List of countries/airports who take fingerprints and other biometric data
Feb 17, 2016, 2:09 pm
#46
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 35
Singapore to start taking fingerprints from June 2016
I had the idea of going there for NYE this year but now I will spend my money elsewhere. Oh well, unfortunately Singapore is too important as business, transit and holiday destination so nobody will give a damn about it. Surveillance states, here we come.
I had the idea of going there for NYE this year but now I will spend my money elsewhere. Oh well, unfortunately Singapore is too important as business, transit and holiday destination so nobody will give a damn about it. Surveillance states, here we come.
Mar 4, 2016, 3:23 am
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 35
New update out now - changes:
Singapore will be added once people give confirmation when it starts in June.
I've found a single source saying Ecuador has been doing it since 2008, can someone confirm this?
- Removed Maldives - no biometrics taken as confirmed by someone I know who visited recently
- Added South Africa, taking photos and fingerprints just started January this year - see related forum thread. It's notable that SA is now the second country after the US to fingerprint transit pax. So far it only appears to be happening at the four major air POEs (and not consistently as the equipment doesn't seem to be fully ready) but the linked article says plans are to roll out biometrics collection to all POEs throughout 2016
- Added Honduras which apparently already started doing it in 2009 as stated by various sources on the net (anybody been there to confirm?)
- Added Burundi tentatively as sources for this are vague - it wouldn't surprise me though since the country belongs to the EAC (East African Community), and all the other EAC members do it
Singapore will be added once people give confirmation when it starts in June.
I've found a single source saying Ecuador has been doing it since 2008, can someone confirm this?
Mar 4, 2016, 9:42 pm
#48
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 451
In Rome once we arrived at about the same time as several other wide body jets from the US. There was insufficient staff to process everyone, and the line was incredibly long, so a passport control lady stood on a table and waved us all in. No check of anything. Welcome to Italy, Americans, please spend money.
Mar 6, 2016, 10:08 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Here today gone tomorrow
Programs: *G, ow Saph
Posts: 2,865
Have you been to Malaysia before and gave your biometrics to immigration? From what I understand immigration in Malaysia stops taking your prints and photos once you've done it once or twice.
If this is not the case for you it would be indeed hit and miss, it's easy to imagine that it's not done in a train but at the airport would be strange in this case.
If this is not the case for you it would be indeed hit and miss, it's easy to imagine that it's not done in a train but at the airport would be strange in this case.
- fingerprints and printing a QR-code like sticker (~5%)
- fingerprints (~25%)
- absolutely nothing (~70%)
I've also made a point of looking around at other pax at the checkpoints, and see similar randomness. This has all been on the same passport for me, and the QR code wasn't on the first entry or anything...and they've taken fingerprints even when I was there 3 days prior and they didn't, so I don't think there's any rhyme or reason to it.
Not helpful for a chart, but interesting nonetheless.
Apr 29, 2016, 4:27 pm
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 35
I have added Singapore now (Info on official ICA website).
@MKE-MR: Interesting, thanks for sharing this!
@MKE-MR: Interesting, thanks for sharing this!
Jun 10, 2016, 7:24 pm
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 35
I added a new column for iris scanning now which is definitely done in the UAE and Jordan - apparently in Oman, too, but I couldn't find good sources to confirm this. As always, feel free to share missing/incomplete information.
Oct 7, 2016, 10:34 pm
#53
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Star Alliance Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,194
They only scan biometrics of visitors from some countries. If your a Visa Waiver/ETA country, you won't be scanned.
Oct 10, 2016, 12:13 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 580
In Brazil (at the GRU airport), there were officials asking everyone in the line for foreigners to scan the fingerprint of one finger. Interestingly, these people were different from the people looking at passports and I couldn't figure out how they matched the fingerprint data to the passport data.
Oct 19, 2016, 5:05 pm
#56
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3
Fingerprints all ten fingers for all travelers or randomly? Tnx
Oct 20, 2016, 1:33 am
#57
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Star Alliance Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,194
I was filling the ETA application and I found this " Where biometrics are provided as part of an application, the fingerprints collected will be stored and shared with the RCMP. The fingerprint record may also be disclosed to law enforcement agencies in Canada in accordance with subsection 13.11(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. "
Fingerprints all ten fingers for all travelers or randomly? Tnx
Fingerprints all ten fingers for all travelers or randomly? Tnx
Oct 20, 2016, 3:59 am
#58
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: 1 thousand
Posts: 2,112
FWIW Japan just takes index-finger prints (plus a photo). The setup for doing this, at least at NRT, is much nicer than the US setup (dedicated machine that shows you the photo preview, and has a graphic showing you where to put your fingers).
Last edited by televisor; Oct 23, 2016 at 7:55 pm
Oct 24, 2016, 1:49 am
#60
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 778
Potentially. The information is stored on the passport and will be read upon entry. Whether this information is stored is totally up to the country you are entering.