The UK began switching its airport eGates to contactless checks on 6 October 2026. Every eGate at every UK airport is set for the upgrade by early 2027.
How a contactless gate works
Border Force sets out three steps. A traveller approaches the eGate and has a photograph taken. The system checks that live image against verified immigration, travel and passport information. The gate opens automatically once the checks finish.
Officers monitor every eGate and assist travellers. A traveller who needs further checks places a passport on the reader, or is directed to a Border Force officer.
Keep the passport on you
The Home Office states that passengers should keep their passport with them at all times. Airlines still check the document at check-in and at boarding.
Commonwealth and EU travellers
East Midlands Airport runs the first installation, for British citizens. Border Force will extend contactless gates to more airports and to other nationalities already eligible for eGates over the coming months.
Eligibility rules for the existing eGates stay as they are. Australians and many Commonwealth and EU nationals can use those gates today. Their route through the border becomes contactless as the deployment reaches each airport.
Dual nationals should travel on a valid British passport or hold a Certificate of Entitlement. The Home Office names both routes.
The 25 per cent figure
Home Office testing shows the contactless process is up to 25 per cent faster than placing a passport on an eGate. The figure is the Home Office's own estimate. No independent measurement accompanies it.
Where the gates are
eGates operate at Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. East Midlands carries the first contactless installation.
For the group organiser
Check every traveller's eGate eligibility before the trip. Children aged eight and above can use eGates, which Border Force extended earlier this year. Confirm a valid passport for each traveller, and check each traveller's status under the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme before departure.
Phil Douglas, Director General of Border Force, put the programme this way: “By using state-of-the-art technology, we are making journeys smoother and faster, all while fully maintaining the UK's robust border security.”