Border Force quietly updated its ‘Getting through the UK border faster’ guidance on 20 October to confirm that Birmingham Airport has become the second UK gateway—after East Midlands—to switch its ePassport gates to full ‘contactless’ mode. Travellers eligible for eGates no longer need to present a passport: high-definition cameras capture a facial image on approach, matching it to advance-passenger-information and Home Office databases before the gate opens. The roll-out follows a successful three-week pilot in Nottinghamshire and is part of a Home Office plan to upgrade all 270 eGates across 13 airports by Q1 2027. The guidance also notes that children aged eight and over can now use eGates, down from the previous threshold of 12, reflecting a policy shift announced in July. Border Force says the contactless process cuts average arrival-hall dwell time by up to 30 per cent—a critical benefit at Birmingham, whose passenger numbers are projected to hit 18 million next year following the opening of HS2’s Interchange station nearby. For now, the system is limited to British nationals and those from 10 eGate-eligible countries, but expansion to all ETA-holders is planned for summer 2027. Practical tip: mobility teams should advise assignees that while a passport must still be carried for the airline and random checks, it may remain in the pocket at passport control. Travellers whose faces have materially changed since their passport photo was taken (for example after facial surgery) are warned they may be diverted for manual inspection, so should allow extra time.
Source: UK Government guidance
