Automated border control systems (ABC) or eGates are automated self-service barriers which use data stored in a chip in

biometric passport A biometric passport (also known as an electronic passport, e-passport or a digital passport) is a passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip, which contains biometrics, biometric information that can be used to authenticate ...

s along with a photo or fingerprint taken at the time of entering the eGates to verify the passport holder's identity. Travellers undergo biometric verification using

facial A facial is a family of skin care treatments for the face, including steam, exfoliation (physical and chemical), extraction, creams, lotions, facial masks, peels, and massage. They are normally performed in beauty salons, but are also a c ...

iris recognition Iris recognition is an automated method of biometrics, biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of one or both of the iris (anatomy), irises of an individual's Human eye, eyes, whose complex ...

, fingerprints, or a combination of modalities. After the identification process is complete and the passport holder's identity is verified, a physical barrier such as a gate or turnstile opens to permit passage. If the passport holder's identification is not verified or if the system malfunctions, then the gate or turnstile does not open and an immigration officer will meet the person. E-gates came about in the early 2000s as an automated method of reading the then-newly

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

-mandated e-passports. All eGate systems require the use of an e-passport that is

machine readable In communications and computing, a machine-readable medium (or computer-readable medium) is a medium capable of storing data in a format easily readable by a digital computer or a sensor. It contrasts with ''human-readable'' medium and data. T ...

or an

identity card An identity document (abbreviated as ID) is a documentation, document proving a person's Identity (social science), identity. If the identity document is a plastic card it is called an ''identity card'' (abbreviated as ''IC'' or ''ID card''). ...

. Some countries permit only specific nationalities to use the automated border crossing systems, e.g. EU/

EEA The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Assoc ...

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

citizens or AUS/ CAN/ JPN/

KOR Kor or KOR may refer to: Codes * kor, ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 and IOC country code for South Korea * kor, ISO 639-2 code for the Korean language * kor, ISO 639-3 code for Modern Korean Places * Kor River, in Fars Province, Iran * Kor, East Azerbaijan ...

/ NZL/ SGP/ UK/ US passport bearers, etc. For all other nationalities, citizens must go to immigration officers to be questioned and then have their passports stamped. They come in different configurations, including a gate, kiosk and gate, or mantrap kiosk, and the process for each setup is the same for departing and arriving passengers. In the gate configuration, an incoming passenger places their passport data page either on or under a scanner, looks at a camera that will take a live picture to compare to the picture in the passport, and walks through a set of barriers that will open if the citizen's identity is verified. At either the passport scan or photo stage, if either identity cannot be verified or a malfunction happens, an immigration officer will step in at that point. Fingerprint and/or iris scans can also be taken depending on the system. In the kiosk and gate configuration, a passenger approaches a kiosk for a facial, finger and passport scan. They then proceed to a set of doors and pass through using their fingerprint. In the mantrap kiosk configuration, a passenger walks through a first set of barriers to a kiosk for a facial, finger and passport scan. They then proceed out through a second set of barriers. The number of e-gate units deployed globally is expected to triple from 1,100 in 2013 to more than 3,200 in 2018, according to a 2014 report by Acuity Market Intelligence. Most e-gates have been deployed in airports in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

Privacy issues

Automated border control systems typically collect personal information such as the information on the biometric page of the passport: name, sex, date of birth, passport number, passport photograph, nationality, and the country of origin of the passport. Other information may also be collected, such as travel details, and the facial biometric template. Travellers' passport booklets are typically no longer stamped if they are processed by eGates.

Australia

SmartGate SmartGate (eGate in New Zealand) is an automated self-service border control system operated by the Australian Border Force (ABF) and New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS) and located at immigration checkpoints in departure and arrival halls in ten ...

is an automated self-service

border control Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...

system operated by the

Australian Border Force The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs (Australia), Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border control, border enforcement, investigations, comp ...

and located at immigration checkpoints in arrival halls in eight Australian international airports. SmartGates allow Australian ePassport holders and

ePassport A biometric passport (also known as an electronic passport, e-passport or a digital passport) is a passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip, which contains biometrics, biometric information that can be used to authenticate ...

holders of a number of other countries to clear immigration controls more rapidly, and to enhance travel security by performing passport control checks electronically. SmartGate uses facial recognition technology to verify the traveller's identity against the data stored in the chip in their

, as well as checking against immigration databases. Travellers require a biometric passport to use SmartGate as it uses information from the passport (such as photograph, name and date of birth) and in the respective countries' databases (i.e. banned travellers database) to decide whether to grant entry or departure from Australia or to generate a referral to a customs agent.

Eligibility

The SmartGates require travellers to look as much like their passport photo as possible, which may require removing accessories such as glasses, hats, or masks when using the SmartGate.

Requirements

Departing travellers, regardless of age and nationality, can use the SmartGates if they have an ePassport or machine-readable passport and can independently use the machine. As of June 2025, previous eligibility criteria for arriving travellers based on nationality have been removed. All travellers holding an ePassport or machine-readable passport are now eligible to use arrival SmartGates - regardless of nationality. Children aged 7 and over may also use arrival SmartGates and kiosks when entering Australia, provided they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, possess an ePassport, and are taller than 110 cm.

Exceptions

There are a number of notable exceptions when entering and departing Australia and using SmartGate. * If airline crew meet the above requirements they are also eligible to use SmartGate or they may continue to use the "crew lane". * Australian and New Zealand citizens travelling on military orders may not use SmartGate upon arrival.

Locations

In Australia, SmartGates are available at the ten following international airports:

History

The first trials of SmartGate began in 2002 with

Qantas Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...

aircrews. The trials were expanded in 2004 to include over 1,000 Qantas platinum frequent flyers, and in 2007 it was launched to the public at

Brisbane Airport Brisbane Airport is an international airport serving Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland. The airport services 31 airlines flying to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations, total amounting to more than 22.7 mill ...

. Since October 2005, Australia has issued only biometric passports, called ePassports. As the validity of Australian passports do not exceed 10 years, all previous Australian passports have now expired and are now biometric. In May 2015, the Australian Government announced that SmartGate will be launched at air and sea ports, using solely biometrics to identify and process arriving passengers, with a goal of processing 90% of air travellers automatically by 2020. The introduction of biometric arrivals, under the ''Seamless Traveller'' initiative, is expected to cost approximately AUD93.7m over 5 years and be completed by March 2019. A phased rollout of new SmartGates for international arrivals commenced in late 2022 and was completed in 2024. Since June 2025, all travellers aged over 7 years, regardless of nationality, are eligible to use the automated SmartGates when entering Australia.

Bahrain

Bahrain International Airport Bahrain International Airport (, romanized: ''Maṭār al-Baḥrayn al-dwalī'') is the international airport of Bahrain. Located on Muharraq Island, adjacent to the capital Manama and the city of Muharraq, it serves as the hub for the nation ...

has 12 departure e-gates and 8 arrival e-gates with a total number of 20 e-gates. They require taking photos or fingerprints depending on the directions the machine prompts for passengers. Those currently eligible to use the e-gates are Bahrain citizens and residents with valid passports or valid ID Cards, citizens of GCC Member States with valid passports and visitors with valid multi-entry visas, after a successful first arrival through a physical counter (Does not apply to citizens of

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

and

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

)

Canada

Most major Canadian airports use Primary Inspection Kiosks to screen returning Canadian citizens and permanent residents. These machines have meant that there is no longer a requirement at most major airports to complete a customs declaration form for returning citizens and residents. These machines take a photo, but may also require a fingerprint if the individual is not Canadian citizen. These machines have been heavily criticized by travellers as the setup of these machines creates disruptive passenger flow (as opposed to eGates elsewhere), in addition to the printing of the receipt at the end of the inspection process, negating the original intent of cutting the use of paper. Travellers must present their receipt obtained from the Primary Inspection Kiosk to a border officer, who will triage in seconds, whether the traveller needs to line up to speak with a border officer for further questioning. The border officer assigned to triage may ask the traveller a question or two, but often directs passengers almost immediately after seeing the traveller's form. eGates were introduced in Terminal 1 of

Toronto Pearson International Airport Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surrounding region known as the Golden Horseshoe. Pearson is the ...

in June 2022 as part of a pilot project with the aim of reducing delays. eGates, however, still require travellers to speak to a border officer after completing their declaration. Members of the

NEXUS NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection-operated Trusted Traveler and expedited border control program designed for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Members of the program can avoid waits at border ...

program for trusted travellers may use a special lane with different requirements for identification.

