Six-year-old Children Can Now Use Immigration Autogates

Aug 31, 2024

As of August 26, 2024, Indonesian and foreign children aged six and above can now use autogates to enter or exit Indonesia. This is according to the latest policy from the Directorate General of Immigration. Previously, only children aged 14 and above could use the autogates available at Soekarno-Hatta and Ngurah Rai International Airports.

"The increasingly sophisticated face recognition technology allows for facial detection even in children as young as six years old. With this, we hope that the use of autogates can be more optimal and facilitate travel, especially for families," explained the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim, on August 30th.

Previously, parents with children under 14, both Indonesian and foreign citizens, had to go through manual immigration checks.

"Currently, there are nearly 200 autogates installed. Autogates are available at immigration checkpoints with high traffic, such as Soekarno-Hatta and Ngurah Rai Airports," explained the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim on August 30th.

An autogate is an automated gate that allows passengers to pass through immigration checks quickly and easily. This system combines facial recognition technology and border management, so the checking process can be done without having to wait in long lines. Both Indonesian and foreign citizens who meet the requirements can use this facility.

The integrated facial recognition technology and border management in the autogate system have simplified the immigration check process, so the time required is only 15-25 seconds per passenger. The implementation of this technology supports a more seamless immigration service ecosystem, from online visa applications to airport checks.

With a volume of 20,865,311 people entering and exiting Indonesia in the first half of 2024, the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim, emphasized the importance of continuously developing digital innovations to improve service efficiency.

"We tried to benchmark the best practices of using autogates in other countries. In Singapore, for example, autogates can be used for children starting at the age of six. I challenged the team to implement this in Indonesia as well. It was not easy, especially in adjusting the system and so on, but thank God our efforts have paid off," said Silmy.

Furthermore, the Director General of Immigration stated, "We want to provide a memorable travel experience for all passengers, especially children. With autogates, the checking process becomes faster and easier. Children will feel more comfortable going through immigration. This is part of our effort to provide better immigration services," concluded Silmy.

Last updated 31 August 2024