Heathrow to get contactless eGates that check your face, not your passport

Passengers arriving at UK airports will soon be able to get through the eGates without putting their passport on the scanner. The Home Office has begun rolling out new contactless technology that checks travellers' faces instead.

The first contactless gates went live at East Midlands Airport on 6 October 2026. At first they are only for British citizens. The Home Office said testing showed the new system can be up to 25 per cent faster than the current passport-reading gates.

The upgrade will be phased in at all 13 UK airports that have eGates: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. The government expects contactless eGates to be available at all of them by early 2027.

How the new gates work

With a standard eGate, you place the photo page of your passport on a reader before a camera checks your face. With the new gates, passengers just walk up and have their photo taken.

According to government guidance, the system compares that live image with verified passport, travel and immigration records. The gate opens once the checks are complete. The Home Office said all immigration and security checks continue as normal, and Border Force officers will still monitor the gates.

The Home Office said other nationalities who can already use eGates will be added over the coming months. It has not published a timetable for each group.

You still need your passport

Travellers are not being told to leave their passports at home. Government guidance says passengers must still travel with a valid passport. Anyone picked for extra checks may be asked to show it or be sent to a Border Force officer.

The existing eGate rules still apply. Passengers need a biometric passport, which has a small camera-style symbol on the cover, and children aged 10 to 17 must go through with an adult. Until the gates at a particular airport have been upgraded, passengers will keep using the passport reader as before.

What it means for Heathrow

Heathrow is the UK's busiest airport and many people in Hillingdon, Hounslow and Ealing pass through its arrivals halls. No date has been given for when its gates will switch over. The Home Office has only said the national rollout should be finished by early 2027.

Government figures show the UK has more than 290 eGates across 15 airports and rail terminals. The contactless upgrade covers the 13 airports. The Home Office describes the change as part of a wider plan to modernise the UK border. That plan already includes the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme, under which many visitors who do not need a visa must get permission before they travel.

Phil Douglas, Director General of Border Force, called the upgrade "a win for travellers". He said it would make journeys smoother and faster while keeping the border secure.

In answer to a written parliamentary question, the government has also said it is exploring options to let the majority of passengers arriving in the UK use eGates. It said any changes to who is eligible would be announced in due course.