Have you ever traveled internationally and had to wait for HOURS to get through customs clearance once you arrive at your destination?

Orlando International Airport

The long lines, the hassle, having to dig your passport out and present it — it can be a lot, especially if you’ve been on a red-eye flight and you’re jet lagged and exhausted from traveling all day. Well, one airport is about to make the entire process easier — right down to you being able to leave your passport at home.

According to CNN, Singapore’s Changi Airport is changing its immigration clearance process by making it all automated. The new system, which will start in 2024, will use biometric data, which will allow passengers to leave the airport without ever having to flash a passport. 

You might not need this if you travel to Singapore

Changi Airport is already using biometric technology, including facial recognition software, in some capacity, so expanding it seemed like a no-brainer.

“Singapore will be one of the first few countries in the world to introduce automated, passport-free immigration clearance,” Communications Minister Josephine Teo announced recently. This change will “reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at touch points and allow for more seamless and convenient processing.”

©Changi Airport

Biometrics will be used to create a “single token of authentication.” This will be used at touch points in the immigration screening area, which will take the place of travelers needing to dig out their boarding passes and passports. However, if you’re traveling to another country that requires passports, you’ll still need that passport to enter.

It certainly seems like a way to speed up the immigration clearance process and make it a lot less stressful. Will other airports eventually adopt this? Well, we don’t know, although some airports and airlines have already started using biometric data like facial recognition. Only time will tell if it catches on!

Airplane

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Getting a Passport Is About to Get Easier

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