA said the MCTD also requires manual data entry of all travellers’ details, leading to longer clearance times as the authority moves towards automation and biometrics clearance.
“MCTD holders are also unable to use our automated lanes. As such, we will no longer accept the MCTD for immigration clearance at our checkpoints from Jan 1,2021, ” it said.
The ICA urged Malaysian travellers currently issued with an MCTD to apply for passports if they plan to travel to Singapore from Jan 1,2021 onwards.
It added that it has informed Malaysia’s Immigration Department of its plans to cease recognition of the MCTD for immigration clearance, and will work with the department on the implementation. – Bernama
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Laos Suspends Visas at Checkpoints Bordering China
Laos Suspends Visas at Checkpoints Bordering China
The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a notice to all checkpoints bordering China to temporarily suspend the issuance of tourist visas to those entering the Lao PDR from China.
The notice reads, “due to the outbreak of the new Coronavirus originating in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, which has spread rapidly across China and other nations, causing widespread illness and death, in order to protect our nation from the threat of this virus, the consular department instructs all international checkpoints bordering China to temporarily suspend the issuance of tourist visas for entry into the Lao PDR for all visitors wishing to travel from China, commencing 2 February 2020 until further notice.”
The Lao PDR set up a task force last month to assess the impact of an outbreak of the new Coronavirus, although no case has yet been confirmed in the country.
In particular, the task force will conduct inspections in at-risk locations such as ports of entry, transport stations, hospitals, and markets, while arranging specialized healthcare service points across the country.
The country’s flagship airline, Lao Airlines, announced that it will temporarily cancel all flights from Vientiane to three destinations in China, namely Changzhou, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, as part of precautions in the wake of the virus outbreak.
As of February, no cases of the virus have been confirmed in Laos, and there is also no report of a confirmed case among Lao nationals living in foreign countries including China.
~The Laotian Times~
The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a notice to all checkpoints bordering China to temporarily suspend the issuance of tourist visas to those entering the Lao PDR from China.
The notice reads, “due to the outbreak of the new Coronavirus originating in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, which has spread rapidly across China and other nations, causing widespread illness and death, in order to protect our nation from the threat of this virus, the consular department instructs all international checkpoints bordering China to temporarily suspend the issuance of tourist visas for entry into the Lao PDR for all visitors wishing to travel from China, commencing 2 February 2020 until further notice.”
The Lao PDR set up a task force last month to assess the impact of an outbreak of the new Coronavirus, although no case has yet been confirmed in the country.
In particular, the task force will conduct inspections in at-risk locations such as ports of entry, transport stations, hospitals, and markets, while arranging specialized healthcare service points across the country.
The country’s flagship airline, Lao Airlines, announced that it will temporarily cancel all flights from Vientiane to three destinations in China, namely Changzhou, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, as part of precautions in the wake of the virus outbreak.
As of February, no cases of the virus have been confirmed in Laos, and there is also no report of a confirmed case among Lao nationals living in foreign countries including China.
~The Laotian Times~
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