Passport-less system at Changi Airport cuts immigration clearance time by 60 per cent using facial and iris biometrics

Singapore residents “can now breeze through immigration by simply using facial and iris biometrics, without the need to present their passport”, announced the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore today, posting an Instagram video of first reactions from travellers experiencing this unique facility. “Foreign visitors can also enjoy this convenience upon departure,” it said.

Also read: Singapore travel: August rollout of passport-less immigration clearance at Changi Airport

A CNA report said that the passport-less clearance had been “fully implemented across all of Changi Airport’s four terminals” since September 30, though the information was made public by the ICA today.

Quoting the immigration authorities, the news website added that within a fortnight of its launch — by October 15 — around 1.5 million travellers had cleared passport-less immigration.

This new system had “reduced the average clearance time per traveller by 60 per cent, from 25 seconds to 10 seconds”, said CNA, quoting Senior Assistant Commissioner Alan Koo, Commander (Airport) of ICA.

Cutting immigration clearance time by more than half through technology means that ICA officers at Changi Airport can now focus on tasks where human intervention is essential.

“With automated clearance being the norm at our checkpoints, our officers are now redeployed to take on higher-value job roles, such as interviewing and profiling, to safeguard Singapore’s borders,” said Senior Assistant Commissioner Alan Koo, as reported by CNA.

The Instagram video posted by the ICA showed travellers of many nationalities clearing immigration at Changi and expressing their delight with the new system. One of them, a woman, described the biometrics-enabled passport-free clearance as “revolutionary”. Another flyer, a man, said that while he had “travelled a lot”, he felt “this is the best system I have come across”.

Singapore children under 6 still need passports

he passport-less immigration clearance system at Changi Airport applies to all arriving and departing Singapore residents (Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders). However, children under the age of 6 years still need passports, as the facial biometrics of very young travellers keep changing and cannot be reliably verified by the automated system.

The passport-less system is available for foreign visitors during departure via Changi Airport, as their biometric details are captured by the automated system during their arrival in Singapore. When they arrive, they have to clear immigration by presenting their passports.

The ICA also said that Singapore residents should bring their passports with them, even though a passport was not needed at Changi Airport, as the identity document would be required at their final destination.