China

E-channel is a self-service immigration clearance system established by

China Immigration Inspection China Immigration Inspection (CII; ) was China's entry port immigration checkpoints law enforcement service from 1998 to 2024, managed by the national immigration management authorities of the Ministry of Public Security. On 1 December 2024, CII ...

at mainland China's entry and exit ports. This system compares the biometric features of eligible travelers with the biometric information stored in their travel documents or registered with the border inspection authorities, directly completing identity verification and document inspection. The entire process takes an average of 6 to 10 seconds.

Eligibility

Requirements

*Aged 7 or above; *Height above 1.2 meters; *Have registered facial and fingerprint data; *Holders of the following valid documents:

Document-Free Channel

Starting November 20, 2024, individuals aged 14 or above who hold the specified documents and have had their facial and fingerprint information registered may use facial recognition in place of presenting documents to pass through the Document-Free Channel at

Shenzhen Bay Port Shenzhen Bay Port () is a juxtaposed border crossing and a port of entry and exit between mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, located geographically in Dongjiaotou, Shekou, which lies on the southwestern corner of ...

or Zhuhai Gongbei Port The service is for holders of the following documents: Although travelers are not required to present travel documents when using the Document-Free E-channel, they must still carry their documents for on-site verification or use in other situations.

Joint Inspection Automated Channel

Joint Inspection Automated Channel zh, 合作自助查验通道(simplified) 合作自助查驗通道 (traditional)

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

:canais de inspecção integral automáticos is used for travel between mainland China and Macau. Travelers only need to queue once at the channel to complete both Macau and mainland China's immigration procedures simultaneously. This system is currently implemented at the , , and Qingmao Port. At the mainland China-Hong Kong border, the new joint inspection building at

Huanggang Port Huanggang Port () is a port of entry on the border between mainland China and Hong Kong, in the Futian District of Shenzhen, Guangdong. Its counterpart in Hong Kong is the Lok Ma Chau Control Point, located in Lok Ma Chau in Hong Kong's New ...

(

Lok Ma Chau Control Point Lok Ma Chau Control Point () is an immigration control point in Lok Ma Chau, Yuen Long District, New Territories, Hong Kong, which is on the border between Hong Kong and mainland China. It opened in 1989 as the third road crossing between the ...

) under construction and the planned new joint inspection building at

Shatoujiao Port Shatoujiao is a subdistrict of Yantian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, located on the border of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, China. The population is mainly composed of migrant workers from all parts of China along with a small number of Russians. Sh ...

(

Sha Tau Kok Control Point Sha Tau Kok Control Point () is a land immigration control point of Hong Kong, located in Sha Tau Kok, North District, New Territories, Hong Kong, along the border between mainland China and Hong Kong. Opening Sha Tau Kok was the second cross- ...

) are proposed to adopt this system. Travelers using the Joint Inspection Automated Channel only need to present the documents required by their destination. For example, Macanese travelers wishing to enter mainland China must present the

Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents The Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (colloquially referred to as the Home Return Permit or Home Visit Permit) is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China. This ...

, and when they return to Macao, they should present their

Macau Resident Identity Card The Macau Resident Identity Card (; ) or BIR is an official identity card issued by the Identification Services Bureau of Macau. There are two types of Resident Identity Cards: one for permanent residents and one for non-permanent residents. ...

. The following are the eligible users and documents for Joint Inspection Automated Channel:
^{C——Should register facial and fingerprint data to China Immigration Inspection

China Immigration Inspection (CII; ) was China's entry port immigration checkpoints law enforcement service from 1998 to 2024, managed by the national immigration management authorities of the Ministry of Public Security. On 1 December 2024, CII ...
.}
^{M——Should register facial and fingerprint data to Public Security Police Force

The Public Security Police Force (; , abbreviated ) is the non-criminal police department of Macau and a branch of the Macau Security Force. Originally known at first as the Macau Police (), the force went through several name changes before ...
.}
^{V——Have Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card

The People's Republic of China Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card (), colloquially referred to as the PR Card (), Green Card () or Five-Star Card () by expats, is an identity document for permanent residents in China.
History
In August 2004 th ...
, or Residence Permit For Foreigner in The People's Republic of China valid for more than 6 month, or Macau Resident Identity Card

The Macau Resident Identity Card (; ) or BIR is an official identity card issued by the Identification Services Bureau of Macau. There are two types of Resident Identity Cards: one for permanent residents and one for non-permanent residents.
...
and multiple-entry Chinese visa valid for more than 6 month.}

European Union and Schengen Area

The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

funded project FastPass, one of the Seventh Framework Programs (FP7), aims to develop and demonstrate a harmonized, modular reference system for European automated border crossing points. Another FP7 project is the ABC4EU project, the primary goal of which is to make border control more flexible by enhancing the workflow and harmonizing the functionalities of ABC e-gates. Most ABC systems in member states of the

European Economic Area The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Asso ...

(EEA) (which includes all the

member states of the European Union The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are party to the EU's founding treaties, and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. They have agreed by the treaties to share their o ...

together with the

EFTA The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The organization operates in parallel with the European Union ...

states of

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

) and in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

are available for citizens of the EEA and Switzerland to use since, according to Council Regulation (EC) No 2252–2004, all passports and travel documents issued by EFTA and EU member states shall comply with minimum security standards, and passports must incorporate a storage medium (a chip) that contains the holder's facial image and fingerprints. It was planned that, except for Denmark, Ireland and the UK (which is no longer an EU member state), EU passports would have digital imaging and

fingerprint A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfa ...

scan biometrics placed on their RFID chips. This combination of

biometrics Biometrics are body measurements and calculations related to human characteristics and features. Biometric authentication (or realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. It is also used t ...

aims to create an unrivalled level of security and protection against fraudulent identification papers. Technical specifications for the new passports have been established by the European Commission. The specifications are binding for the

Schengen agreement The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the t ...

parties, i.e. the EU countries, except Ireland and the UK, and three of the four

European Free Trade Association The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ...

countries – Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. These countries were obliged to implement machine readable facial images in the passports by 28 August 2006, and fingerprints by 29 June 2009. According to EU requirements, only nations that are signatories to the

Schengen acquis The Schengen acquis is a set of rules and legislation, integrated into European Union law, which regulate the abolition of border controls at the internal borders within the Schengen Area, as well as the strengthening of border controls at the ex ...

are required to add fingerprint biometrics.

Austria

Vienna International Airport Vienna Airport is an international airport serving Vienna, the capital of Austria. It is located in Schwechat, southeast of central Vienna and west of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Its official name according to the Austrian Aeronaut ...

have been using the E Gates automated border control system given from Secunet to provide a very convenient and efficient border control system. Citizens of the

and

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

who hold a valid biometric passport may use the E-Gates to enter Austria.

Belgium

Passengers who are over 12 years old and have an electronic passport from one of the following countries may use the eGates: This service is currently available only at

Brussels International Airport Brussels Airport is the main international airport of Belgium. It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, northeast of Brussels. Also informally known as Brussels-National Airport or Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Brussels ...

as of 2024.

Bulgaria

Sofia Airport Sofia Vasil Levski Airport () is the main international airport of Bulgaria, located east of the centre of the capital Sofia. In 2019 the airport surpassed 7 million passengers for the first time. The airport serves as the home base for BH Air ...

Terminal 2, eGates are available for passengers aged 18 and older from one of the following countries may use the eGates: After a Non-EU/EEA citizens clears the e-gate, border control officers next to the eGates are required to stamp passports.

