Border Force quietly updated its public guidance on 20 October, confirming two changes of note to frequent flyers. First, Heathrow has finally joined the list of airports offering a paid FastTrack passport-control lane, bringing the UK’s busiest hub into line with Gatwick, Manchester and others. The optional service—priced at £12.50 per passenger—provides access to a dedicated queue staffed by senior immigration officers and is aimed at premium-class and time-sensitive travellers. Capacity will be trial-limited to 300 passengers per hour per terminal during the winter schedule. Second, the same guidance records that Birmingham Airport is now live with “contactless eGates”, the second UK site after East Midlands. Passengers aged eight and over who hold a biometric UK, Irish or approved partner-nation passport can walk through without presenting a document, provided their carrier has supplied advance biographic and facial data. The update also reiterates that from July this year Border Force no longer stamps passports of visitors performing Permitted Paid Engagements (PPE). Artists, lecturers and sportspeople hired for short engagements should therefore travel with evidence of their permission to work, as the absence of a stamp may create confusion when invoicing clients or applying for expense reimbursements. Travel-management companies should refresh client messaging: Heathrow FastTrack slots can be pre-booked only through the airport website and sell out quickly around morning peaks, while PPE visitors must carry supporting letters to avoid problems when exiting the UK or re-entering via the Common Travel Area. Birmingham’s new gates, meanwhile, underline the speed at which the “contactless” rollout is accelerating beyond the pilot phase.
Source: GOV.UK – Border Force guidance
