An incontrovertible fact of international travel is that you need a passport.
While many countries are currently experimenting with different digital and biometric options to fast-track the flow of travelers at airport and land crossings, one's nationality (and the documents that prove it) is what determines what borders you can cross and countries you can enter either as a tourist or resident.
While truly open borders are a far-left dream that is unlikely to become reality any time soon, some countries have started to experiment with passport-free travel.
Here's how passport-free travel through Changi will work (no, you can't just show up)
Known for the Changi Airport that repeatedly racks up rewards as being one of the prettiest and most modern in the world, the nation-state of Singapore just announced that it is working on introducing end-to-end biometrics that would allow travelers to check into their flights, drop off their bags and even fly out of the country without a passport.
"Singapore will be one of the first few countries in the world to introduce automated, passport-free immigration clearance," Singapore's Communications Minister Josephine Teo said during a parliament press conference announcing several other modifications to Singapore's Immigration Act.
In the U.S., passports are typically shown to the agent while checking into a flight. While U.S. customs only asks for them when re-entering the country, airlines will generally ask for one when checking in to avoid a situation in which someone is refused entry at another country's border and the airline then has to fly the person back home.
By contrast, the governments of many European and Asian countries do exit checks and give passport stamps to those leaving the country as well. At Singapore's Changi, this will soon take the form of software for one's biometric data and automated immigration exit lanes.
While the exact details of what this will look like are still being worked out, the Singapore government plans to roll out the changes at some point in 2024.
Technology is seeping into airports but don't expect to ditch the passport anytime soon
"Biometrics will be used to create a single token of authentication that will be employed at various automated touchpoints, from bag-drop to immigration and boarding," Teo continued. "This will reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at these touchpoints, allowing for more seamless and convenient processing."
Known for its abundance of high-end restaurants and the waterfall and garden-like lounge known as the Jewel, Singapore's Changi Airport has won the annual Skytrax World Airport Awards for several years in a row. By the end of 2022, it saw more than 32 million passengers through its doors — a number that increased sharply after Singapore lifted its pandemic-related restrictions and is expected to continue rising in the years to come.
While automated checkpoints will help speed up the process for those leaving the country, this in no way means that one will just be able to come to Singapore or any other foreign country without a passport any time soon. Entering countries still requires one, while even going digital still comes down to connecting one's physical passport to a digital account.
"Our immigration systems must be able to manage this high and growing volume of travelers efficiently and provide a positive clearance experience, while ensuring our security,” Teo said.
