Starting this summer, travelers from the US and six other countries will be able to use automated e-gates at passport control across the UK.

At the moment, e-gates are only accessible to UK, EU, EEA, and Swiss passport holders. As of June 2019, the e-gates will be open to US, Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korean passport holders. The change will also be implemented at Eurostar terminals in the UK.

The UK currently has a Registered Traveller program where selected eligible travelers can use the e-gates at a cost. Under the change, citizens from the named countries will no longer need to use this program.

Applicable travelers won’t need to register in advance and can use the e-gates as long as they have a passport with a chip.

The UK is open for business

The planned change appears in the UK Parliament's annual budget release for this year. It forms part of the UK’s plans to pitch itself as 'open for business'. Hence it is expected, and a timeline has now been put in place. The likely start date, reports One Mile At A Time, will be June 1st, 2019.

The change should reduce the waiting time at UK passport control, as many passengers can now use the speedy e-gates, although the passport scan and photo kiosks will likely be busier for those who are eligible to use them.

UK Chancellor Philip Hammond confirmed the implementation from June 2019 in his Spring Statement. And, in a further change, paper landing cards will no longer be a requirement for citizens from the US and Singapore.

A better border experience for travelers

As per International Airport Review, Heathrow Airport gave comment on the announcement saying:

This is fantastic news for Heathrow passengers. A good border experience is a great way to show the UK is open for business and we encourage the Government to continue to prioritise it.

The chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, Karen Dee, says:

We are pleased to see that Government has acted on the concerns of airlines and airports about the deteriorating border experience in recent years with this statement. It could be transformational for those airports with high numbers of arrivals from these seven countries.

Dee also welcomed the abolition of “outdated” landing cards adding:

This paves the way for further steps to reduce bureaucracy and make the UK border fit for the 21st century.

747 landing at Heathrow. Image Credit: Nick Morrish/British Airways
747 landing at Heathrow. Image Credit: Nick Morrish/British Airways.

Looming Brexit is partly inspiring the UK’s “open for business” affirmation; it may or may not be a factor in these particular changes.

The issue of Brexit has been firmly on the agenda for airlines, however. In February 2019 it was confirmed that British Airways/IAG would remain a European entity after Brexit. Earlier, in January, it was warned that Airbus could leave the UK depending on how Brexit progressed.  Around the same time, Ryanair gained a UK air operator license in preparation for the UK and Europe’s big split.