UK airports to roll out contactless facial recognition eGates

The United Kingdom is rolling out a new contactless eGate system at airports to streamline border control using facial recognition technology. The phased implementation began at East Midlands Airport on October 6, with the goal of upgrading all UK e-gates by early 2027.

Under the new system, passengers approach the gate and have their photograph taken. The technology compares the live image against verified immigration, travel, and passport data. If the identity is successfully verified, the gate opens automatically without the need for the passenger to physically place their passport on a reader. Testing indicates this method can be up to 25% faster than current procedures.

Initially, the service is available only to British citizens. However, the Home Office plans to expand eligibility to other nationalities with biometric passports, such as those from the EU, US, Canada, Australia, and Japan. While the physical passport is no longer required for the gate scan, travelers must still carry their documents for check-in, boarding, and in cases where the system requires additional manual verification by Border Force officers.