HCMC – Tan Son Nhat International Airport has introduced an automated entry system (autogate) to facilitate the entry of travelers and speed up immigration procedures.
Over the past week, the airport has tested the operation of five autogates for both departures and arrivals.
The autogate area comprises two layers. At the first layer, passengers scan their passports and boarding passes. After the successful scan, face recognition and fingerprint scanning will follow, eliminating the need for customs officers to stamp the passport.
The entire process takes around one minute, contributing to reducing congestion at immigration clearance checkpoints.
The autogates are accessible to all Vietnamese citizens holding chip-based passports upon arrival. Passengers without such passports are guided to register at the airport, a process taking around four minutes, involving passport and fingerprint scanning, as well as biometric, face recognition.
For departures, the system permits only Vietnamese citizens with diplomatic and official passports, along with those possessing APEC business travel cards or serving as cabin crew members.
Regarding foreign travelers leaving the country, the autogate facilities are open to those holding permanent or temporary residence cards issued by Vietnamese authorities. However, the system is not currently available for foreigners entering Vietnam.
Alongside Tan Son Nhat International Airport, four other airports – Noi Bai, Danang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc – have introduced autogate facilities since the beginning of this month. The widespread adoption of automated entry systems in various local airports is part of the Ministry of Public Security’s administrative reform effort.
