UK Airports Go Passport-Free at the Gates
Contactless eGates started at East Midlands on 6 October and reach all UK airports by early 2027. British clients still need passports in hand.
The arrivals hall is the last stretch of a holiday, and for British clients it is about to get shorter. Border Force began switching UK airport eGates to a contactless system on 6 October 2026, starting at East Midlands Airport. Instead of placing a passport on the reader, travellers walk up, the gate photographs them and checks the image against verified passport, travel and immigration data, and opens if the checks pass. The Home Office says all UK eGates are due to be upgraded by early 2027.
What changes, and for whom
The rollout is for British citizens first, then for other nationalities already eligible to use eGates “over the coming months”, according to the Home Office. It will move through the 13 airports with eGates: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. Other eGates work as they do today until they are upgraded.
Government testing found the contactless gates up to 25% faster than using a passport at an eGate. The upgrade is a software change, not new hardware, which is why the timetable is short.
Three points clients will ask about:
- Passports are still required. Travellers must carry a valid passport, and anyone who needs further checks will be asked to place it on the reader or sent to a Border Force officer, as now.
- Eligibility is unchanged. If a client could use an eGate before, they still can.
- Dual nationals should travel on a valid British passport or hold a Certificate of Entitlement to avoid delays, the Home Office says.
The wider border picture
The change follows two other moves this year. Over the summer, eGates were opened to children aged eight and above, which matters for families who previously had to queue together at a desk. And the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme lets officials screen visitors for security risks before they travel.
“This is a win for travellers coming to our brilliant country,” said Phil Douglas, Director General of Border Force. 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.” Birmingham Airport, which supported the rollout, said arriving customers “will benefit from this new speedier and smoother arrival through the border”, in the words of Chris Wilson, its head of terminal and capacity planning.
For advisors
- Set expectations: for this winter, most clients will still scan their passport. Only East Midlands has contactless gates so far; the rest follow by early 2027.
- Pre-departure notes: remind clients to keep passports in hand at arrivals regardless, and flag the British-passport rule to dual nationals.
- Families: children aged eight and above can now use eGates with their parents, which shortens arrivals after half-term and Christmas trips.
- Watch for: the airport-by-airport rollout dates, and when non-British eGate users are added.
Sources
Alicia Loveday is Senior Editor at Not An Atlas. She's a mom who works in fashion and AI, which means she can style a look, prompt a model and pack a carry-on for the whole family before the coffee's done. She leads our travel guides and bigger stories, and firmly believes every itinerary needs one more outfit than strictly necessary.