Your Face Is About to Replace Your Passport at a British Airport

East Midlands Airport has become the first airport in the United Kingdom to switch on contactless eGates that verify travelers by their face rather than by a scanned passport. The gates took a photo of the passenger, compare it with verified immigration, travel and passport records, and open the barrier automatically if everything matches. The trial began this week and, for now, only a handful of gates are running.

The government says early testing found the system up to 25 percent faster than presenting a physical passport. Eligibility starts with British and Irish citizens, plus visitors who qualify for the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation, which was introduced in February 2026. Officials say the plan is to widen access to more nationalities over time. Children aged eight and older can already use eGates after a rule change in July.

Travelers should not leave the passport at home. Border Force officers monitor the gates, and anyone who fails the face match is sent to place their passport on a reader or to speak with an officer. Dual British nationals are advised to enter on a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement so they avoid delays at the barrier.

The Home Office intends to extend the technology to every UK airport with eGates by early 2027, a list that includes Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham. The UK has more than 290 standard eGates across 15 air and rail ports, so the upgrade touches a large share of the arrivals hall. Similar face-based border systems already operate in Dubai and Australia.

Sources: Travel Radar, Euronews