Singapore's Changi Airport is set to introduce automated immigration clearance allowing passengers to travel without passports by the first half of 2024, following a a series of new amendments to the Immigration Act in the country's parliament.
Changi Airport will use biometric data to create a “single token of authentication” that can be used at various automated touchpoints throughout the airport, including bag drop, immigration clearance, and flight boarding.
Singapore's Minister for Communications and Information, Josephine Teo said, "This will reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at these touchpoints, allowing for more seamless and convenient processing."
However, passports will still be required for many countries outside of Singapore that do not offer passport-free clearance, she added.
The amendments come as the number of travellers to the financial hub is expected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels by next year, and continue to increase further.
“Our immigration systems must be able to manage this high and growing volume of travellers efficiently and provide a positive clearance experience, while ensuring security,” Teo said.
Many other airports across the world like Haneda International Airport in Japan use “Face Pass”, a facial recognition system (FRS) that will allow passengers to board a flight without a boarding pass.
The FRS technology has replaced document checking at Hong Kong International Airport where passengers can create a digital token by matching their biometric data with passport and flight details.
Similarly, passengers at India's Indira Gandhi International Airport can use Digi-Yatra app at check points which also facilitates self-bag drop and check-in with FRS to identify pax and data recall.
