“Changi Airport to Begin Passport-Free Immigration Trial on August 5 “

Starting August 5, select travelers at Changi Airport will experience passport-free immigration as part of a new trial. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced that Singapore residents arriving at Terminal 3 will be able to pass through immigration by simply using facial and iris recognition, eliminating the need for passports in certain lanes.

The passport-free system will gradually expand across all Changi Airport terminals by September and reach the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in December. ICA anticipates that this biometric clearance will reduce immigration processing time by 40%.

“Singapore leads globally in implementing large-scale, token-free clearance,” said ICA Assistant Commissioner Phua Chiew Hua. ICA’s new clearance concept includes two approaches: token-free clearance for Singapore residents at air and sea checkpoints, and a QR code system as an ID token for land checkpoints, where biometric data alone isn’t feasible.

The QR code option has already been successfully adopted by over 70% of car travelers and bus drivers since its March rollout and will soon extend to motorcyclists, cargo drivers, and passengers on foot.

Although this trial simplifies entry and exit within Singapore, travelers should keep their passports handy for international destinations and occasional verification needs in Singapore.