Looks like travel is going to be a lot easier at one of the busiest airports in the world! Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have released their latest plans to make travel hassle-free in the country by rolling out passport-less immigration clearance at Changi Airport. Singapore residents during both arrival and departure, as well as foreign travellers at departure, will be able to clear air and sea checkpoints without their passports! Wondering how? Scroll on to find out!
Passport-Less Immigration Clearance At Changi Airport, Singapore
Travellers will be able to enjoy an easier and fuss-free immigration process at Changi Airport, Singapore from August. As per ICA, Singapore residents can clear immigration at air and sea checkpoints without passports at arrival and departure and foreigners only at departure from August 5. Instead of relying on passports, Singapore will now use facial and iris biometrics.
According to ICA’s press release, with passport-less immigration clearance at Changi Airport, the authorities “plan to strengthen border security, and at the same time enhance the traveller experience.” As part of their New Clearance Concept (NCC), all travellers will enjoy “automated clearance and all Singapore residents and eligible foreign travellers will enjoy immigration clearance without having to present their passport.”
For now, there are two types of passport-less immigration clearance under ICA’s New Clearance Concept. The first is token-less clearance at air and sea checkpoints. The second is QR code clearance at land checkpoints. ICA believes this will reduce the time taken by travellers to clear immigration by 40%.
Also Read: Thailand Extends Visa-Free Entry Service For 93 Countries Including India
Token-Less Clearance At Air And Sea Checkpoints From August 5
As per The Free Press Journal, starting August 5, Singapore residents will be able to get through selected automated lanes at Terminal 3 of Changi Airport without a passport. They will simply use their facial and iris biometrics to sail through the process. It is the first phase of the trial and subsequently, ICA will roll it out across all terminals in Changi Airport by the end of September. At Marina Bay Cruise Centre, they will launch the clearance system in December.
On the other hand, ICA has also added a QR code clearance system at Singapore’s land checkpoints with Malaysia. So far, this system has been introduced for cars and buses. This passport-less travel opportunity will also be extended to motorcyclists by September.
Singapore is the first country in the world to implement token-less clearance at such a large scale. It would be interesting to see how this works for them. Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments section!
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)