How Singapore Changi Airport Plans To Implement Passport Free Travel

How will it work?

According to Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information & Second Minister for Home Affairs, the plan is to introduce the technology early next year in a move to ease the workload of immigration officers and future-proof the busy airport. The scheme only applies to departing passengers, and it will work by using biometrics to create a single token of authentication that will be employed at various automated touchpoints across the airport.

This will help to reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at each step of the journey, from bag drop to immigration and even boarding. Mrs Teo, in her speech before the nation’s Parliament this week, highlighted just how necessary this technology is for future-proofing the busy airport:

“Traveler volume has continued to rise across all our checkpoints. It is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024 and continue to increase thereafter.

“Our immigration systems must be able to manage this high and growing volume of travellers efficiently and provide a positive clearance experience, while ensuring our security.

“The added challenge is our ageing population and shrinking workforce. [Immigration and Checkpoints Authority] will have to cope without a significant increase in manpower.”