UK: East Midlands Airport passengers to use facial technology for contactless eGate entry

Travellers arriving in the UK will soon be able to pass through airport eGates without physically showing their passports, as Border Force begins rolling out a new contactless immigration system from October 2026.

The technology will be introduced gradually across UK airports, with all eGates expected to be upgraded by early 2027. The system uses facial recognition to check a passenger’s live photograph against verified immigration, travel and passport information before allowing them to enter the UK.

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Under the new process, passengers will approach an eGate and have their photograph taken. Once the required identity and immigration checks are completed, the gate will open automatically. Travellers will not normally need to place their passport on the eGate reader.

However, passengers should continue to carry their passports. If additional checks are required, they may be asked to place their passport on the reader or speak to a Border Force officer, as under the existing process.

Border Force officers will continue to monitor the eGates and assist passengers where required. Testing of the contactless system has shown that it can be up to 25 per cent faster than using a passport at an existing eGate.

The phased rollout will begin at East Midlands Airport, initially for British citizens. It will then expand to other UK airports and nationalities that are already eligible to use eGates.

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Phil Douglas, Director General of Border Force, said, “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. Our digital transformation also builds on our work this summer to extend eGates to children aged eight and above, making life a little easier for families.”

Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK, the trade body for UK airports, said: “This will be excellent news for the passenger and demonstrates how UK airports continue to be at the forefront of new technologies to keep our borders safe, while improving the travelling experience. It is vital that we have the fast, efficient borders that arrivals into the UK now expect, and we will work closely with our members and government officials to ensure a smooth rollout.”

Steve Griffiths, Managing Director of East Midlands Airport, said, “We’re delighted to be the first UK airport to have contactless eGates introduced by Border Force. As an airport committed to providing an effortless travel experience, we welcome any technological innovation that can help to safely make our customers’ journeys smoother, swifter and simpler. This complements changes that we carried out to our immigration hall recently to help improve the flow of arriving passengers through the area.”

Chris Wilson, Head of Terminal & Capacity Planning at Birmingham Airport, said, “We’re pleased to be one of the first airports in the UK to introduce UK Border Force’s contactless eGates. Working closely with our industry partners and government agencies, we have actively supported the rollout of the new UK Border Force system here at Birmingham Airport. Customers arriving into the UK will benefit from this new speedier and smoother arrival through the border. Millions of travellers already use UK eGates each year. The contactless system is part of the UK government’s wider effort to modernise its border system under the Immigration White Paper.”

The move follows the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which enables UK authorities to assess potential security risks before eligible travellers travel to the country.

The government has also linked the border modernisation programme with wider immigration enforcement. It said small boat arrivals during June, July and August 2026 were at their lowest level in six years.

According to the government, more than 80,000 people who had no right to remain in the UK had been removed or returned since the election, an increase of 52 per cent. Removals of foreign national offenders, including murderers and rapists, increased by 36 per cent, with nearly 12,000 returned over the same period.