The reader stays empty. The passport still travels. Illustration: SimpleVisa
Update, 22 October 2026. GOV.UK now confirms contactless eGates at Birmingham and East Midlands airports, still for British citizens only. The Home Office lists 13 airports for the phased rollout. It still expects all UK airports to have them by early 2027.
The Home Office and Border Force announced on 6 October 2026 that UK airport eGates are gradually switching to contactless technology. Passengers approach the gate, have their photo taken, and the system compares the live image with verified immigration, travel and passport information. If the checks pass, the gate opens without the passport being placed on the reader.
This note is for airlines and OTAs. It is not legal advice. UK Border Force decides on entry.
What changes, and when
PointStatus (GOV.UK, updated 20 Oct 2026)
Start6 October 2026, phased
First airportLive at East Midlands and Birmingham (a small number of gates at each)
First eligible groupBritish citizens
NextBristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted, no dates given. Other eGate-eligible nationalities 'in the future'
All eGates upgradedBy early 2027
SpeedUp to 25% faster than placing a passport on the reader (Home Office testing)
PassportMust still be carried; may be needed for further checks
The Home Office names these 13 airports for contactless gates. Until a gate is upgraded, passengers place their passport on the reader as before.
What it does not change
Entry permission. Contactless gates change how identity is checked at arrival, not who may travel. Visitors who need an ETA or a visa still need it before boarding, and carriers still check it.
Dual nationals. GOV.UK repeats that dual British nationals should travel on a valid British passport or hold a Certificate of Entitlement.
Children. The eGate minimum age stays at eight (lowered this summer).
Facial images. Contactless gates use the same image rules as today's eGates. Under Home Office guidance, facial images taken at eGates and at the border desk may be kept for up to 30 days for British citizens and up to 6 years for other nationalities.
What airlines should do
01
Keep pre-boarding checks unchanged. ETA, eVisa and passport validity checks at check-in are not affected.
02
Update arrival messaging carefully. Passengers must still carry the passport they travelled on.
03
Expect mixed experiences during the rollout. Some gates will be contactless, and most will still use the reader until early 2027.
What OTAs and travel apps should do
Don't market UK arrival as "no passport needed".
Keep UK ETA prompts in the booking flow for eligible nationalities. The contactless gate relies on the same records.
If you mention contactless gates in pre-trip messages, link to the GOV.UK page instead of describing the data rules yourself. The contactless mode is for British citizens only. Non-British passengers cannot use it yet.
What we have not verified
The dates for the 11 airports still to come.
When non-British eligible nationalities (for example ETA holders from eGate-eligible countries) can use the contactless mode.
Borders are going biometric. Boarding still depends on the right authorisation. SimpleVisa's API checks and files ETAs and eVisas inside your booking flow. Talk to us.
Information for travel businesses, not legal advice. UK Border Force decides on entry.
Loris Mazloum founded SimpleVisa and writes the coverage notes on this blog for airlines, OTAs, and other travel companies. Each note is checked against the government source named at the bottom before it publishes. SimpleVisa keeps requirement data for 190+ destinations and files applications where a government channel exists.