Cyprus

BorderXpress are operated by

Cyprus Port and Marine Police The Cyprus Port & Marine Police (, ) is the marine police and the civilian Coast Guard wing of the Cyprus Police. The coast guard are tasked with the primary mission of law enforcement of the waters around, and control of the sea borders of the R ...

Larnaca International Airport Larnaca International Airport – Glafcos Clerides is an international airport located southwest of Larnaca, Cyprus. Larnaca International Airport is Cyprus' main international airport and the larger of the two commercial airports in the area ...

and

Paphos International Airport Paphos International Airport (; ) is a joint civil-military public airport located south-east of the city of Paphos on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is the country's second largest airport, after Larnaca International Airport. Papho ...

. The gates used facial recognition to verify the user's identity against the data stored in the chip in travellers' biometric passports. The system can be used by the following passport holders, aged 12 and over. _{1 – Including all classes of British nationality

The primary law governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Regulations apply to the British Islands, which include the UK itself (England, Wales, Scotland, and Nort ...
.} After a non-EU/EEA citizen clears the e-gate, a border police performs the final verification and affixes a passport stamp.

Czech Republic

Easy Go enables self-service passport clearance for flights. Citizens of the

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

who hold a valid biometric passport and are aged 16 and above can use Easy Go to enter the country.

Prague Airport Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

was the first airport in Eastern Europe to offer its passengers an automatic passport control at the E-Gate. It can be used by passengers arriving in Terminal 1 and is based on the German EasyPASS border control system.

Denmark

Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup (, ) is an international airport serving Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, as well as the wider Øresund Region, including Zealand and the southern Sweden, Swedish province of Scania. In 2023 it was the largest ai ...

has installed self-service passport control at the beginning of Pier C. The automated passport control e-gates can be used by

and

citizens aged 18 or over.

Finland

The automated border control system is operated by the

Finnish Border Guard The Finnish Border Guard (FBG, ; ) is the agency responsible for enforcing the security of Finland's borders. Duties Main duties of the Finnish Border Guard: * Protecting the land borders and territorial waters of Finland from unauthorised e ...

and is based on the biometric identification of passengers. A real-life picture is taken to compare individual facial dimensions with the photograph held on the chip in the passport. Passengers travelling with an infant or with a wheelchair still need to choose the manual border control line. The Finnish Border Guard will implement automated border checks for all nationalities.

Helsinki Airport Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (, ) , or simply Helsinki Airport, is the main international airport serving Helsinki, the capital of Finland, as well as its surrounding Helsinki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the Uusimaa region in Finland. ...

has dozens of automated passport machines. These can be used by travellers who have an e-passport (biometric passport). * Citizens of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

and

can use the passport machines at arrival and departure. * Citizens of United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can use the passport machines whenever they are departing.

France

PARAFE PARAFE (abbreviation of Passage Automatisé Rapide Aux Frontières Extérieures or automated fast-track crossing at External border of the European Union, external borders) is a passport verification and border control system deployed in Franc ...

gates are operated by the ''

direction centrale de la police aux frontières Direction may refer to: *Body relative direction, for instance left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down ** Anatomical terms of location for those used in anatomy ** List of ship directions *Cardinal direction *Bearing (navigation) Mathemat ...

'' and located at immigration checkpoints at major French border controls and offer an alternative to using desks staffed by immigration officers. The gates used

technology and facial recognition to verify the user's identity against the data stored in the chip in travellers' biometric passports. Facial recognition gates have replaced finger recognition gates. Facial recognition is now confirmed as available at all Parafe-hosting border controls. At present, citizens of the following countries can use the PARAFE gates for both entering and exiting the

Schengen area The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...

, provided that they are aged 18 years or over and hold valid

biometric passports A biometric passport (also known as an electronic passport, e-passport or a digital passport) is a passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip, which contains biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identit ...

. On 30 June 2023, eligibility on exit of the Schengen area was extended to all adults (aged 18 years or over), without condition of citizenship. Travellers remain subjected to the possession of a valid biometric passport. As of July 2023, this means passport holders from the following countries can use PARAFE: Parafe gates are available at the following locations: *

Paris Orly Paris Orly Airport (, ) is one of two international airports serving Paris, France, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris. It serves as a seconda ...

* Paris Charles de Gaulle *

Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport () is an international airport of Bordeaux, in southwestern France. It is situated in the Communes of France, ''commune'' of Mérignac, Gironde, Mérignac, west of Bordeaux, within the ''Departments of France, dé ...

EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg IATA airport 3-letter codes for the French area, the Swiss area, and the metropolitan area is an international airport in the administrative commune of Saint-Louis, in the French Alsace part of the Trination ...

Lyon Airport Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

Marseille Provence Airport Marseille Provence Airport () is an international airport located 27 km (17 miles) northwest of Marseille, on the territory of Marignane, both '' communes'' of the Bouches-du-Rhône ''département'' in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regi ...

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionEurostar Paris Gare du Nord Terminal (

juxtaposed controls Juxtaposed controls (in , or ; in ) are a reciprocal arrangement between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom whereby border controls on certain cross- Channel routes take place before boarding the train or ferry, rather than ...

) * Eurostar London St Pancras Terminal (juxtaposed controls) *

Eurotunnel Calais Terminal The Eurotunnel Calais Terminal is a railway terminal built for the transport of road-going vehicles on specially constructed trains through the Channel Tunnel. The station is located in the commune of Coquelles in the Pas-de-Calais department ...

(juxtaposed controls) *

Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal The Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal is a railway terminal built for the transport of road-going vehicles on specially constructed trains through the Channel Tunnel. The station is located in Cheriton, a northern suburb of the town of Folkestone ...

(juxtaposed controls)

Germany

EasyPASS border control system - This is available without registration for passengers over 12 with an E-Passport from a

country or

or a German National ID cards (Personalausweis) Holders. Additionally, all passengers over 12 with a German Residence Permit linked to their E-Passport are permitted to use the system. Under the Registered Traveller Programme,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and

E-passport holders may register to use the system at all available airports. Additionally,

Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

passport holders may use EasyPass without registration when entering and leaving but by only Munich International Airport.
EasyPASS is available at: *

Berlin Brandenburg Airport Berlin Brandenburg Airport () () is an international airport in Schönefeld, just south of the Germany, German capital and state of Berlin, in the state of Brandenburg. Named after the former Mayor of West Berlin, West Berlin mayor and Chance ...

Cologne/Bonn Airport Cologne Bonn Airport () is an international airport in north-western Germany. It serves the country's fourth-largest city Cologne, as well as Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. With approximately 12.4 million passengers passing through i ...

Düsseldorf Airport Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the seventh-largest city in Germany, with a 2022 population of 629,047. The Düsse ...

Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport ( ) , is Germany's busiest international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. Its official name according to the German Aeronautical Information Publication is Frankfurt Main Airpor ...

Hamburg Airport Hamburg Airport () , is a major international airport in Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany. Since November 2016 the airport has been named after the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt. It is located north of the city centre in t ...

* Munich Airport *

Stuttgart Airport Stuttgart Airport () formerly is an international airport serving Stuttgart, the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is christened in honor of Stuttgart's former mayor, Manfred Rommel, son of Erwin Rommel, and is the sixth ...

Hannover Airport Hannover Airport is the international airport of Hanover, capital of the German state of Lower Saxony. The ninth largest airport in Germany, it is situated on in Langenhagen, north of the centre of Hanover. The airport has flights to Euro ...

Hungary

Automated Gates are available at Passport Controls at some of Hungary's list of border crossings. The system involves a passport and facial scan. The system is open to passengers aged 18 and above with

and

biometric passport holders or passengers aged 18 and above with European Economic Area and Switzerland national identity card holders.

