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Registered passengers now do not need to present their passports at immigration at Changi Airport.
SINGAPORE—Singapore Changi Airport and the country’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has fully implemented passport-less clearance across all four terminals.
Since it was rolled out on Sept. 30, 1.5 million passengers have passed through the gates without presenting their passports.
The initiative only applies to citizens of Singapore, permanent residents and long-term pass holders.
Foreigners are still required to present their passport on arrival, but are allowed to depart with the new method as their biometric details would have been captured.
Children under the age of six are not able to use the passport-less method as their physical features and biometrics are not fully developed.
Alan Koo, ICA senior assistant commissioner, said the new system has reduced the average clearance time per traveler by 60%, from 25 sec. to 10 sec.
Koo said with more automated gates, the ICA officers are now being redeployed to take on higher-value roles, such as interviewing and profiling of passengers.
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