Passengers traveling through Singapore's Changi Airport (SIN) can expect passport-free clearance and processing by 2024. Singapore's communications minister, Josephine Teo, announced on September 18, 2023, that biometrics will be utilized for authentication at various stages in the departure process, including bag-drop, immigration, and boarding.
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This will make Singapore one of the first countries to introduce automated, passport-free immigration clearance. While Changi Airport already uses facial recognition software and biometric technology at immigration checkpoints, the upcoming changes will result in more seamless and convenient processing, reducing the need for passengers.
However, Teo clarified that passports will still be required for travelers from countries outside of Singapore that do not offer passport-free processing. SIN airport is renowned for its innovation, design, and overall efficiency and was named the "Best Airport" for the 12th time in March 2023.
Other airports that use facial recognition technology to varying extents include Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Tokyo Narita (NRT), Tokyo Haneda (HND), Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), London-Heathrow Airport (LHR), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and Dubai International Airport (DXB), which launched a biometric path in October 2022, allowing travelers to walk through a tunnel that captures their biometric data.