UK airport eGates go contactless, starting at East Midlands

eGates at UK airports are switching to facial checks, and every gate is due to be upgraded by early 2027

Travelers arriving at UK airports will soon pass through eGates without placing their passport on the reader. The Home Office and Border Force began rolling out contactless eGates on October 6, 2026, starting at East Midlands Airport for British citizens, according to the UK government’s announcement. Every eGate in the UK is due to be upgraded by early 2027.

Until now, using an eGate meant scanning your passport’s photo page at the gate before it compared your face with the passport photo. With the new system, the gate takes your photo as you approach and checks it against verified immigration, travel and passport information. Testing shows it is up to 25% faster, the Home Office says.

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.

Who can use the contactless eGates?

For now, British citizens arriving at East Midlands Airport. The rollout will expand to more airports and to the other nationalities already eligible for eGates over the coming months. No dates have been given for each airport or nationality.

According to GOV.UK, eGates are currently open to travelers aged eight or over with a biometric passport who are:

• British citizens
• Citizens of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with a valid digital immigration status or record of a digital exemption
• Citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the United States with a valid digital immigration status or record of a digital exemption

Travelers aged 8 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult, and everyone must be at least 120 cm tall.

Do I still need my passport at UK eGates?

Yes. Keep your passport with you at all times, the Home Office says. If the gate needs further checks, you’ll be asked to place your passport on the reader or sent to a Border Force officer, as happens today.

eGates are available at Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted airports.

Do I still need a visa or ETA for the UK?

Yes, if you needed one before. The contactless eGates change how your identity is checked when you land, not what you need before you travel.

Most visitors to the UK need either an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) or a visa, depending on their nationality and why they’re coming, according to GOV.UK. Visitors from Europe, the United States, Australia, Canada and certain other countries usually need an ETA rather than a visa. An ETA costs £20, allows visits of up to six months, and is needed by every traveler, including babies and children. You also need one if you pass through border control while transiting through a UK airport.

You don’t need an ETA if you have a British or Irish passport, or permission to live, work or study in the UK. The Home Office says dual British nationals should travel on a valid British passport or hold a Certificate of Entitlement to avoid delays at the border. An ETA doesn’t guarantee entry, and Border Force officers can still ask you questions on arrival.

What this means for travelers

If you’re a British citizen landing at East Midlands, you may already walk through without touching your passport. Everyone else will keep scanning their passport at the eGate until the upgrade reaches their airport and nationality.

The change follows the UK’s move this summer to let children aged eight and over use eGates, which Border Force says is part of the same push to speed up arrivals.