Johor Bahru CIQ
The Johor Bahru Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) is a very large complex at the causeway to Singapore that accommodates Malaysian customs check for cars, trucks, buses and the JB Sentral train station. The CIQ was opened in 2008. The complex is know as CIQ – if you tell a taxi for example they will know where you mean to go if you say CIQ.
Looking up to Johor Bahru CIQ from the street (all photos by John Hunter)
Queues are often reasonable but at rush hour (especially leaving Singapore on Friday’s and near public holidays) can be long. In several ways taking the bus is quite appealing (costs of bringing a car into Singapore plus tolls and there are significant restrictions on taxis that make that option difficult) but the walking from the entrance to the custom lines is quite a distance so that will add 5 minutes to your time. And waiting for a bus once you clear customs can add another 5 – 10 minutes. [update – given all the long delays and complaints from people they reopened walking over the causway as an option. A newspaper story in 2016 claimed 300,000 people walk across each day, that surprises me and I am not 100% sure the number is accurate]
The 2nd link (to the West) has shorter queues currently (these are the only 2 links between Singapore and Johor Bahru now). That is one of the reasons many people have been buying out near the 2nd link. Also that is a focus area for the Iskandar economic development initiative and the available of housing estates with integrated security and new bungalows is another attraction.
JB Sentral, which opened in 2010, is located in the same area and includes the train station and a large bus terminal.
Singapore and Malaysia have been taking recently about extending the MRT (light rail) from Singapore into Johor Bahru before the end of this decade and the likely location of the first stop is JB Sentral. This MRT (and extending 5 to 7 more stops in Johor Bahru will be a welcome improvement to mass transit and continue to build the economic ties between the two cities. Currently you have to take the long walk through Malaysian customs, then walk to the bus, take it over the causeway, walk through Singapore customs, catch the bus again and then got to the MRT (which for some reason isn’t the closer Woodlands MRT but the Kranji MRT). So just getting on the MRT in JB and clearing customs and getting right back on will be a big improvement. Of course they will have to add quite a few more customs staff to prevent long queues.
Related: Taking the Bus from Johor Bahru to Singapore – Residence Pass for Talented Expats – Penang Condo Market
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Hello John, I found your well organised webpage by Google search.
I visited the border in this January for the second time, and was very impressed to see this complex. The first visit was in summer 2005 and it was completely different.
The complex was beautiful but one disappointment was there seemed no way to walk the causeway from JB to SG, because it was my good memory to walk there.
I’d like to ask you, am I right to think that I cannot walk there anymore? If I can, I want to visit there just to walk through…
people do still walk
This is true, the causeway has been reopened for walking. I am not sure exactly when it was re-opened maybe 2014 (if not, then I think in 2015)? It was not an option for several years but given all the delays and complaints the option to walk across is available again.
It is true that walking the causeway is still not allowed.
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i had d worst day in my life on the way bck from johor by bus. it was totally unexpected at d bus bay. there is no one to guide us on which line is for which bus. its annoying enough with a heavy luggage u dun kno where to go. to make tings worst is the bus kept using their loud airhorn non stop. best part is the malaysian police there just did noting at all. tis is unacceptable for a tourist lke me who dun kno d way just got to rely on ourselves. it seem lke a great complex only on d design but indeed its a dissapointment when comes to public user like me.
I take 1st class night train with bed and shower room but I feel frustrated because seafront in front of Danga Bay covered with sand because they want to reclaimed the area for JB Waterfront City .The road to JB city centre also not pedestrian friendly . Last time I can easily walk from old railway station to the area neat KOMTAR ( now JBCC ) I shifted my holiday to Melaka because I feel so disaapointed . Anyway , I like the CIQ complex because it is very futuristic and somehow too ambitious to compete with Singapore .
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Living in malay is great. I like the atmosphere as well as the people here
I must say the new CIQ building is impressive but the customer service still lacking.A hijab wearing Immigration officer attended to my passport the previous night.She was busy texting on her hp n overlooked on my PR status on my passport.She stamped on it which actually doesn’t need to.When my husband demanded to know why she stamped on it,she was angry.Instead of apologizing to us,she demanded us to apologize!She has no respect for us as her customers whatsoever n even provoked us to report to her superiors!I heard many complaints from friends and families about rude immigration officers !
Something has to be done to improve their customer service!
Hi, Do we need to fill in the arrival white card for foreigners other than Singaporeans? Such as Taiwanese? Thanks!
I am a Singaporean living with Parkinson’s Disease for the past 13 years and have movement disorder and have to rely on my foldable battery power wheelchair to go around Singapore. I wish to visit JB but don’t know if the JB Checkpoint allow my power wheelchair to go in and out of JB by public buses. I can stand a few minutes and my wheelchair is foldable. Can any kind hearted people please comments?
The Malay young girl officer at the manual counter 1 today named Ayuni should be praised very much!She is very very politely when faced to visitors.She gived a very bright smile to every visitors !She is worthy to be praised!And last,very thanks for her service and let me have a nice day!:D
With your honor, dear Johor immigration department, hope johor ciq take a serious matter about an ATM machine in ICQ mall area. Maybe ten or more, there where still got the only one ATM machine with OUT OF SORRY situation! This is quite suffering public. Please, take some action on this, rest of broblem, lot of it, we talk next time, thank you.
This Malaysia Automated Clearance System (MACS) still available