Increased Access for Foreign Visitors: More Can Now Use Automated Immigration Clearance in Singapore

Eligible foreign visitors, including first-time travelers to Singapore, can now use automated immigration lanes without needing prior enrollment, according to a recent press release from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). This initiative allows visitors from 51 countries and territories to benefit from the Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI), which has expanded significantly since its launch.

The ACI currently features 130 automated lanes at Changi Airport and 40 at land checkpoints. Initially, when the program was rolled out in May 2022, it covered only 16 countries and territories. Additionally, holders of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) can now utilize these automated lanes under the ACI.

Since its implementation, over four million foreign visitors have cleared immigration through the ACI, with their details enrolled in the system.

To use the automated lanes, eligible foreign visitors must first submit their SG Arrival Card within three days prior to their arrival in Singapore, a process that is free of charge. Upon arrival, they can proceed to the automated lanes for immigration clearance using their biometrics, which includes iris, facial, and fingerprint scans. If they are not already enrolled from a previous visit, their biometrics will be automatically registered during this process. Information about their enrollment will be included in the electronic visit pass sent via email after immigration clearance. Once enrolled, these visitors can use any automated lane for their departure and future visits to Singapore.

The ICA aims to make automated immigration clearance the standard practice at checkpoints. Leveraging multi-modal biometric scanning technology, the automated lanes offer a more secure, efficient, and seamless immigration experience for travelers. The ICA anticipates that by the first quarter of 2024, 95 percent of all arrivals at Changi Airport will pass through automated lanes, contributing to an expected increase in annual travelers to 300 million by 2025.

The implementation of automated lanes allows the ICA to enhance clearance capacity since these lanes occupy less physical space and require fewer personnel compared to manual counters. Consequently, the roles of ICA officers will evolve as the organization shifts away from manual clearance, enabling staff to focus on profiling, assessment, and investigative tasks rather than just counter duties.