Travellers arriving at East Midlands Airport this week were the first to try the UK’s new “walk-through” eGates, a software upgrade that removes the need to place a passport on the glass reader. Instead, the gate captures a live facial image and cross-checks it with passport and immigration databases before swinging open— a process Border Force says was up to 25 % quicker in pilot trials. The Home Office confirmed that all 290 eGates at 15 UK air and rail ports will be upgraded in waves by early 2027. Initially the contactless function is limited to British citizens holding biometric passports. Other eGate-eligible nationalities—including business visitors from the US, EU and Australia, as well as ETA and eVisa holders—will follow “over the coming months” once algorithm accuracy is validated. For corporate travel managers, the main benefit is reduced queuing time at peak arrival banks, particularly at London Heathrow where wait-time spikes have drawn criticism from executive flyers. Companies should, however, remind employees that a valid passport, ETA/eVisa and UKVI account linkage remain mandatory; the technology changes only the presentation method, not the underlying checks. Creative Worker Certificate-of-Sponsorship holders still need a physical stamp and must therefore bypass eGates altogether. The switch forms part of the UK’s wider digital-border programme, which has already issued more than 10 million eVisas and 20 million Electronic Travel Authorisations. Border Force officials say the contactless upgrade is largely a software deployment that can be reversed quickly if failure rates rise—an important reassurance after nationwide eGate outages in 2024 and 2025. Airports have begun staff briefings and signage updates. HR teams may wish to circulate a quick-start guide so assignees know whether to walk straight through or still present passports on the reader during the transition phase.
Source: ONLYWAY NEWS
