The Home Office has expanded access to passport e-gates at UK airports to include children aged eight and nine, effective from Wednesday, July 8, 2026. This change, announced ahead of the peak summer holiday period, is expected to benefit up to 1.5 million additional children, according to government estimates.
New Age and Height Requirements
Previously, only passengers aged 10 and above could use the e-gates, forcing families with younger children to queue for manual passport inspections. Under the new rules, children must be at least 120cm tall to be visible to biometric scanners and must be accompanied by an adult. The e-gates use facial recognition technology to verify passengers' identities against their passport photos, offering a quicker alternative to manual checks.
Airports and Eligibility
There are 13 UK airports with e-gates: Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted, and Newcastle. The UK has nearly 300 e-gates in total. E-gates are available to British nationals and citizens of the European Union, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States. Members of the registered traveller service can also use them.
Impact on Summer Travel
Most schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland have already broken up for the summer holidays, while those in England and Wales will follow later in July. Border security minister Alex Norris said: “Today’s change will make journeys easier for families with small children and reduce the hassle of travelling home after a holiday. It will also free up more time for tourists to enjoy our fantastic country this summer and in the years ahead.” Border Force director-general Phil Douglas previously noted that increasing e-gate access enables “highly skilled officers to focus on intercepting those who pose a threat to the UK.”
