Passengers travelling from Changi Airport in Singapore will soon be able to pass through automated touchpoints on their journey through the airport without needing to present their physical passport, boarding card or other travel documents.

The country’s government has now introduced amendments to Singapore’s Immigration Act that will enable the airport to roll out biometric passenger authentication across immigration checkpoints, bag drop points and boarding gates.

Changi already uses biometric facial recognition technology in automated immigration checkpoint lanes, but it will now be able to expand support for “a single token of authentication” created using biometrics airport-wide in order to “reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at touchpoints and allow for more seamless and convenient processing”, Singapore’s communications minister Josephine Teo told the Singapore parliament.

Passengers, however, will still need to carry their passport in order to verify their identity when going through immigration control at their destination.

Changi Airport aims to roll out physical passport-free travel in 2024, Teo said.

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