Ireland

The

Garda National Immigration Bureau The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB; Irish: ''Biúró Náisiúnta an Gharda Síochána um Inimirce'') is a unit of the Garda Síochána, the police force of Ireland. It was formed in May 2000, and is responsible for the enforcement of immi ...

operates eGates at

Dublin Airport Dublin Airport () is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of the town of Swords. In 2024, over 34 ...

for arrivals at Terminal 1 (Piers 1 and 2) and Terminal 2. They are currently available to citizens of the

and UK with electronic passports aged 18 or over. Electronic passport holders of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States that are aged 18 can also use the eGates in the Flight Connections Area of Dublin International Airport if they are in transit with an onward flight to a destination outside of the

Common Travel Area The Common Travel Area (CTA; , ) is an open borders area comprising the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The British Overseas Territories are not included. Governed by non-binding agreements ...

. There are proposals to extend the service to non-European citizens. Irish Passport Cards can, be used.

Italy

eGates are operated by the Polizia di Frontiera and located at selected immigration checkpoints in non-Schengen arrival and departure halls in some airports across Italy, offering an alternative to using desks staffed by immigration officers. The gates use facial recognition technology to verify the user's identity against the data stored in the chip in their biometric passport. The eGates can also accept the Italian Electronic Identity Card, providing that is valid for foreign travel and issued after 7 February 2018. Passengers who are over 12 years old and hold a e-passport from the following countries or jurisdictions may use the eGates. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a parent or a guardian. _{D - Only when leaving Italy.}
_{1 – Only for Italian Citizens, the eGates also accept the Italian Electronic Identity Card

The Italian electronic identity card (, CIE), or simply (), is an identification document issued to Italian citizens and to legal aliens residing in Italy, that has been progressively replacing the since version 3.0 was first released on 4 Ju ...
.}
_{2 – Only for those holding a passport with National ID number.}
_{3 – For holders of British passports, only British citizens

The primary law governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Regulations apply to the British Islands, which include the UK itself (England, Wales, Scotland, and Nort ...
are eligible.} Passport booklets are no longer stamped if using eGate as a matter of principle (all entries and exits are recorded in a national database since 2010), however, travelers that are exiting Schengen area through another country may experience difficulties if their passport hasn't been stamped on arrival. Officers are available next to the eGates to stamp passports on request. Following the introduction of the EU-wide Entry/Exit system, passports stamps won't be available for all travelers regardless if they're using eGates or not, and even on request. At present, eGates are available at twenty international airports: While there is a plan to extend eGates eligibility to all biometric passport holders on departure in the near future, eligibility on entry is limited to countries considered "low-risk" in terms of immigration violations.

Luxembourg

In July 2018 at

Luxembourg Airport Luxembourg Airport serves as the principal airport of Luxembourg and the sole international airport within the country. Formerly known as Luxembourg Findel Airport (French: Aéroport de Luxembourg-Findel) due to its location in the Findel are ...

, five ABC gates were installed at passport control at departures and another five at passport control at arrivals. Passengers who are aged 18 and over and hold a valid biometric

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

or Vatican City passport may use the ABC gates.

Netherlands

The Netherlands Marechaussee has rolled out e-gates in the Netherlands over the past few years. They work by scanning facial information from the passport and, using

facial recognition Facial recognition or face recognition may refer to: *Face detection, often a step done before facial recognition *Face perception, the process by which the human brain understands and interprets the face *Pareidolia, which involves, in part, seein ...

the image on the chip is compared to an image captured of the traveller. Currently, there are there are 78 eGates at

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport (, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands, and is one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipal ...

. They are located in the arrival, departure and transfer areas. The e-gates require the use of a biometric passport. On arrival and departure, the e-gates can be used by European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens aged 14 and over. On departure, the following citizens, aged 14 and over may use the e-gates as well: For non-EU citizens, the passports will be manually stamped by a border official after using the gates.

Norway

The EasyPass system was introduced in 2012. Two automated self-service passport control units were put in place, designed in collaboration with the

National Police Directorate National Police Directorate () is a government agency subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security which heads the Norwegian Police Service. The directorate is led by the National Police Commissioner (Politidirektør), who since 20 ...

Oslo Airport Oslo Airport () , alternatively referred to as Oslo Gardermoen Airport or simply Gardermoen, is an international airport serving Oslo, the capital and most populous city of Norway. The airport is the second largest in Scandinavia and the Nordi ...

was the first in Norway to implement self-service passport control. Initially only Norwegian passport holders were eligible. In the autumn of 2017, eight new e-gates were installed for departing passengers, and during 2017, twelve were installed on arrival.

and

citizens can use the ePassport gates to enter the country provided that they are aged 12 and over and hold a valid biometric passport.

Portugal

RAPID4ALL e-gates are available at

Faro Airport Faro International Airport (, ), officially Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport (''Aeroporto Internacional de Faro - Gago Coutinho''), is located westAI of the city of Faro in Portugal. The airport opened in July 1965 being the main ...

Lisbon Airport Humberto Delgado Airport , informally Lisbon Airport and previously Portela Airport, is an international airport located northeast of the Baixa Pombalina, historical city centre of Lisbon, Portugal. With more than 35 million passengers per yea ...

Terminal 1,

Madeira Airport Madeira Airport () , informally Funchal Airport (), formerly Santa Catarina Airport () and officially Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, is an international airport in the civil parish of Santa Cruz in the Portuguese archipelago and auton ...

, Ponta Delgada Airport, and

Porto Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport or simply Porto Airport (formerly ''Pedras Rubras Airport'') is an international airport near Porto (Oporto), Portugal. It is located northwest of the Clérigos Tower (in the centre of Porto). Its location is sp ...

. On both departure and arrival, the RAPID4ALL e-gates can be used by travellers aged 18 and over holding a valid

from the

or a Portuguese ID card, as well as the following non-EU countries: On departure only, the RAPID4ALL e-gates can be used by travellers aged 18 and over holding a valid biometric passport from the

or a Portuguese ID card, as well as the following non-EU countries (provided that they entered the

Schengen Area The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...

through Portugal and have are not overstayed the limit): After a non-EU/EEA citizen clears the e-gate, a border police performs the final verification and affixes a

passport stamp A passport stamp is an inked impression in a passport typically made by rubber stamp upon entering or exiting a territory. Passport stamps may occasionally take the form of sticker stamps, such as entry stamps from Japan, South Korea, and Sri Lank ...

Romania

Romania installed their first e-gates in March 2021. The ABC gates can be used by citizens of the

and

who hold a biometric travel document (passport or identity card) and are over 18 years old. The gates check people's travel documents, by comparing the facial image from the electronic chip of the passport/identity card with the one captured from the person physically present at the border control, to carry out the process of identification. The gates are connected to the Information System of the Border Police and allow checks to be carried out by querying the databases and access to the relevant operative information. Currently, they are only available at Bucharest's Henri Coanda International Airport. There are 6 e-gates for departing passengers but the

Romanian Border Police The Romanian Border Police () is the structure of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs responsible for the border security and passport control at border crossing points, airports and ports. Structure Since 2001 multiple restructures and i ...

intends to install up to 24 e-passport gates at Henri Coanda International Airport. The Romanian Border Police also intends to install e-gates throughout other airports in Romania in the future.

Spain

At some of the Spanish borders, Automated Border Control (ABC) is available to citizens of the

and

who are aged 18 and over with ePassports, as well as Spanish ID cards, at immigration halls, operated by the Spanish National Police. They come in either a gate, kiosk and gate, or mantrap kiosk configuration. In the gate configuration, a passenger places their passport on a reader, looks at a camera and walks through a set of barriers. Finger scans are sometimes taken depending on the type of gate. Spanish Airports are replacing original kiosk/mantrap gates with these from providers such as Minsait and Everis. These gates also enable departing passengers to use them. In the kiosk and gate configuration, a passenger approaches a kiosk for a facial, finger and passport scan. They then proceed to a set of doors and pass through using their fingerprint. In the mantrap kiosk configuration, a passenger walks through a first set of barriers to a kiosk for a facial, finger and passport scan. They then proceed out through a second set of barriers. Automated Border Control is available at the following locations:

Switzerland

Zurich International Airport e-Passport control gates

Automated passport controls were introduced at

Zürich Airport Zurich Airport is the largest international airport of Switzerland and the principal hub of Swiss International Air Lines. It serves Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, and, with its surface transport links, much of the rest of the count ...

in May 2018. Currently as of 2024, all passengers over 18 who are holders of biometric passports issued by

and

member states are eligible to use them on bo the departure and arrival.

