For travellers departing from one of the world's busiest airports,
the hassle of presenting a passport will soon be a thing of the past.
Singapore's Changi Airport is set to introduce an automated immigration
clearance system in 2024, a significant development announced by the
country's ministers.
Singapore's communications minister, Josephine Teo, proudly declared
that Singapore is set to become "one of the first few countries in the
world" to implement such changes. The first phase of the scheme,
expected in early 2024, will introduce QR code scanning points for
travellers.
This change will eliminate the need for travellers to repeatedly
present their travel documents, thanks to the use of biometric data
extracted from fingerprint scans and facial recognition technology.
While Changi Airport already employs this technology in its automated
immigration lanes, these new measures aim to make the passenger
experience even more seamless.
Changi Airport, renowned for its world-class amenities, has been
consistently ranked as one of the top airports globally. With over 5.15
million passengers passing through in August and the construction of a
new terminal underway, traveller volume is steadily increasing.
Minister Teo emphasised the importance of adapting immigration
systems to efficiently handle the growing number of travellers while
maintaining robust security measures to strengthen border protection.
These upcoming changes follow an amendment to Singapore's immigration
laws, which makes it easier for biometric clearance to be adopted at
airports and other checkpoints. While some concerns about cybersecurity
have been raised, government ministers stress that these measures aim to
prepare Singapore for future pandemics and evolving border control
needs.