Most travellers will agree that if something can be done to speed up being processed at border security in airports then it should be done. The United Kingdom’s solution to process international travellers faster? Facial recognition. 

A report by The Times claims that passports will no longer be needed in a proposal from the UK’s border force. So how will it work? Using facial recognition, eGates will be able to identify travellers by matching faces with information stored in a central database. Data that is usually held in a passport and processed when screened will be replaced by facial recognition technology that can identify passengers expected to enter the country and admit them without any extra identification. 

Related story: Price of Australian passport will increase in 2024

While travellers will still have to cue, when they do reach the eGates they will simply need to stare into the camera rather than hand over a physical passport. While in Australia we do have SmartGates we still need to present our passport to be scanned and then for a photo of our face to be taken to check if it matches our passport. If these new eGates are proven successful it could make the whole process much more seamless. 

The new system will provisionally be trialled this year at a single UK airport with only a limited number of travellers permitted to take part. We’ll keep you posted when we have updates on the proposal and trial. 

Related story: Singapore’s Changi airport to go passport-free for seamless travel