Hong Kong

e-Channel e-Channel, also known as The Automated Passenger Clearance System, is an Border control#Expedited border controls, expedited border control system introduced by the Hong Kong Immigration Department in 2004, designed to speed up border immigration ...

s are situated at all border crossing points. A person who holds a Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) inserts the card into a slot to enter the first eGate and then has their thumbprint scanned to pass through the second eGate. The Automated Passenger Clearance System was introduced by the

Hong Kong Immigration Department The Immigration Department is a disciplined service under the Government of Hong Kong, responsible for immigration control of Hong Kong. After the handover of Hong Kong to China in July 1997, Hong Kong's immigration system remained larg ...

in 2004 and designed to speed up border immigration processes for residents of Hong Kong, Macau and frequent visitors to Hong Kong entering and exiting the territory whether it be by land, air or sea via the use of self-service kiosks employed at various border control points.

Eligibility

PRC passport holder can use Hong Kong e-Chanel services

* A Hong Kong permanent resident aged 7 or above (using a smart identity card) * A Hong Kong resident aged 11 or above holding a Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (using a smart identity card and carrying a valid Document of Identity for Visa Purposes) * A person aged 11 or above who has the right to land or is on unconditional stay in Hong Kong (using a smart identity card) * A non-permanent resident issued with a notification label (using a smart identity card and carrying a valid travel document) * A registered cross-boundary primary school student under the age of 11 (using the enrolled valid travel document) * A registered frequent visitor aged 18 or above (using the enrolled valid travel document) * A registered Macau permanent resident aged 11 or above (using a Macau permanent identity card) * A registered mainland resident aged 11 or above (using an Electronic Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao (e-EEP) or using a PRC passport as a transit passenger) * A registered

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

citizen aged 18 or above and enrolled under Smart Entry Service (SES) scheme (using the

Republic of Korea Passport The Republic of Korea passport (), commonly referred to as the South Korean passport, are travel documents issued to a South Korean citizen to facilitate their international travel. Like any other passport, South Korean passports serve as proof ...

valid for at least 6 months and having no adverse record in the HKSAR) *An enrolled holder of a Republic of Singapore Passport aged 12 or above (using a Republic of Singapore Passport valid for at least 6 months, completed 1 trip in the past 12 months and having no adverse record in the HKSAR) *An enrolled holder of a Kingdom of Thailand Passport aged 12 or above (using a Kingdom of Thailand Passport valid for at least 6 months, completed 1 trip in the past 12 months and having no adverse record in the HKSAR) *An enrolled holder of a Federal Republic of Germany Passport aged 18 or above (using a Federal Republic of Germany Passport valid for at least 6 months and having no adverse record in the HKSAR) *An enrolled holder of an

Australian Passport An Australian passport is a travel document issued by the Australia, Commonwealth of Australia to individuals holding any form of Australian nationality law, Australian nationality. The document facilitates access to consular assistance from Li ...

aged 16 or above (using an

valid for at least 6 months and having no adverse record in the HKSAR) The user upon entrance to the e-Channel inserts his Hong Kong Identity Card into the card reader (which reads the embedded chip) or places his registered travel document or Macau Identity Card onto the document reader. The channel gate will open, the user takes his Hong Kong identity card or registered travel document or Macau Identity Card and steps in and the gate will close. Thumb or finger is then placed onto the fingerprint reader, once identity has been confirmed, another set of gates in front open allowing exit. If an issue arises and identity cannot be confirmed or a malfunction occurs, an immigration supervisor will be on hand to assist.

Locations

KCR Lok Ma Chau ImmigrationCounter 20070816

First made available on 16 December 2004 in Lo Wu Control Point, over the past several years the locations have expanded to include: By allowing registered users to use the self-service kiosks to pass through Hong Kong immigration, processing time averages around 12 seconds making ''E-channels'' far more efficient than traditional immigration counters.

Macau residents

Since its first inception where only Right to Abode Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card holders were permitted to use the self-service kiosks, the program expanded on 12 September 2006; allowing not only those of Right to Land or those with unconditional stay in Hong Kong but also to those residents and non-residents with ''notification labels'' to use the ''E-Channels''. The program was expanded further again on 10 December 2009 to allow holders of

to register for and use of the Hong Kong ''E-channels'' to enter and exit the territory. Border cities to Hong Kong on mainland China's side such as

Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...

and Zhuhai have E-Channels for use of the

Home Return Permit The Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (colloquially referred to as the Home Return Permit or Home Visit Permit) is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China. This ...

cards.

Frequent Visitor Automated Passenger Clearance

Frequent visitors to Hong Kong as well as Macau Resident Card holders can register for ''Frequent Visitor Automated Passenger Clearance''. A valid travel document with a multiple visit visa (if applicable), plus one of the following documents is needed: * A valid HKSAR Travel Pass or * An

APEC Business Travel Card The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is a travel document issued to business travelers who are citizens of APEC member economies. Valid for five years, the card eliminates the need for visas when traveling to other APEC member economies, provide ...

with the economy code 'HKG' or * Hong Kong International Airport Frequent Visitor Card or * Frequent Flyer Programme Membership Card issued by an airline which has joined this arrangement (please enquire with your airline).

e-Channel Service for foreign nationals

The Frequent Visitor program was further expanded to nationals of the following countries. Such arrangements are reciprocal and eligible

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport () is a passport issued to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese nationality law, Chinese citizenship. Note that: The passport is referred to both as the HKSAR Passport an ...

holders may also enroll for the respective automated border clearance schemes under these countries: *

enrolled under Smart Entry Service (SES) scheme (Since 16 December 2013) * Singapore (Since 22 September 2014) *

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

(Since 1 November 2014) * Australia (Since 20 June 2016) *

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

(Since 15 September 2018)

One Stop Customs and Immigration clearance

A special vehicular ''E-Channel'' has been erected for Shenzhen Bay known as ''One Stop Customs and Immigration Clearance'' for goods vehicle passing through the Shenzhen Bay Control Point, indicating how versatile this system is, and an asset for the

Smart Departure

Departing visitors from Hong Kong can use Smart Departure e-Channels regardless if they enrolled for the e-Channel service or not. They must be aged 11 or above and hold a valid electronic document compliant to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

Indonesia

Automated border control gates (also known as autogates) in Indonesia were first installed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in 2012. The autogates can be used by

Indonesians Indonesians (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''orang Indonesia'') are citizens or people who are identified with the country of Indonesia, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. There are more than Ethnic groups in Indonesia, 1,300 ...

, nationals of visa-free countries, and nationals from non-visa-free countries who have obtained a visa on arrival (see

Visa policy of Indonesia Most visitors to Indonesia may obtain a visa on arrival to Indonesia, unless they are a citizen of one of the visa-exempt countries. However, some countries must obtain a visa in advance from one of the Indonesian diplomatic missions before bein ...

). Holders of a limited long-term stay or a permanent residence permit are also eligible to use the autogates. Indonesian citizens with all types of passports (ordinary,

e-passport A biometric passport (also known as an electronic passport, e-passport or a digital passport) is a passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip, which contains biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identity ...

, polycarbonate-page e-passport) can freely use the autogates. Foreigners must have an e-passport in order to use the system. The autogates can now be used by travelers aged 6 and above. The autogates are available for use at these ports of entry:

Japan

J-BIS The J-BIS Biounit is an immigration control system that was introduced into Japanese airports. It is a machine that is located at the immigration booth. When a person who wishes to enter the country and applies for disembarkation, fingerprints of b ...

