Fast-Track Airport Arrival Options For Singaporeans Around the World
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Frequent fliers know just how painful and annoying it can be to get through airports around the world. Clearing both immigration and security can easily add an hour to your trip both at departures and arrivals. Fortunately, Singaporeans have a few options that can help reduce this particular source of travel pain by getting pre-clearance access to fast-track immigration and security priority lanes.
APEC Business Travel Card Program
The most effective and easiest way of reducing your time spent at the airport is to apply for an APEC Business Travel Card (ATBC). ATBC lasts 3 years and provides faster immigration processing on arrival via access to fast-track entry and exit through special APEC lanes at major airports in participating countries. Not only that, it also allows business travelers to travel to these countries with pre-cleared, facilitated short-term entry without the need to apply for a separate visa.
Of note, the US, Canada and the UK require special arrangements outside of the APEC Business Travel Card. For instance, the US and Canada require ATBC holders to apply for visas although they are eligible for fast-track lanes for immigration and security. Furthermore, the UK is not included in the APEC agreement, so frequent travellers need to apply for a separate "Registered Traveller Program" to enjoy access to the fast-track.
| APEC Economy | Length of Stay |
|---|---|
| Australia | 90 days |
| Brunei Darussalam | 90 days |
| Canada | Valid visas must be obtained |
| Chile | 90 days |
| China | 60 days |
| Hong Kong (China) | 60 days |
| Indonesia | 60 days |
| Japan | 90 days |
| Korea | 90 days |
| Malaysia | 60 days |
| Mexico | 90 days |
| New Zealand | 90 days |
| Papua New Guinea | 60 days |
| Peru | 90 days |
| Philippines | 59 days |
| Singapore | 60 days |
| Chinese Taipei | 90 days |
| Thailand | 90 days |
| United States | Valid visas must be obtained |
| Viet Nam | 60 days |
Airline's Loyalty Programs
In some cases, you can enjoy easy access to express clearance lanes through your airline's loyalty program or frequent flyer program. For example, Singapore Airline and Star Alliance provide "Gold Track Security" to Gold Status holders (including those travelling in Economy Class) or customers flying with a member airline in First Class or Business Class are all eligible for Star Alliance Gold Track access. Currently, fast-track security clearance is offered at over 140 locations globally, while fast-track immigration is offered at just over 10 locations. Both SkyTeam and OneWorld alliances are providing similar programs as well.
| Singapore Airlines/Star Alliance Fast-Track Immigration Clearance | Departing from | Arriving into |
|---|---|---|
| Europe |
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| South East Asia |
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| South West Pacific |
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| West Asia and Africa |
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Duckju (DJ) is the founder and CEO of ValueChampion. He covers the financial services industry, consumer finance products, budgeting and investing. He previously worked at hedge funds such as Tiger Asia and Cadian Capital. He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with honors, Magna Cum Laude. His work has been featured on major international media such as CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, the Straits Times, Today and more.