“Singapore to Launch Passport-Free Clearance at Changi Airport for Residents by Late 2024 “

SINGAPORE: By the end of 2024, Singapore residents arriving at or departing from Changi Airport, Seletar Airport, and Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) will be able to clear immigration without presenting a passport. This development, announced by Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim at the 2024 Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) Workplan Seminar, is part of Singapore’s “New Clearance Concept” to automate and streamline border control.

Under the new system, travellers will use face and iris scans for identity verification, with fingerprint scans as a backup. Additionally, starting in May 2024, foreign visitors can use automated lanes at Changi without prior biometric enrollment, a first in global border processing.

The ICA expects that by 2026, 95% of travellers will use automated clearance lanes at all checkpoints, reducing immigration wait times by 40%. QR code-based clearance is also expanding for vehicle travellers, with full automation at Tuas Checkpoint by 2026 and Woodlands by 2028.