The e-channel service, which has speeded up border crossings for Hong Kong residents, will be extended to frequent visitors next month.
Six new e-channels for people arriving in Hong Kong three times or more a year would be installed at the airport, the Immigration Department said yesterday.
About 80,000 frequent visitors - including holders of the Hong Kong SAR travel pass, Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation business travel card and Hong Kong International Airport frequent visitor card - will be the first to enjoy the extended service.
'Only a simple enrolment process is required and the eligible travellers can have their waiting time reduced,' director of immigration Lai Tung-kwok said.
On registration, biometric identification such as fingerprints will be collected and stored in the department's database.
Travellers will be issued with stickers for their passports that will be read by the e-channel machines, enabling them to pass through in about 12 seconds.