The Home Office has announced that from 8 July, children as young as eight will be permitted to use e-gates at UK airports when arriving from overseas. This change reduces the existing minimum age from ten, allowing millions more young passengers quicker access through passport control, provided they are at least 4ft (120cm) tall and accompanied by an adult.
Currently, children under ten must be processed through traditional passport booths, often causing longer queues for families. The government's adjustment means up to 1.5 million additional children aged eight and nine can benefit from the facial recognition technology that e-gates employ. This system compares passengers' faces against their passport photos to expedite identity checks more efficiently than manual inspections.
Migration Minister Mike Tapp stated that the update will enable "more families to experience a swifter and smoother journey home" during the summer. The UK operates nearly 300 e-gates across 13 airports, with similar provisions set to apply at ports in Brussels and Paris, where checks take place before boarding flights.
Border Force Director-General Phil Douglas noted that expanding e-gate access "enables highly skilled officers to focus on intercepting those who pose a threat to the UK". E-gates are currently available not only to British nationals but also to citizens of the EU, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, and the US. Additionally, members of the registered traveller service can use the e-gates.