Biounit is an immigration control system that was introduced into Japanese airports and located at immigration booths. Fingerprints of both index fingers are collected along with a photograph. At the same time, the person is checked against immigration office lists, and criminals, people who were previously deported, and other punished foreigners are prevented from entering Japan. On 20 November 2007,

Narita Airport , also known as Tokyo-Narita International Airport or simply Narita Airport, formerly and originally known as , is the secondary international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the only other one being Haneda Airport (HND). It is about e ...

Kansai International Airport Kansai International Airport (), commonly known as Kankū (; ), is the primary international airport in the Keihanshin, Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is located on ...

, and

Chūbu Centrair International Airport is an international airport on an artificial island (which also houses the ) in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, south of Nagoya in central Japan. The airport covers about 470 hectares (1,161 acres) of land and has one runway. ...

had the system, with plans to roll out the system to the 27 airports and 126 harbours in Japan. Until the start of J-BIS, when people would land in Japan and apply for entry, it was difficult to tell which people had changed their names or used special names on their passports, had been deported, or had criminal records. After the events of

9/11 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, Japan amended its Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. On 20 November 2007, the changes to the act went into effect. Most foreigners (everyone except special permanent residents, diplomats, people who were invited by the government, and people under the age of 16) were now required to have fingerprints taken from their two index fingers, as well as a photograph. The J-BIS system was the second system of its type enacted in the world; the first was the United States's

US-VISIT United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (commonly referred to as US-VISIT) is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) management system. The system involves the collection and analysis of biometric data (such as fingerpr ...

system.「来日外国人『指紋・顔写真』義務」
読売新聞 2007年11月20日 The fingerprint scans and photographs are transferred from the airport to the immigration office's servers, and this information is compared against a blacklist in around five seconds. This list is a collection of Interpol information and around 14,000 people that have been searched by Japanese police, as well as the fingerprints and pictures that were recorded from around 800,000 foreigners who were deported from Japan. According to the immigration office, it is predicted that 0.001% of people who enter Japan appear on the blacklist. Since the introduction of the system, 846 people received exclusion orders by immigration authorities
Yomiuri Shimbun, 9 January 2010 and 8 people were arrested for fabricating their fingerprints. The

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard responsible for the protection of the Geography of Japan#Composition, topography and geography, coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It consists of about ...

also reported that the number of

smugglers Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...

crossing the

Korea Strait The Korea Strait is a strait, sea passage in East Asia between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It connects the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by Tsushima Island into two par ...

from the

Korean peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

has increased rapidly. Along with the introduction of J-BIS, an "Automated gate" (自動化ゲート) was set up at Terminal 1 and 2 at Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Chubu Centrair Airport and Kansai Airport.「成田空港、11/20より自動化ゲート導入」
H.I.S.海外出張ニュース With this system, when a person enters or leaves Japan, rather than having to be processed by a human examiner there, a person can use an eGate, thereby making both entry and departure simpler and easier, as well as more convenient.
法務省入国管理局 2007年11月 Japanese people with valid passports, foreigners with both valid passports (this includes refugees with valid travel certificates and re-entry permits) and re-entry permits can use this system. The gate works by holding up the identification page of the passport up to the terminal in front of the transparent booth, and the entrance to the booth will open. Inside the booth, there is an equipment to read fingerprints, where prints from two fingers are taken. After confirmation of identity, the exit gate will open. Although there is a worker sitting at the gate, according to the Ministry of Justice immigration office's information guide to the automated gates, most Japanese should be able to use the automated gate. When the automated gate is used, passports are not stamped. When an entry stamp is needed, officials are available near the gate to stamp passports; alternatively, one can use the regular gate. To use Japanese eGates, prior registration is required. For details, see the Ministry of Justice immigration office's information guide. For this advance registration, Japanese people (those who hold Japanese passports), only fingerprints are needed (not an image), as the automated gate does not take a picture.

Macau

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

uses the same E-Channel system as Hong Kong. Macau residents, Hong Kong ID Card holders,

Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau The Hong Kong and Macao Travel Permit (alternatively known as the Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao; colloquially as Two-way Permit or EEP) is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the P ...

holders for mainland residents can use this service. Checkpoints in

Zhuhai Zhuhai; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Jyūhói''; Chinese postal romanization, also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern ...

have E-Channels which process

cards.

E-Channel Service for foreign nationals

In addition as of 2024, all foreign visitors aged 12 or above who hold a passport that is valid for 90 days and is issued by the following countries and territories can use the E-Channel conveniently upon finishing registration (unless otherwise stated) under reciprocity. Additionally, minors aged 12 to 17 are required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to be eligible for the E-Channel. _{1 - Portuguese passport holders may use the E-Channel only on departure from Macau under reciprocity.}

Malaysia

was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in 1998. As such, it was among the first to adopt the use of an automated border control system to facilitate immigration clearance for Malaysian citizens. The Autogate system is available at most immigration checkpoints for all Malaysian passport holders. The system uses facial recognition and thumbprint verification to match against information stored in the traveller's biometric passport. Biometric passport holders of the following countries (pre-enrolment registration required) and foreign residents with Malaysian long-term passes may register to use the Autogate system at

Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the Greater Kuala L ...

At the two road border checkpoints with Singapore (

Sultan Iskandar Building The Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI; ) is a border checkpoint, customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Located at the northern end of the Johor–Singapore Causeway, it is one of two land ports of entry to ...

Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...

Sultan Abu Bakar Complex The Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB; ; Jawi: کومڤليکس سلطان ابو بکر ) is a customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex in Tanjung Kupang, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia. Located at the northern end of the Malaysia– ...

Iskandar Puteri Iskandar Puteri (formerly known as Nusajaya) is a Cities of Malaysia, city and the administrative capital of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is situated along the Straits of Johor at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula and the southernmos ...

), all Singaporean citizens (with the exception of those with Malaysian Permanent Residency status) are eligible to use the Autogate system (with initial pre-enrollment required at the manual counters) under the MACS 2.0 program. In addition, MBIKE is open to registered Malaysian motorcyclists, using an RFID sticker in the registered user's passport. The Malaysia Automated Clearance System (MACS) can be used by registered Singapore citizens, Singapore permanent residents and foreigners residing in Singapore. However, registration for the MACS scheme has been suspended since August 2018, although existing registered users may continue to use automated clearance until the expiration of their MACS stickers.

Mexico

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Viajero Confiable Programa Viajero Confiable () is a Mexican program which allows members to pass securely through customs and immigration controls in reduced time, by using automated border control systems at select airports. The program, part of the Western Hemis ...

program is only open to Mexican and US citizens who are members of Global Entry. It is a

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is the implementation of a requirement to show a passport or other acceptable document to enter the United States, for nationals of certain North American jurisdictions who were previously exempt fr ...

(WHTI) program and prospective members must pass a background check, interview with a Mexican immigration officer, and have fingerprints and iris scans taken. Kiosks are currently available at the Cancun,

Los Cabos LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service (transportation), Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a ...

, and

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

international airports, but the Mexican government hopes to expand it to other cities in the near future. In January 2023, Mexico began operating eGates as part of a pilot program, which enabled citizens from Canada and the United States to clear passport control without interacting with a border control officer. These eGates are at Cancun's airport in terminals 3 and 4, and involve the passport holder entering a booth by themselves, scanning their passport and having their picture taken. The Mexican government plans to expand eGates next to airports in

and

Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican resort city near the Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific coast of the Mexico, Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalajara ...

New Zealand

also operates the Australian manufactured SmartGate system (renamed as eGates) at

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

and Queenstown airports. eGates can only be used by travellers 10 years of age or older. E-passports from the following countries are eligible to use the New Zealand eGates (as of 26 May 2025). New Zealand eGates use biometrics to match the stored image in the ePassport with the picture of the user taken at the gate. To make sure eGate can do this, travellers must make sure they look as similar to their ePassport photos as possible and remove veils, scarves and hats that obscures any part of the face. Glasses may be left in place if worn in the ePassport photo and they have thin frames. eGate can handle minor changes in your face, for example if the travellers' weight or hair has changed.

Customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...

Biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, plants, animals etc.) intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range or within new environments. In agricult ...

and

Immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

officials will use information provided at eGates, including photos, to clear travellers and their items across New Zealand's border. Biometric information is kept for three months before destruction but other information, including about movements across New Zealand's border is kept indefinitely and handled in accordance with the

Privacy Act 1993 Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...

, or as the law authorises. This might include information being used by or shared with other law enforcement or border control authorities. Unlike Australian eGates, arriving passengers aren't required to complete a questionnaire before reaching the eGate.

Philippines

The

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

' Bureau of Immigration operates eGates procured by the

-based MiTAC Computing Technology Corp. through a joint venture with Ascent Solutions at

Clark International Airport Clark International Airport , known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2014, is an international airport covering portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in ...

Francisco Bangoy International Airport Francisco Bangoy International Airport , also known as Davao International Airport, is the main airport serving Davao City and Davao Region in the Philippines. Serving as the main gateway to Mindanao, it is the busiest airport on the island an ...

in Davao,

Mactan–Cebu International Airport Mactan–Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is the main international airport serving Metro Cebu and is the main gateway to the Central Visayas region in the Philippines. Located on a site in Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan island, it is the secon ...

, and

Ninoy Aquino International Airport Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ; ; ), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about south of ...

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. The first gates were launched at the Manila airport in October 2018 solely for biometric

Philippine passport A Philippine passport () is both a travel document and a primary national identity document issued to citizens of the Philippines. It is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Philippine diplomatic missions abroad, with certain ex ...

holders at arrival formalities. The bureau stated that the utilization of eGates reduces the processing time per passenger by 30 seconds maximum. As of 2023, 21 eGates are in use across the Philippines, most of which are situated at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The bureau has yet to install eGates at the departure areas of the country's international airports. The Bureau of Immigration suspended the operations of eGates at Philippine airports in March 2020 when the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

emerged due to concerns that the biometric fingerprint scanning feature could potentially expose passengers to the

COVID-19 virus Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the respiratory illness responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had the provisional name 2019 novel coro ...

and facilitate its spread. The bureau lifted the suspension in December 2021.

Qatar

E-Gate is a program that allows Qatari national, expatriate citizens of Qatar and GCC nationals to apply for an e-gate card by visiting the Ministry of Interior office in Al Gharafa (Doha).

Singapore

The

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA, zh, 移民與關卡局；) is a law enforcement agency within the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the border control agency responsible for frontline border c ...

of Singapore (ICA) has integrated

information technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

to streamline the entry and exit procedure at checkpoints. Singapore citizens, permanent residents and other registered travellers can use automated lanes called the enhanced-Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS). Foreign visitors whose fingerprints are registered on arrival may use the eIACS lanes for exit clearance. The Biometric Identification of Motorbikers (BIKES) System at land checkpoints can be used by residents and work pass holders entering and leaving Singapore by motorcycle. The Frequent Traveller Programme (FTP) allows eligible travellers to enjoy convenient immigration clearance via the eIACS automated clearance facilities. APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders or visitors who have visited at least 2 times within the last 24 months, from certain eligible countries, are able to apply. Eligible countries or regions include Australia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, United Kingdom ("British Citizen" only), New Zealand, Thailand, People's Republic of China (with prior approval of 5-year, multiple-entry visas and Hong Kong SAR passport) and the United States (for citizens who are existing members of the U.S. Global Entry Programme (GEP)), with age variations depending on the type of nationality. In 2016, ICA began the biometric registering and verification of travellers using the Bioscreen system. Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents have their iris bio-data registered as well. In 2019, ICA began trialing using the facial and iris recognition as an upgrade to the current fingerprint recognition at various land and air border checkpoints. In May 2022, ICA announced that from the second half of this year, foreign travellers who have enrolled their facial and iris biometrics on their initial visit to Singapore will be able to obtain automated immigration clearance on subsequent trips to Singapore. Under the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)'s Automated Clearance Initiative (ACI), eligible foreign visitors, including those visiting Singapore for the first time, can use automated lanes for both arrival and departure immigration clearance without the need for prior enrolment. As of April 2023, the ACI was deployed to 130 automated lanes at Changi Airport and 40 automated lanes at the land checkpoints. Travellers are required to provide a valid email address within their SG Arrival card submissions in order to receive their Electronic Visit Pass (e-Pass) when using the automated lanes; travellers will not be issued an arrival immigration endorsement in their passports. Under the ACI, eligible arriving foreign visitors are directed to the automated lanes for immigration clearance. a) Their biometrics (iris, facial and fingerprint images) are automatically enrolled during the arrival clearance process (if not already enrolled during a previous trip to Singapore). b) Information on their enrolment is included in the electronic visit pass (e-Pass) which is emailed to them after immigration clearance. c) Enrolled foreign visitors will then be able to use any automated lane during departure and on subsequent visits to Singapore. ACI is a critical component of ICA's New Clearance Concept (NCC), which aimed to make automated immigration clearance the norm at the checkpoints. Automated immigration lanes leverage multi-modal biometric scanning technology to provide travellers with a more secure, efficient, and seamless immigration clearance experience. 95% of all arrivals at Changi Airport are expected to be cleared through the automated lanes, by the first quarter of 2024. Through the use of automated lanes which take up less physical space and require less manpower than manual counters, ICA would be able to increase its clearance throughput and meet the growing traveller volume, which was expected to reach 300 million travellers per year by 2025. From 17 May 2024, the ICA permitted all passport holders, regardless of nationality to use the automated gates at all land, sea, and air checkpoints on both arrival and departure. This includes first-time visitors to Singapore. On 30 September 2024, the ICA adopted passport-less clearance at all 4 terminals at Changi airport. Without presenting their passport, Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and long-term pass holders can pass through immigration by only their facial and iris biometrics on arrival and departure. All other visitors can only use passport-free clearance on departure. On 16 December 2024, the ICA extended passport-less clearance for Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and long-term pass holders at Marina-Bay Cruise Center. This facility is available to them on both arrival and departure.

South Korea

South Korea's Smart Entry Service (SeS) is a voluntary program that allows pre-approved and trusted travellers to proceed through South Korean immigration using biometric information included in their passports at eGates. Typically this takes less than 12 seconds. Eligible applicants register their fingerprints and facial image in advance and must agree to the use of their registered personal information. South Koreans aged 7 or above, citizens from selected countries, foreigners aged 17 or above and holding Korean Alien Registration Card, foreign crew members with multiple-entry visas, and foreigners holding Korea Priority Card issued by Ministry of Justice are eligible. Foreign nationalities eligible to register include American citizens enrolled in Global Entry, Hong Kong SAR passport holders, Macau SAR passport holders, and Taiwanese passport holders. The nationals must not hold Korean Alien Registration Card. For Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan passport holders, they must not use other passports such as People's Republic of China passport, British National (Overseas) passport, and Portuguese passport when they enter South Korea to be eligible.

Serbia

The automated passport control was introduced to

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Аеродром Никола Тесла Београд, Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd, separator=" / ") or Belgrade Airport ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Аеродром Београд, Aerodrom Beograd, sep ...

back in December 2010 as a donation of the German company Millbauer. Only

Serbian passport Serbian passport () is the primary document of international travel issued to nationals of Serbia. Passports are issued and renewed by the Police of Serbia, Serbian Police on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Serbia), Ministry of Inter ...

s are eligible for use. As of now, there is still only one gate and only at arrivals immigration (as everyone, including Serbian citizens, receives an exit stamp on departure) and no further development was announced. On 20 December 2024, a new eGate system was implemented at

passport control. Currently, the new egates can be used only by the adult Serbian citizens using their biometric

s. There are plans to expand the functionality to other national passports at an unspecified date. Before the introduction of the latest iteration of the eGates, article 47 of the Serbian law dealing with border control - Zakon o graničnoj kontroli - had to be modified and approved by the legislature so that the requirement for stamping Serbian passports on exit control could be dropped from the law.

