Passport — required
This is an international crossing, so a passport is mandatory; national ID cards alone won’t do. Standard guidance is at least 6 months’ validity for entry into Malaysia.
RIDER GUIDE
How to ride the RTS Link
Woodlands North ↔ Bukit Chagar in ~5 minutes, with both countries’ immigration cleared before you board. Everything below is from official announcements — and we flag what hasn’t been announced.
Last verified:
Not yet open
The RTS Link is targeted to open at the end of 2026 (Singapore’s framing) or January 2027 (Malaysia’s framing) — nothing on this page is rideable today. For ways to cross right now, see “Until it opens” below.
DOCUMENTS
What you need before the fare gate
MDAC for most foreign nationals
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card must be submitted within 3 days before arrival in Malaysia. Exempt: Singapore citizens, diplomatic and official passport holders, Malaysian PRs and long-term pass holders.
Open question
Whether MDAC rules will adapt for same-day RTS commuters has not been officially detailed.
E-gates: 100 on the line
The RTS terminals get 100 AI facial-recognition e-gates with a target clearance of 7 seconds or less per passenger; QR-code passport clearance has also been reported.
PENDING Eligibility rules — nationalities, first-visit procedures and the exact per-terminal count — have not been published yet.
THE CROSSING
Clear both borders before you board
Per Singapore MHA’s 5 May 2026 second-reading speech — the authoritative process.
SG → JB Singapore to Johor Bahru
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Ride the TEL to Woodlands North
Take the Thomson–East Coast Line to Woodlands North MRT (TE1) and follow the signs to the RTS Link station — it’s an underground connection, so you never need to exit to street level.
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Tap through the RTS fare gate
The RTS has its own fare gates, separate from the MRT. What you’ll tap — ez-link, bank card or app — hasn’t been announced yet.
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Security check, then ICA departure clearance
After security screening, Singapore’s ICA clears you out of Singapore — still inside the Woodlands North building.
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One level down: Malaysia arrival clearance
In the Malaysia CIQ zone on the level below, Malaysian officers clear you into Malaysia. Selective security checks are possible.
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Board the next train
Head to the departure platform — trains run as often as every 3.6 minutes at peak.
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Alight at Bukit Chagar and walk straight out
About 5 minutes later you’re in JB — no further immigration on arrival. Malaysian officers may conduct selective customs checks and collect duties where applicable.
JB → SG Johor Bahru to Singapore
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Get to Bukit Chagar station
The station sits next to JB Sentral — walk over from the KTM ETS platforms, city buses or the City Square area.
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Tap through the RTS fare gate
Same deal on this side: the RTS has its own fare gates. Payment media haven’t been announced yet.
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Clear Malaysia exit
Malaysian officers process your departure inside the Bukit Chagar ICQ complex.
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Clear Singapore entry — same building
ICA officers in the Singapore CIQ zone clear you into Singapore before you board.
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Board the next train
As often as every 3.6 minutes at peak; about 5 minutes across the Strait.
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Walk straight out at Woodlands North
No further immigration on arrival — follow the signs straight into the Thomson–East Coast Line network.
One building, two borders
The co-location model is modelled on the Channel Tunnel arrangement between the UK and France: each RTS station houses both countries’ CIQ facilities, so you clear exit and entry formalities at your departure station and simply walk out on arrival.
THE NUMBERS
Service at a glance
- Operating hours
- 6:00am–12:00mn daily CONFIRMED
- Frequency
- 3.6 min peak / ~6 min off-peak CONFIRMED
- Journey time
- ~5 min station-to-station (some Malaysian material says 5–6 min) CONFIRMED
- End-to-end incl. clearance
- ~15–25 min in good conditions (media estimate, not official) NOT OFFICIAL
- Fare (one-way)
- Indicative RM15.50–21.70 / S$5–7 (Anthony Loke, 18 Feb 2026); final table due H2 2026 NOT FINAL
- Payment media
- ez-link, bank cards, app — not announced PENDING
Fares not final
Fares are set commercially by RTSO — the Prasarana–SMRT joint venture — and neither government will subsidise cross-border commuters. A monthly pass looks “hard to implement”; MCA’s Wee Ka Siong has proposed a RM300 version. Final gazettement is expected in H2 2026. Under the currency model stated in 2020, Malaysians pay in ringgit while Singaporeans pay the same fare level in Singapore dollars.
CONNECTIONS
Both ends of the line
SINGAPORE
Woodlands North
The RTS station links underground at Basement 1 to Woodlands North MRT (TE1) on the Thomson–East Coast Line — direct rides to Orchard, Shenton Way and Gardens by the Bay.
Bus: SMRT bus 856 serves the area.
Driving: parking is limited — take public transport.
MALAYSIA
Bukit Chagar
About 400 m from JB Sentral — a covered walkway link is reported, though its exact spec has not been officially detailed. PENDING
KTM ETS: intercity trains from JB Sentral reach KL in about 4–4.5 hours; the full JB–KL service launched 12 Dec 2025.
Walkable: City Square and KOMTAR JBCC are within walking distance.
Coming later: Johor’s E-ART feeder network is planned to integrate here, but the project is caught in a federal–state funding and scope dispute as of Jun 2026. PENDING
CROSSING TODAY
Your options right now
KTM Shuttle Tebrau
The shuttle train between JB Sentral and Woodlands Train Checkpoint — RM5 from JB, S$5 from Singapore. Today’s most comfortable seat across the Causeway.
Under the 2018 bilateral agreement it must cease six months after the RTS opens (~mid-2027). Malaysia has asked Singapore to let it keep running temporarily; no decision had been announced as of Apr 2026. PENDING
Causeway buses
The classic — and often jammed — option: cross-border buses over the 1 km Causeway, at the mercy of one of the world’s busiest land borders (~300,000–400,000 crossings a day).
The RTS is designed to absorb at least 35% of this traffic once it opens.
FAQ
Quick answers
When does the RTS Link open?
No exact opening day has been officially confirmed. Singapore’s framing is the end of 2026 — Law Minister Edwin Tong told Parliament on 5 May 2026 the line is “targeted to commence service this December”. Malaysia’s framing is passenger operations from January 2027 (Transport Minister Anthony Loke, 15 Jan 2026).
How much will the fare be?
Fares are not final. The indicative one-way range is RM15.50–RM21.70 (about S$5–S$7), disclosed by Anthony Loke on 18 Feb 2026. The final table — set commercially by RTSO, with no cross-border subsidies — is expected in H2 2026.
Can I pay with ez-link or a bank card?
Not announced yet. Payment media (ez-link, NETS, bank cards, apps), concession fares and any monthly pass had not been officially detailed as of 19 Jul 2026.
Do I need a passport to ride?
Yes. This is an international crossing, so a passport is required — national ID cards alone are insufficient. Standard guidance is at least 6 months’ validity for entry into Malaysia.
Do Singaporeans need the MDAC?
No. Singapore citizens are exempt from the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, as are diplomatic and official passport holders, Malaysian PRs and long-term pass holders. Other nationalities should check current MDAC rules — whether the card adapts for same-day RTS commuters has not been officially detailed.
How long does the whole crossing take?
The train ride itself takes about 5 minutes. Including clearing both countries’ immigration before you board, media estimates put the end-to-end journey at roughly 15–25 minutes in good conditions — an estimate, not an official figure.
Hungry already?
Plan the makan side of your first crossing.