Singapore's immigration fast lane opens to frequent Hong Kong visitors

From Monday, Hongkongers who have travelled to Singapore at least three times in the past year will be able to apply to use the city-state's automated immigration clearance system.

And Singaporeans visiting Hong Kong will be offered the same service under a reciprocal arrangement with the Lion City.

Singapore is the third country, after South Korea and Germany, to sign a mutual agreement on automated clearance for Hong Kong passport holders aged 11 or older.

But the arrangements with the other two countries do not require three visits in a year for registration and are only applicable to adults.

Corrado Chow, assistant director for information systems at Hong Kong's Immigration Department, said Singapore had the same requirement for Malaysians who qualified for automated immigration clearance.

"I believe it is because, at the early stage primarily, it is to facilitate frequent travellers," Chow said.