UK Airports Are Introducing Contactless eGates. Can Indian Passport Holders Use Them?

Anyone who has landed in the UK after a long flight knows that getting through immigration is one last thing to get out of the way before leaving the airport. A new update could make that process quicker for eligible travellers.

From October 6, the UK has begun introducing contactless eGates that use facial recognition to verify passengers without requiring them to scan their passports. The system is expected to be up to 25% faster than existing eGates. The rollout is set to cover all UK airport eGates by early 2027.

New Contactless eGates Could Speed Up Airport Exit

For a quick walk through immigration, passengers simply need to approach an eGate and get their photograph taken. One facial comparison technology has confirmed the live image against verified passport, travel and immigration information, the gate opens automatically. Passengers can then walk through without scanning their passports.

However, this absolutely doesn't mean it's okay to forget your passports at home. In case further checks are needed, travellers may be asked to place their passport on the reader or speak to a Border Force officer.

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East Midlands Airport is leading the rollout, with Birmingham Airport also among the first to introduce the system. Other airports will follow over the coming months.

The government says testing has shown that contactless eGates can be up to 25% faster than the existing system. It will help reduce the time spent at immigration significantly while also maintaining border security.

There's A Catch For Indian Travellers

The contactless system is initially available only to British citizens travelling on valid British passports. The UK plans to extend it to other nationalities that are already eligible to use eGates. Since Indian passport holders are not on the current list of eligible nationalities who can use eGates during immigration, this update doesn't apply to them either.

Indian citizens travelling to the UK should therefore continue to follow the usual immigration process and have their passport and visa documents ready for inspection.