Express Entry: Singapore operates Express Entry

Entering another country can be nerve-racking; In many cases, passport control is a waste of time. Tourists in particular often have to wait a long time when there are only a few counters occupied. Citizens of the country in question often pass passport control more quickly.

Singapore’s digital entry in May 2022. The system is called the Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI) and is being installed at all entry points into the city-state. Most of them are at Changi Airport. There are 140 so-called e-portal immigration controls available out there. Next year, 95 percent of all entries will be processed digitally.

Two barriers in less than a minute

The principle is simple. Foreign tourists must register online for the SG Arrival Card at least three days before their arrival. There is no need to register separately in the ACI system. After their arrival, arrivals go to the electronic gates and scan their passports at the first checkpoint. This opens normally.

In front of the second barrier, passengers must look at the camera. The system scans the face and iris and, if necessary, requests the fingerprint and compares the data with the data stored on the access card and the biometric data on the passport. If everything matches, the second barrier will open and entry into Singapore will be possible. According to immigration authorities, entry is usually completed in less than a minute.

Entry by pass

One minute is still too long for Singaporean company Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). The HTX team has developed a next-generation clearance concept system, which aims to shorten the procedure to less than ten seconds. Ideally, travelers should literally enter the country in transit. HTX recently presented a prototype at a trade show in Paris.

To do this, the developed electronic portals use many sensors and cameras that can recognize the face and iris at high speed. The company’s goal is to create a seamless user experience. Melvin Lu, deputy director of biometrics at HTX, told the newspaper that in addition to the face, iris and fingerprints, in the future the system will also recognize travelers by their gait. Strait Times.

No more entry stamps

Travelers can enter all necessary biometric data at so-called self-registration kiosks. According to the manufacturer, entry should take less than five minutes and should also be possible without the help of administrators. No one has purchased the system yet.

The current system and further development have one thing in common: passport entry stamps will become obsolete.