Passengers traveling through Changi International Airport will be able to enjoy passport-less immigration clearance as part of Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) plan to digitize border clearance.
Under the New Clearance Concept (NCC), all travelers over the age of six years will be able to enjoy automated clearance, and all Singapore residents and eligible foreign travelers will be able to enjoy immigration clearance without having to present their passport.
ICA will be conducting live NCC trials for arriving Singapore residents to enjoy token-less clearance at selected automated lanes in Changi Airport Terminal 3 from August 5. Token-less clearance will then be progressively implemented at all terminals in Changi airport by the end of September 2024. ICA officers will be available to help travelers who require assistance with automated and passport-less immigration clearance.
The immigration authority states that NCC reduces the time taken for travelers to clear immigration by 40%.
Travelers will still need their passports for immigration clearance overseas so must have their passports with them. ICA may also occasionally require travelers to produce their passport for verification.
For more of the top insights into the future of Changi Airport, read Passenger Terminal World’s exclusive interview with Koh Ming Sue, executive vice president of engineering and development at Changi Airport Group, here.