The Home Office has announced that passengers arriving in the UK will be able to pass through airport eGates without showing their passport, thanks to a new contactless system that uses facial recognition technology. The system was first introduced at East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire on Tuesday, with plans to extend it to all eGates at UK airports by early 2027.
How the contactless eGate system works
Under the new system, passengers approach the eGate and have their photo taken. The system then checks this image against verified immigration, travel, and passport information. Once the checks are complete, the gate opens automatically, eliminating the need for passengers to place their passport on the eGate reader. If further checks are required, travellers will be asked to place their passport on the reader or may be directed to a Border Force officer.
The Home Office confirmed that Border Force officers will continue to monitor all eGates and provide assistance as needed. Passengers are advised to keep their passports with them at all times during their journey through the airport.
Faster processing and official reactions
Government testing has shown that the new contactless system is up to 25% faster than the traditional method of using a passport on an eGate. Phil Douglas, director general of Border Force, said: “This is a win for travellers coming to our brilliant country. By using state-of-the-art technology, we are making journeys smoother and faster, all while fully maintaining the UK’s robust border security. Our digital transformation also builds on our work this summer to extend eGates to children aged eight and above, making life a little easier for families.”
Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, the trade body for the country’s airports, described the move as “excellent news for the passenger.” She added: “It is vital that we have the fast, efficient borders that arrivals into the UK now expect, and we will work closely with our members and Government officials to ensure a smooth rollout.”
East Midlands Airport leads the rollout
Steve Griffiths, East Midlands Airport’s managing director, said: “We’re delighted to be the first UK airport to have contactless eGates introduced by Border Force. As an airport committed to providing an effortless travel experience, we welcome any technological innovation that can help to safely make our customers’ journeys smoother, swifter and simpler. This complements changes that we carried out to our immigration hall recently to help improve the flow of arriving passengers through the area.”
EGates are currently available at 13 UK airports: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, and Stansted. The phased rollout will see all these locations equipped with the contactless technology by early 2027, marking a significant step in the digitisation of UK border control.
