East Midlands Airport leads the way with contactless eGates

Immigration3

Passengers arriving at East Midlands Airport can now securely pass through airport eGates without showing their passport, as it leads the way for a new contactless system to be rolled out across the UK.

From yesterday (Tuesday 6 October), East Midlands became the first UK airport to offer the new contactless technology, with every eGate at UK airports set to upgraded by early 2027. Here’s how it works:

• Passengers approach an eGate and have their photo taken
• The system checks this live image against verified immigration, travel and passport information
• Only once checks are complete, the eGate opens automatically.

The system uses state-of-the-art facial technology to verify a passenger's identity before the UK's robust border security checks are carried out in full.  Legitimate travellers can then simply walk through, without needing to place their passport on the eGate reader.

If further checks are needed, passengers will need to place their passport on the reader or may be directed to a Border Force officer, as happens today. Border Force officers will continue to monitor all eGates offering assistance, and passengers should keep their passport with them at all times.

Testing shows the new contactless system is up to 25% faster than using a passport on an eGate. The introduction at East Midlands Airport follows improvements to its immigration hall to refresh it as a more welcoming space with clearer wayfinding to help passengers navigate to the right place for passport checks.

East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “We’re delighted to be the first UK airport to have contactless e-gates 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.”

Director General of Border Force, Phil Douglas said: “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."

Karen Dee, chief executive of AirportsUK, the trade body for UK airports, said: “This will be excellent news for the passenger and demonstrates how UK airports continue to be at the forefront of new technologies to keep our borders safe, while improving the travelling experience.

“It is vital that we have the fast, efficient borders that arrivals into the UK now expect, and we will work closely with our members and government officials to ensure a smooth rollout.”

Millions of people already use eGates every year, the fastest way for legitimate travellers to enter the UK. This marks the latest step in the government's efforts to modernise the UK border, which has included introducing the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme allowing officials to identify potential security risks before someone travels to the UK, and lowering the age eligibility for eGate users to eight year-olds.