Singaporeans holding electronic passports can now enter Australia faster, by going through self-service counters at the country’s eight international airports that use facial recognition technology.
This technology, termed SmartGate, allows travellers to self-process through passport control, instead of having to queue at counters manned by customs officers. The process is similar to Singapore’s biometric system, except that instead of thumb prints, travellers are recognised by their facial features. This is expected to cut waiting times by 15 to 20 minutes.