United Kingdom plans to guarantee passport-free entry to the country

05-01-24

Passports could become a thing of the past for those arriving in the UK thanks to new Home Office plans to create "frictionless travel" at Britain's borders.

New high-tech electronic gates will be installed at airports that are so advanced they will only allow entry to the country by facial recognition.

Authorities hope the new technology will bring Britain's borders in line with those of other countries, such as Dubai, which uses facial recognition for 50 nationalities, and Australia.

Testing of the new electronic gates will begin this year. Phil Douglas, Director General of the UK Border Force, stated that the aim was to create a "smart border" that uses "much simpler facial recognition than it does today."

Britain is already implementing electronic travel authorization (ETA) for foreigners arriving in the UK without a visa. The system costs 10 pounds per passenger.

Travelers must download an app, answer a series of questions, scan their passport and provide a photo. Only those granted the ETA will be allowed to board UK-bound flights.

The system is already in place for Qataris and will be extended to citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in February.

The Home Office also wants to implement the ETA for all visitors to the UK who do not require a short-stay visa, including European citizens.

Biometric data for British and Irish travelers has already been obtained as part of the current UK passport application process.

Testing of the new advanced technology is scheduled to begin at airports later this year, before a full procurement process for new boarding gates is launched.

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