Singapore's Changi Airport allows all foreigners to use automated lanes

It is part of authorities’ efforts to ease the immigration process since it only takes an average of 40 seconds to pass through the automated lanes, according to The Straits Times.

They allow visitors to use their iris and facial biometrics for immigration clearance without having to present their passports.

Singapore might be the first country in the world to allow all foreign travelers, including first-timers to use automated lanes without prior registration, Channel News Asia quoted the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority as saying.

Earlier they were only available to Singaporean residents and nationals of 60 jurisdictions.

Some 16.5 million passengers passed through the airport in the first three months of this year, surpassing pre-Covid levels for the first time.

Last year the number of foreign visitors increased by 115% to 13.6 million.

This year Doha's Hamad International Airport dethroned Changi to claim the title of world's best airport at the annual Skytrax awards.

But Changi was still named the world’s best airport for immigration services.