Passengers arriving at 13 UK airports, including Newcastle International Airport, will soon be able to pass through eGates without showing their passports, thanks to new contactless technology being introduced by the Home Office.
The change began on October 6 and will continue to be rolled out at every eGate across the 13 sites, with the process due to be complete by early 2027. Instead of manually scanning passports at eGates or showing them to Border Force officers, passengers will just need to approach the eGates and have their photo taken.
How the contactless system works
The system will check the live image against verified immigration, travel and passport information and, once this is complete, the eGate will open automatically. The contactless system uses state-of-the-art facial comparison technology to verify a passenger’s identity before the UK’s border security checks are carried out in full.
Verified passengers will simply walk through. Only if further checks are required will they have to place their passport on the eGate reader - or else they may be directed to a Border Force officer - as is the current process. Officers will continue to monitor all eGates to offer assistance.
Faster processing and expansion
According to the Home Office, testing shows the new contactless system is up to 25% faster than using a passport on an eGate. The change follows on from one back in July which saw the age limit for users of UK eGates altered to include children aged eight and nine-year-olds of at least 120cm - 3ft 11ins - in height.
Phil Douglas, director general of Border Force, said of the latest move: “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.”
The contactless system is being introduced in phases, with the roll-out having started at East Midlands Airport, initially for British citizens. In coming months it will be expanded to more airports - including Newcastle - and to other nationalities already eligible for eGates.
Steve Griffiths, managing director of East Midlands Airport, 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.”
The 13 UK airports with eGates set to receive the new contactless system are Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted.
