TAIWAN TO LAUNCH AUTOMATED IMMIGRATION GATES IN 2012

Come January 2012, passengers arriving at any of Taiwan’s three main airports will no longer have to wait and stand in long queues at the immigration control thanks to the new “E-gate” system that promises to speed up passenger clearance to roughly 12 seconds per individual.Once the system is inaugurated, passengers who register their biometric data in advance will be able to avoid long queues by using the automated immigration gates at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Songshan Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport.
130,000 people have already registered since its trial run, and the National Immigration Agency (NIA) expects the number to grow to one million by the end of next year. According to NIA, passengers interested in using the system can register at automated counters found at strategic locations at the airports.

Passengers are required to present a valid passport and a recognised identification card in order to register. The process involves two simple procedures: the scanning of the passenger’s passport followed by verification of biometric data – which takes about less than three minutes to accomplish.

aptcoord.org.tw : Kaohsiung International Airport

The E-gates will operate in conjunction with the NIA’s Advance Passenger Information System, launched on a trial basis in September, through which immigration officers can screen passenger information ahead of time.

With this system, the agency receives information from participating airlines after passengers check in, allowing it to check its databanks and identify wanted criminal suspects trying to leave the country. Since the system’s inauguration, a number of suspected criminals have been intercepted and arrested .futuregov.asia

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