Borders & control
Contactless eGates at UK airports: no need to put your passport on the reader
From 6 October 2026 UK airports began switching eGates to contactless: the gate photographs your face, checks it against verified data and opens without a passport on the reader. Testing shows it is up to 25% faster. For now it is British citizens only and East Midlands only; every eGate is due to be upgraded by early 2027.
The UK airport border: what to tell the officer, who can use the e-gates, and what you can bring in your suitcase
Part one of our guide to Britain's airports — everything that happens between the jet bridge and the Exit sign. Who needs a visa and who just needs a £20 ETA; who qualifies for the automatic e-gates and who must see an officer; what the border officer asks and how to answer; how many cigarettes, litres of wine and gifts you can bring duty-free — and why the £10,000 cash rule counts for the whole family, not per person.
No more stamps: how the EU border works now
The Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026. Fingerprints and a facial image replaced the passport stamp, and a computer now counts your days. ETIAS is expected to follow later this year.