Rapid Passport Checks with Autogate at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport
To improve the efficiency and quality of immigration services, Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, now operates 90 autogate machines, allowing passport checks to be completed in just 15 to 20 seconds.
According to the Director General of Immigration of the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Silmy Karim, this new technology aims to make Indonesia more competitive in providing modern immigration services. It is the same technology used in world-renowned airports in countries like Qatar, Dubai, and the Netherlands.
“This technology can verify the validity of passports, check biometric data, and connect to the ban database and Interpol in seconds,” Karim stated during the machines’ launch event on Tuesday, 1st of October.
The new autogate machines at Ngurah Rai International Airport use an electronic chip in the passport to verify the identity and access the passenger’s citizenship documents in various international databases. As a result, waiting times in international arrival and departure areas are significantly reduced. This also allows for smoother passenger flow, particularly at airports like Ngurah Rai, which handle thousands of tourists daily.
“This process significantly shortens the time, as the system automatically checks all security and immigration aspects in seconds,” Karim added.
Another technological advancement now in use is the improvement of the autogate machines’ facial recognition feature.
“The facial recognition technology we now use allows children as young as six years old to pass through immigration checks automatically,” Karim explained. “This is an important step in bringing Indonesia on par with developed countries in terms of immigration services.”
When the autogate machines first became operational at Ngurah Rai’s arrival terminal in February, only 17 percent of foreign passengers used them. However, this percentage has been increasing steadily each month. By September, 67 percent of foreign passengers were using the autogate machines.
Source: indonesiaexpat.id
