Vietnam Launches Autogates at Five Major Airports, Streamlining Immigration

Vietnam's Immigration Department has introduced automatic immigration gates, known as Autogates, at five key international airports. This new system aims to expedite the immigration process for Vietnamese citizens and select foreign nationals, reducing clearance time to just 30 seconds.

The Autogates have been installed at Noi Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Tan Son Nhat, and Phu Quoc airports. Since their trial launch in August 2023, these gates have proven effective in enhancing the efficiency of the immigration process, which traditionally takes 2-4 minutes.

Why this matters: This development has significant implications for international travel and border control, as it sets a precedent for the use of automation to improve efficiency and reduce wait times. As more countries adopt similar technologies, it could lead to a significant reduction in travel times and increased convenience for passengers.

The operation of the Autogates involves a two-layer process. Initially, passengers scan the personal information page of their passports and their boarding passes. Following this, they have their portrait photos taken and fingerprints scanned. This streamlined procedure eliminates the need for passport stamping by immigration officials.

Currently, the Autogates are available to all Vietnamese citizens entering the country. Additionally, diplomatic or official passport holders, flight crew members, and foreigners with permanent or temporary residence cards can use these gates when exiting Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Immigration Department plans to expand the Autogates to other groups of foreign visitors, further enhancing the technology and its implementation. Similar automated immigration systems have already been successfully implemented in countries such as Australia, Singapore, Japan, and Thailand.

This initiative marks a significant step towards modernizing Vietnam's immigration process. By reducing the time spent on immigration clearance, the Autogates not only improve the travel experience for passengers but also enhance the operational efficiency of the airports.

The Vietnamese Immigration Department continues to refine and expand the Autogates system, and it is expected that more groups of travelers will benefit from this technological advancement in the near future.

Key Takeaways

• Vietnam introduces Autogates at 5 key airports, reducing immigration clearance time to 30 seconds.
• Autogates available to Vietnamese citizens, diplomatic passport holders, flight crew, and select foreign nationals.
• System involves passport scanning, photo taking, and fingerprint scanning, eliminating passport stamping.
• Expansion planned for more foreign visitors, following successful implementation in other countries.
• Autogates aim to modernize Vietnam's immigration process, improving travel experience and airport efficiency.