Singapore has launched passport-free immigration clearance at all four Changi Airport terminals, allowing residents and foreign visitors to use facial and iris biometrics for departures, thus significantly speeding up the process. However, foreign visitors must still present their passports upon arrival. This biometric system will also be introduced at Marina Bay Cruise Centre by December.

At Changi Airport, travelers can now pass through immigration in just 10 seconds using state-of-the-art facial recognition and iris scanning technology. Fully implemented as of September 30, this advancement has cut the average clearance time from 25 seconds to only 10 seconds, according to Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) statement on Thursday.

All four terminals at Changi now provide passport-free clearance for Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders. These travelers can enter and exit the airport with just their biometric data, without needing to present a passport. Foreign visitors, however, must still show a passport upon arrival, although they can use biometrics for departure.

The ICA announced that by October 15, nearly 1.5 million travelers had already used the new system without showing passports. Known for its top performance in global airport rankings, Changi Airport has seen a resurgence in travel, handling nearly 49.9 million passengers between January and September 2024, putting it on pace to reach pre-pandemic levels.