e-Passport gates at airport in Air Transportation
Biometric Passport and ePassport Gates
A biometric passport can save you time on arrival and departure at participating airports, allowing you to avoid long queues at standard passport checks and reach your destination faster. Your biometric passport contains a chip that stores your photograph and personal information. When you use an ePassport gate, a computer and camera work together to ensure your face matches the photograph stored in your passport.
Major UK airports have ePassport gates to minimize border control queues and free up agents for other critical airport tasks. These gates provide a secure, convenient, self-service alternative to traditional border control processes.
How to Use the ePassport Gates
- Place your passport on the scanner: Ensure the photograph page is face down. If your passport is in a cover, remove it before scanning.
- Step into the booth: When prompted, remove your passport and position your feet on the marked spots on the floor.
- Look at the camera: Remove your glasses and look straight ahead. The system will match your face with the photograph stored in the chip.
- Exit: Once verified, the glass doors will open.
If the system rejects you, please see a border officer at the desk for a manual check.
How Your Data is Protected
The chip in your biometric passport protects your personal information in three ways:
- Digital Signature: Confirms that the data is genuine and identifies the country that issued the passport.
- Basic Access Control: Prevents data from being read without your knowledge.
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): Ensures the data on the chip was written by the issuing authority (IPS) and has not been altered.
Who Can Use the ePassport Gates
- You must have a biometric ('chipped') passport with the symbol shown on the passport photo page.
- No prior registration is required to use the gates.
- You must be a UK, EU, or EEA citizen.
- Your passport must have been issued from 2006 onwards.
- You must be 18 years or older, unless otherwise indicated at airport signage.
All UK passports issued today are biometric. Biometric data includes unique identifiers such as fingerprints, iris patterns, and facial features.
UK Airports with ePassport Gates
The following UK airports operate ePassport gates:
- Birmingham International
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- East Midlands
- Gatwick (North Terminal & South Terminal)
- Heathrow (Terminals 1, 3, 4, and 5)
- Luton
- Manchester (Terminals 1 and 2)
- Stansted