UK airports are beginning to introduce contactless eGates that let eligible passengers clear immigration using facial recognition, without placing their passports on the eGate reader.
The rollout started on 6 October 2026, with East Midlands Airport among the first airports to receive the technology. Birmingham Airport is also included in the initial rollout, with upgrades planned across all UK eGates by early 2027.
How the New Contactless eGates Work
Passengers simply approach the gate and have their photograph taken. The system compares the live image with verified immigration, travel and passport information before automatically opening the gate.
Testing by UK Border Force indicates that the contactless system can be up to 25% faster than the existing passport-scanning process.
British citizens will be the first users. The technology is expected to expand to other nationalities already eligible to use UK eGates as the rollout progresses.
UK Airports With eGates
The UK currently operates eGates at 13 airports:
- Birmingham Airport
- Bristol Airport
- Cardiff Airport
- East Midlands Airport
- Edinburgh Airport
- Gatwick Airport
- Glasgow Airport
- Heathrow Airport
- London City Airport
- Luton Airport
- Manchester Airport
- Newcastle Airport
- Stansted Airport
Indian Travellers Still Need Their Passport
For Indian passport holders, there is no change to UK entry requirements. Indian travellers who are eligible to use eGates will still need to carry their physical passport and meet all existing visa or Electronic Travel Authorisation requirements.
Even when contactless processing becomes available to more nationalities, passengers may be asked to scan their passport or speak to a Border Force officer if additional checks are required.
This shift follows the wider move towards pre-travel digital screening, with the UK’s ETA system already allowing border authorities to assess eligible visitors before they travel.
Travelobiz Take:
We see contactless eGates as a useful upgrade for eligible travellers, but Indian visitors should carry passports and meet existing UK entry requirements until eligibility expands.
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