UK citizens and people from certain other counties with a biochip passport can use British eGates.
Before discussing United Kingdom passport eGates and who can use them, let’s first look at what they are. Operated by the UK Border Force, ePassport gates are automated self-service barriers located at entry points at UK airports and some railway terminals.
These eGates are a faster alternative to entering the UK than waiting in line to see a Border Force immigration officer. eGates use facial recognition software to verify a person’s identity by scanning your face and matching it with the data stored on a biometric chip in your passport. The information is then run through several databases to assess whether you are a security risk.
Photo: Zach Elbury via Wikimedia Commons.
Following successful trials at Gatwick, Stansted, and Heathrow Airports, children aged ten or older can now use passport eGates. Previously the minimum age was 12, but with an increase of people traveling abroad this summer on holiday, the UK government has lowered the age for eGate use.
People from certain non-EU countries can use eGates
In May 2019, the United Kingdom started letting people from the following countries use eGates for entry into the UK for six months, providing they have a biometric passport:
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Korea
- United States
While most people have no issues entering the UK through an ePassport gate, there are times when you will be required to present your passport to a Border Force officer. Some of the reasons for this are:
- To verify that you are the person the travel documents belong to.
- Check to see if you can enter the United Kingdom without a visa.
- To establish your nationality and identity.
You will also have to see a Border Force officer if there is an error with the eGate. This can be because you have not inserted your passport correctly into the reader, your passport’s microchip is damaged, you did not remove your glasses or hat, or you failed to look into the camera as instructed. Also, occasionally, a person’s appearance changes and no longer matches the data stored in the microchip.
You may be required to see a Border Force officer if you are traveling with children so that they can determine the relationship between you and the children. This is done to help safeguard the welfare of children entering the UK.
Which airports and railway stations have ePassport gates?
Currently, ePassport gates can be found at the following UK ports of entry:
- Birmingham Airport (BHX)
- Bristol Airport (BRS)
- Cardiff Airport (CWL)
- East Midlands Airport (EMA)
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
- Eurostar Brussels-South Terminal (juxtaposed controls)
- Eurostar Paris Nord Terminal (juxtaposed controls)
- Gatwick Airport (LGW)
- Glasgow Airport (GLA)
- Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- London City Airport (LCY)
- Luton Airport (LTN)
- Manchester Airport (MAN)
- Newcastle Airport (NCL)
- Stansted Airport (STN)
From time to time, the UK Border Force may suspend the use of eGates for flights arriving from certain countries.
Source: Simple Flying
