The UK has begun rolling out a new contactless border system across its airports. The move means eligible passengers arriving in the country will soon be able to pass through airport e-gates without presenting their passports.
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Initially only available for British citizens, the initiative was launched at East Midlands Airport in England this week. In a statement, the government said it plans to upgrade all the country’s e-gates by early 2027 and expand its accessibility to other eligible nationalities.
“We’re delighted to be the first UK airport to have contactless e-gates introduced by Border Force,” Steve Griffiths, Managing Director of East Midlands Airport, said. He added that any technological innovation that can make customers’ journeys “smoother, swifter and simpler” is welcomed.
According to tests, the new contactless system is up to 25% faster compared to presenting a physical passport. Phil Douglas, Director General of the UK's Border Force, said the digital push builds on work from the summer period to extend e-gates to children aged eight and older. This will make life “a little easier” for families, he added.
How does it work?
The contactless system uses facial comparison technology to verify a traveller’s identity. Upon arrival, passengers will approach an e-gate where their photo is taken. The system then checks the live image against verified immigration, travel and passport information. And, if all clear, the barrier will automatically open, meaning the checks are complete.
If further checks are needed, however, travellers will be required to place their passport on the reader or be directed to a Border Force officer.
Officials advise that travellers keep their passport with them at all times, nonetheless. Further, the UK government added that Border Force officers will remain at hand monitoring all e-gates and offering assistance.
For dual British nationals, the advice is to return to the UK with a valid British passport or hold a Certificate of Entitlement to avoid any potential delays at the border.
Which UK airports have the new contactless e-gates?
Currently, a handful of contactless e-gates are available to use at East Midlands Airport.
As part of the phased rollout, however, the technology will also be available across Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted airports.
The UK has more than 290 standard e-gates in place at 15 air and rail ports. This technology is available to UK or Irish citizens, as well as travellers eligible to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK.
Introduced in February, the ETA allows officials to identify potential security risks before someone travels to the country.