Major UK airport change means Brits will soon ‘use their face as a passport’

Changes are coming to UK border control (Picture: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Let’s be honest, nobody enjoys waiting in line, especially at the airport, but for most travellers this is the reality. With passenger numbers increasing every year, queues at border control have been getting longer. However, a new system at UK airports could soon reduce wait times and speed up the process for Brits by 25 per cent. Border Force is set to give passport e-gates in the UK an update, adding new facial recognition technology. Instead of having travel documents scanned at the e-gate, British passengers will have their face captured and checked. But you won’t be able to ditch your passport completely, as you’ll still need it for other parts of your trip. Updated facial recognition technology is being added to e-gates (Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) This ‘contactless border’ system was trialled successfully at Manchester Airport in 2025. The trial lasted three weeks, and passengers who used the facial recognition e-gates were said to have a ‘quicker and better’ experience. According to The Times, the new facial recognition technology is set to be introduced at Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport first, and will be launched in the coming weeks. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. The remaining UK airports with e-gates will be given the new system by early 2027. This includes Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, Newcastle, Cardiff, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London City, and Manchester. Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport will get the tech first (Picture: Getty Images) Speaking about the new system, Phil Douglas, the director general of Border Force, told the publication: ‘We are doing this for reasons of border safety. ‘It will mean we have a more secure border and a much faster transit through the airport. It’s quicker, it’s more modern, it’s more secure.’ He continued to say that the new system would allow the workforce to pivot from focusing on routine immigration to crime, safeguarding and drugs. ‘Officers are going to be much more mobile,’ he added. The UK will be the first in Europe to introduce contactless borders at its airports. While the technology will initially only work for British passport holders, the plan is to extend it to other nationalities in the future. In Dubai, the facial recognition technology can already be used by up to 50 nationalities. British passport holders won’t need to scan their travel document (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images) How will the new e-gates work? When the new technology is rolled out, each airline will provide UK Border Control with a gallery of passport photos of Brits returning to the UK that day. When you arrive at UK border control, your face will be scanned at the e-gate, and an image is captured. This will be compared to the pictures in the gallery, and once a match is found, the gate will open. If your face is not recognised, you will need to scan your passport, using the traditional e-gate method, placing it face down on the scanner. If an issue still occurs at the gate, the passenger will then have to seek help from a member of Border Force staff. What do you think of the new airport facial recognition system? Sign up to The Getaway Expert, your exclusive seven-day guide to travelling with confidence from Metro's travel editor, Alice Murphy. What do Brits think of the new system? Social media users have been sharing their thoughts on the new system, and responses have been mixed so far. One Facebook user hailed it a ‘game-changer’, especially for frequent flyers, while another called it ‘fascinating’. Si Leathly claimed they had tried the tech in Manchester and it was ‘extremely quick’. However, not everyone was convinced, with Connor Lomax branding it a ‘waste of money’. He wrote: ‘What a waste of money. Nobody wants it, and I’ve never had to wait more than five mins to get back into the UK with a UK passport.’ Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Our Top Shopping Picks Kurt Geiger's new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London's chaotic weather I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 Arrow MORE: ‘Hijacker who stabbed Flydubai pilot’ said woman should be ‘stomped on’ Arrow MORE: Medical evacuation plane carrying 6 people goes missing en route to Boston from Bermuda Arrow MORE: Inside the £120,000,000 South Kensington Tube station upgrade as work begins this year The Getaway Expert Your exclusive seven-day guide to travelling with confidence from Metro's resident travel expert, Alice Murphy.