Use of e-gates at the UK border increases by 1 million

The Government has revealed that more than one million passengers from seven additional countries have used e-gates to enter the country. This follows the expansion of e-gates on 20 May 2019 to nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States.

The use of e-gates reduces the time a passenger spends on the border. E-gates use latest technology to recognise the facial features of a passenger and compare this with the digital image recorded on their passport. Any discrepancy or a flag on the database can result in the e-gates re-directing the passenger to an Immigration Officer.

The use of e-gates requires an e-passport which contains a biometric chip. It is expected that European nationals will continue to have access to e-gates after the UK leaves the EU.