Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has announced that passport-free immigration has been fully introduced in any respect 4 terminals at Changi Airport from September 30.
Passengers now only need to make use of their biometric data, reducing the common processing time from 25 seconds to only 10 seconds.
Changi currently offers passport-free access to its 4 passenger terminals to Singapore residents, everlasting residents and long-term passport holders. They can enter and exit the airport using only their facial and iris biometrics, without having to point out their passport.
Meanwhile, overseas visitors will still be required to point out their passport upon arrival, but will give you the option to learn from biometric screening when leaving Singapore as their biometric details have already been recorded upon arrival.
However, travelers are advised to maintain their passports useful if needed for immigration control in destination countries.
There are also exemptions for people traveling with babies who need to make use of the special assistance lane. They will still be required to present their passports at immigration. This is because biometrics are usually not yet available to children under six years of age as their physical characteristics are still developing and should not provide reliable authentication.
It’s also value remembering this All travelers are required to present their Singapore arrival cards inside three days of arrival.
Significant progress has been made since Singapore’s passport-free immigration system was launched in August. As of October 15, nearly 1.5 million travelers have used this facility to smoothen their immigration process. This innovation makes Singapore the primary country on the planet to implement a biometric check-in system on such a big scale.
As a part of the vision outlined within the New Clearance Concept announced in 2019, the Department of Immigration continues to implement latest technologies, including QR code-based screening.
The scheme was first introduced in March for personal vehicle users at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints and was prolonged to motorcyclists in August. Additionally, in December the system shall be integrated with public transport and cruise terminals to make the immigration process easier and more efficient.