Taiwan

's eGate is a free automated entry system for Republic of China citizens and certain classes of residents and frequent visitors. Users simply scan their travel documents at the gate and are passed through for facial recognition. Electronic fingerprinting is used when facial recognition fails. Registration is available at the immigration counter right at the port of entry. Passengers who are over 16 years old and have an electronic passport from one of the following countries (pre-enrolment registration required at the manual immigration office near checkpoint) may use the eGates:

Thailand

's automated passport control (APC) system at

Suvarnabhumi Airport Suvarnabhumi Airport is the main international airport serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Located mostly in Racha Thewa subdistrict, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, it covers an area of , making it one of the biggest intern ...

and

Don Mueang International Airport Don Mueang International Airport — known as Bangkok International Airport before 2006 — is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the other being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The airport is considered ...

has been available for only Thai nationals since 2012. In addition,

and

E-Passport Holders can also use the automated passport control gates on both departure and arrival from Thailand under current reciprocal agreements. Since 15 December 2023, the APC system can be used for all nationalities with an electronic passport but only when on departure from the country and if have not overstayed the limit.

Turkey

Automated Passport Control gates, called "Hızlı Pasaport Geçiş Sistemi" (Expedited Passport-Entry System) was introduced first in Istanbul's

Sabiha Gökçen Airport Sabiha is an Arabic word () meaning "Morning" and a female given name. People with the name include: *Sabiha Sultan (1894–1971), Ottoman princess, daughter of Mehmed VI *Sabiha Bengütaş (1904–1992), Turkish sculptor *Sabiha Gökçen (1913–2 ...

in May 2019, quickly followed by the newly opened

Istanbul Airport Istanbul Airport is the larger of two international airports serving Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in the Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city. It is the largest airport in Turkey, the largest privately-owned airport in the ...

in June 2019. Citizens of

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

with a valid and chipped biometric

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...

(both old and new chipped-models are accepted) are eligible to use the automated gates, which require passengers to scan their passports and fingerprints, as well as using a facial-recognition system by taking a live photograph of the passenger. In the departure immigration checkpoints, a Turkish Border Police will check the departure tax stamp/card ("Harç Pulu") for Turkish citizens. Receiving an exit / entry stamp is optional for Turkish citizens.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE's Smart Gate system allows UAE nationals, UAE residents, GCC nationals and nationals of visa-exempt countries to arrive and depart the country without the need to see an immigration officer. The process takes 30 seconds.

United Kingdom

ePassport gates ePassport gates are automated self-service barriers (an automated border control system) operated by the UK Border Force and located at immigration checkpoints in arrival halls in some airports across the UK and at the juxtaposed controls ...

are operated by the

UK Border Force Border Force (BF) is a British law enforcement command within the Home Office, responsible for frontline border control operations at air, sea and rail ports in the United Kingdom. The force was part of the now defunct UK Border Agency from it ...

and located at immigration checkpoints in arrival halls in some airports across the United Kingdom, offering an alternative to using desks staffed by immigration officers. The gates use facial recognition technology to verify the user's identity against the data stored in the chip in their biometric passport. The ePassport gates do not accept national identity cards, even though EU/

national identity cards are accepted at manned gates under the EU Settlement Scheme. Citizens with European Economic Area, European Union, Swiss, Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, Singaporean, South Korean, and United States passports can use ePassport gates, provided that they are aged either 10 or over and holding valid

. Users between the ages of 10 and 17 who are using ePassport gates are required to be accompanied by an adult. Holders of valid biometric passports from the following countries can use ePassport gates, provided that they are aged 12 or over and are already enrolled as a "Registered Traveller": ePassport gates are available at the following locations: *

Birmingham Airport Birmingham Airport , formerly ''Birmingham International Airport'', is an international airport located east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, west-northwest of Coventry slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Bor ...

Bristol Airport Bristol Airport , at Lulsgate Bottom, on the northern slopes of the Mendip Hills, in North Somerset, is an international airport serving the city of Bristol, England, and the surrounding area. It is southwest of Bristol city centre. Built ...

Cardiff Airport Cardiff Airport () is an airport in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. It is the only airport offering commercial passenger services and cargo services in Wales. The airport is owned by the Welsh Government, operating it at arm's length as a commercia ...

East Midlands Airport East Midlands Airport is an international airport in Castle Donington, England. The airport is situated between Loughborough (), Derby () and Nottingham (); Leicester is to the south and Lincoln, England, Lincoln northeast. It serves the maj ...

Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is an international airport located in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located west of the city centre, just off the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 and M9 motorway (Scotland), M9 motorways. It is owned and oper ...

* Eurostar Brussels-Midi Terminal (

) * Eurostar Paris Gare du Nord (juxtaposed controls) * Eurostar St Pancras Terminal (juxtaposed controls) *

Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport , also known as London Gatwick Airport (), is the Airports of London, secondary international airport serving London, West Sussex and Surrey. It is located near Crawley in West Sussex, south of Central London. In 2024, Gatwic ...

(North and South Terminals) *

Glasgow Airport Glasgow Airport, also known as Glasgow International Airport () and formerly Abbotsinch Airport, is an international airport located in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, west of Glasgow city centre. In 2019 it handled 8.84 million passe ...

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...

(Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5)† *

London City Airport London City Airport is an international airport in London, England. It is located in the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham, Borough of Newham, about east of the City of London and east of Canary Wharf. These are the two centres ...

Luton Airport London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, England, situated east of the town centre, and is the fourth-busiest airport serving London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Limited, a company wholly owned by ...

Manchester Airport Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2024, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passengers (the busiest outside of London) ...

(Terminals 1, 2 and 3) * Newcastle Airport *

Stansted Airport Stansted Airport is an international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Uttlesford, Essex, northeast of Central London. As London's third-busiest airport, Stan ...

† Heathrow Airport Terminal 1 became obsolete on 29 June 2015.

United States

U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Consti ...

s, U.S. lawful permanent residents,

Canadian citizen Canadian nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of Canada. The primary law governing these regulations is the Citizenship Act, which came into force on February 15, 1977 and is applicable to all provinces and t ...

s, Canadian permanent residents, eligible

Visa Waiver Program The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is a program of the Federal government of the United States, United States government that allows nationals of specific countries to travel to the United States for tourism, business, or while in transit for up t ...

travellers and passengers holding a B1/B2, C1/D, or D visa are eligible to use a system called Automated Passport Control (APC) for free without having to pre-register. Besides APC, certain low-risk travellers can also apply to enroll in Trusted Traveler Programs operated by

U.S. Customs and Border Protection United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilita ...

, such as

Global Entry Global Entry is a program of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States through automatic kiosks at select airports and via the S ...

and

. Applicants must file an application, pay a registration fee, go through a background check and attend an interview. Once approved, in addition to using self-service kiosks just like APC, travellers may receive additional benefits such as TSA PreCheck.

Global Entry

is a program of the

service that allows pre-approved, low-risk travellers to receive expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States.

Notes

References

{{Reflist

External links

Australian Border Force: SmartGate

gov.uk: Use ePassport gates for fast entry into the UK

US Automated Passport control

SG Automated Lanes at the Passenger Halls
Biometrics Expedited border crossing schemes Biometric databases

Privacy issues

Australia

Eligibility

Requirements

Exceptions

Locations

History

Bahrain

Canada

China

Eligibility

Requirements

Document-Free Channel

Joint Inspection Automated Channel

European Union and Schengen Area

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Norway

Portugal

Romania

Spain

Switzerland

Hong Kong

Eligibility

Locations

Macau residents

Frequent Visitor Automated Passenger Clearance

e-Channel Service for foreign nationals

One Stop Customs and Immigration clearance

Smart Departure

Indonesia

Japan

Macau

E-Channel Service for foreign nationals

Malaysia

Mexico

New Zealand

Philippines

Qatar

Singapore

South Korea

Serbia

Taiwan

Thailand

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

Global Entry

See also

Notes

References

External links