SINGAPORE – Travellers will be able to enjoy an even easier and fuss-free immigration process at Changi Airport from August.

       The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on July 31 said it will start passport-free clearance trials for arriving Singapore residents at selected automated lanes at Changi Airport Terminal 3 from Aug 5.

       ICA expects to fully roll out the feature at all airport terminals by September.

       The move, which will allow Singapore residents and departing travellers to clear immigration using facial and iris scanners without having to present their passports, is part of ICA’s push to further automate the process and remove the need for passport checks.

       Travellers will also be able to clear immigration with such scanners at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre by December.

       Meanwhile, QR code immigration clearance at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints will be extended to motorcyclists from August 15 and bus passengers by December. It will be extended for cargo vehicle drivers and passengers by end August.

       ICA said on July 31 that more than 70 per cent of car travellers and bus drivers currently clear immigration using QR codes, with the bulk of them being Singapore residents, including citizens, permanent residents and those on long-term passes.

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       Assistant Commissioner Phua Chiew Hua, deputy director at ICA’s operations division, said: “When fully implemented, both types of passport-less immigration clearance will reduce clearance time by 30 per cent to 40 per cent. Singapore is first in the world to implement token-less clearance on a large scale.”

       On July 31, ICA gave the media a demonstration of how the process will work at Marina Bay Cruise Centre. Travellers will be able to go through gates without the need to present any passport or documentation.

       Instead, they will be automatically cleared by facial and biometric scanners, with the whole process taking just seconds.

       ICA said travellers through land checkpoints will be able to use only QR code clearances as, unlike air and sea travellers, land travellers do not give any prior notice to ICA when crossing the borders.

       The authority also said passport-free clearance at air and sea checkpoints will reduce the time taken for travellers to clear immigration by 40 per cent.

       Those using QR codes can expect to clear immigration checkpoints in 30 per cent less time.

       But all travellers will still need to take along their passports when passing through Singapore’s checkpoints.

       “Even as we implement passport-less immigration clearance at Singapore’s checkpoints, travellers will still need their passport for immigration clearance overseas. ICA may also occasionally require travellers to produce their passport for verification,” said ICA.

       Both Singapore residents and foreign travellers will be able to benefit from the new clearance processes. At air and sea checkpoints, Singapore residents will be able to clear immigration at both arrival and departure, while foreign travellers will be able to enjoy passport-free clearance when leaving the country.

       However, children below the age of six will not qualify for passport-free clearance as they are too young for biometric scanning.

       Passengers are encouraged to remove any coloured contact lenses or reflective glasses when using automated immigration clearance.

       Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim had said at ICA’s annual workplan seminar in May that Singapore will be among the first in the world to introduce passport-free immigration clearance.

       This follows ICA’s announcement in May that foreigners of all nationalities arriving in Singapore will be able to use automated lanes at Changi Airport to clear immigration as part of the authority’s aim to provide faster and more secure immigration clearance.

       According to ICA’s timeline, the same features will be rolled out at Seletar Airport and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal from 2025.

       ICA is also aiming to implement the new clearance features at HarbourFront Centre, which currently houses a ferry and cruise terminal.