ePassport gates
ePassport gates are automated self-service barriers operated by the UK Border Force and located at immigration checkpoints in arrival halls in some airports across the United Kingdom, offering an alternative to using desks staffed by immigration officers. The gates use facial recognition technology to verify the user's identity against the data stored in the chip in their biometric passport.
Eligibility
At present, only British, European Economic Area and Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the USA[1] citizens aged 18 or over holding valid biometric passports can use ePassport gates. At present, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens cannot use national identity cards (regardless of whether they are biometric) at ePassport gates and have to use the staffed desks instead.
Availability
At present, ePassport gates are available at the following airports:
- Birmingham Airport (Terminal 1)
- Bristol Airport
- Cardiff Airport
- East Midlands Airport
- Edinburgh Airport
- Gatwick Airport (North and South Terminals)
- Glasgow Airport
- Heathrow Airport (Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
- London City Airport
- Luton Airport
- Manchester Airport (Terminals 1 and 2)
- Stansted Airport
- Milan Malpensa Airport
See also
- Iris Recognition Immigration System (another type of automated self-service barriers used by the Border Force at Heathrow Airport (Terminals 3 and 5))
- SmartGate - a similar system operated in Australia and New Zealand