Digitalizing Border Control with the Curaçao Express Pass
When the island nation of Curaçao wanted to streamline airport operations with digital identity verification secure biometrics, it turned to Entrust for their solution. Learn why.
Customer Profile
Curaçao Airport Holding oversees the quality and continuity of all airport operations on behalf of the Government of Curaçao and the Curaçao Ministry of Justice, responsible for immigration and border operations for the nation of Curaçao.
Objectives
- Streamline airport operations to support high passenger volume during peak seasons
- Optimize border management by reducing the time spent on manual identity verification at the airport and expedite the immigration process
- Increase visitor satisfaction with the travel experience and grow tourism revenue by driving repeat visits from tourists
- Leverage secure biometrics
Challenge
The island nation of Curaçao, a prominent tourist destination in the Caribbean, has consistently invested in enhancing the travel experience for visitors for over a decade. Since the pandemic, Curaçao has witnessed significant growth in tourism, welcoming over 2 million passengers at the Curaçao International Airport (CUR) in 2024. With daily volumes in peak seasons significantly exceeding the average daily volumes, it was imperative to implement a solution that full digitalized the border control process at the airport.
The introduction of the Curaçao Express Pass program aims to streamline the immigration process through the pre-processing of passengers, ensuring both convenience and security. Tourists share their information with the border control officials for pre-verification and bypass the long immigration lines at the airport.
Solution
The Curaçao Express Pass program expedites the immigration process and offers tourists a convenient and contactless experience when they arrive at the airport.
Here’s how it operates:
Tourists traveling to Curaçao start by filling out the digital immigration card (DI Card). Eligible passengers are then directed to the Entrust Digital Travel Credential app, Airside, to verify their identity. This involves taking a selfie, scanning the Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ) on their passport, and reading the NFC chip embedded in the passport. The app then compares the facial biometrics and passport data to confirm the person’s identity and creates a secure digital identity stored on their mobile device.
Upon arrival at the airport, eligible passengers who have shared their verified data proceed to the designated eGates. The camera at the eGate compares the live image with the stored biometric data. Once verified, the gate opens automatically, allowing the passenger to proceed.
This entire process takes only a few seconds per passenger, providing a paperless and contactless border control solution.
Results
In the first 9 months after going live, over 50,000 travelers created and shared their digital travel credentials with Curaçao, with hundreds of new users now joining the program daily.
This streamlined process enhances border control efficiency, reducing workloads for officials and enabling faster, more accurate processing. The Curaçao Express Pass is essential for tourism growth and national security.
Gerold Daantje
Director Of Public Safety, Security, and Law Enforcement at the Curaçao Ministry of Justice
The Transformation
Streamlining Travel with Digital Identity
One of the standout features of the Curaçao Express Pass is its use of decentralized technology. Unlike traditional systems, no personal data is stored on Entrust servers. Instead, the digital identity remains on the passenger’s phone, enhancing data privacy and security.
Once their identity is verified, passengers review the information and give their consent to share it with Curaçao border officials. This allows immigration authorities to have all necessary information before the passenger’s arrival, expediting the verification process.
Measures of Success
Vacations Begin Sooner with Express Pass
Tourists using the Express Pass program enjoy an expedited immigration process at the airport, allowing them to begin their holiday earlier.
- This innovative program has cut immigration processing times by over 50%.
- 85% of the travelers using the Express Pass and proceeding through to the eGates at Curaçao International Airport (CUR) passed through on their first attempt, and continuous improvements are being made to further improve this pass-through rate.
- Curaçao International Airport has been able to manage volumes of passengers with significant reductions in wait times during peak travel.
The Entrust Advantage
Entrust’s comprehensive identity-centric security has brought this island nation to the forefront of technological innovation by offering several benefits as follows:
- Speed and Convenience: The pre-processing capability and quick biometric verification ensure passengers spend less time in immigration queues.
- Enhanced Security: Advanced biometric technology and decentralized data storage enhance the security of personal information and reduce the risk of identity fraud.
- Contactless Experience: The contactless nature of the system aligns with modern health and safety protocols, providing a safer travel experience.
- Improved Data Management: Pre-processing allows for better management of passenger data, facilitating smoother operations at immigration checkpoints.
Technology and Services
Webinar: Discover the Future of Seamless Travel with Curaçao Express Pass
Watch our on-demand webinar to discover how Curaçao International Airport is transforming tourism and enhancing traveler satisfaction with their contactless entry process, supported by Entrust.
Entrust Seamless Travel Solution
In today’s digital era, passengers expect to travel at the click of a few buttons, skipping wait times and reducing touch points. Thanks to game-changing enhancements in identity technology, we can provide these features to travelers and travel service providers, creating a seamless journey.
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