Overview
- The Home Office switched on the first live contactless eGates at East Midlands Airport on Tuesday, letting verified passengers pass through without physically presenting a passport.
- The gates take a live photo as travellers approach and compare it to immigration, travel and passport records before opening automatically, with unsuccessful matches routed to passport scanners or Border Force officers.
- The system is initially limited to British passport holders but the government plans to expand eligibility to other biometric passport holders and to upgrade eGates at airports such as Birmingham and Stansted during a phased rollout to all UK eGates by early 2027.
- Border Force will continue to monitor and assist at eGates, and officials say testing and a Manchester trial showed faster processing—up to about 25%—while passengers must still carry passports for check‑in, boarding and any manual checks.
- The change builds on recent border reforms such as the ETA scheme and lowering the eGate age to eight, and it is expected to shorten queues for families and other travellers while the government monitors the technology as it expands.