Taiwan provides faster immigration clearance for Singaporeans

Singapore has become the sixth country to enjoy the privilege after the U.S., South Korea, Australia, Italy and Germany, according to Taiwan's National Immigration Agency reported as cited by Strait Times.

Previously, the e-gates could be used only by Taiwan passport holders and foreigners with residency status on the island.

Singaporean tourists who want to use the automated immigration clearance to enter Taiwan must first present their passports to an immigration officer, and have their facial images and fingerprints of both hands recorded upon their arrival at the airport.

Taiwan is a popular tourist destination for travelers from Singapore, with 460,000 arrivals in 2019 before the onset of the pandemic.

According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Singapore, almost 160,000 Singaporeans visited Taiwan from January to May 2023, more than 90% of pre-pandemic figures in 2019.