Travellers passing through Changi Airport can now clear immigration in as little as 10 seconds using only their biometrics, marking a significant advancement in border security and efficiency. As of September 30, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) fully rolled out passport-less clearance across all four terminals at Changi, making Singapore the first country to implement such a system on a large scale.
Singapore residents can breeze through immigration by using facial and iris recognition without needing to present their passports. However, foreign visitors are still required to present passports upon arrival, though they can use biometrics for departure.
The new system has drastically reduced clearance times. ICA reported that the average time for clearing immigration was previously 25 seconds, but it now takes just 10 seconds for those using the automated biometric lanes. As of October 15, nearly 1.5 million travellers have already cleared immigration without presenting a passport.
Travellers have expressed their satisfaction with the new system. “The system is really cool and smooth,” said Eric Taufan, a Singaporean working in mergers and acquisitions, in a The Straits Time report. British expat Andy Bingham shared similar sentiments, saying, “It’s very quick. This just scans my face and I’m through.”
While the system is mostly seamless, some challenges remain, such as travellers standing too far from the camera or not looking directly at it. ICA officers are stationed to assist when necessary, and traditional passport scanners are still available in case of biometric issues.
In addition to this, land checkpoints in Woodlands and Tuas have allowed car travellers to use QR codes for immigration since March, and motorcyclists since August. Plans are underway to extend QR code use to bus passengers and the passport-less system to Marina Bay Cruise Centre by December.
These changes are part of ICA’s New Clearance Concept, aimed at providing faster and more secure immigration processes. Senior Assistant Commissioner Alan Koo noted, “With automated clearance being the norm, our officers are now redeployed to take on higher-value roles to safeguard Singapore’s borders.”
