Younger children will be able to use e-gates at British airports
Children aged eight and nine should be able to use automated e-gates when entering the United Kingdom from this summer, further lowering the previous age limit for this type of border control. According to media reports citing confirmation from the British Home Office, the new rules should begin to apply on 8 July 2026, ahead of the busiest part of the summer season. This would extend the possibility of passing through automated passport controls to some children who, until now, even when travelling with adults and holding a suitable passport, had to go through conventional control with an officer. The change applies to children who meet the conditions for using e-gates, including technical conditions related to passport reading and biometric facial verification.
According to the available information, children will have to be at least 120 centimetres tall to use an e-gate, because the devices must be able to capture the passenger’s face properly and compare it with the photograph in the biometric passport. The British automated border control system uses facial recognition and travel document checks, and in the event of a failed check or additional questions, the passenger is referred to a border officer. The change does not mean that all children will automatically be able to pass through an e-gate, but that the age limit for those who meet the conditions will be lowered from ten to eight. This should reduce the number of families that have to split between automated lanes and queues for manual control.
The change follows an earlier lowering of the age limit
In 2023, the United Kingdom had already extended the use of e-gates to children aged ten and eleven. According to the British government’s announcement at the time, that decision was made after trials at major London airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, and was presented as a measure to speed up entry into the country during periods of increased traffic. Until then, e-gates could be used by children aged twelve and over, so families with younger children often had to wait in queues for conventional passport control even though adult family members were entitled to use the automated route.
The newly announced rules go one step further and would cover children aged eight and nine. According to reports published on 14 May 2026, the change could enable the use of e-gates for around an additional 1.5 million children. This estimate refers to passengers who, because of their age, would previously have had to use standard border desks, but in future, if they meet the conditions, could pass through automated control together with the rest of their family. For airports and border services, this is particularly important during the summer travel period, when even small changes in the distribution of passengers can affect queue lengths.
The British government has previously emphasised that expanding the use of e-gates is part of efforts to make the border more efficient, while also maintaining security checks. Official Border Force materials state that e-gates compare the passenger’s face with the photograph from the biometric passport and carry out biographical and security checks. Such a system does not remove the possibility of manual control, but automates part of the procedure for passengers assessed as being able to use the technology without additional processing at a desk.
Who can use British e-gates
E-gates in the United Kingdom are intended for passengers with a biometric passport who belong to groups permitted to enter automatically. Under British rules for faster travel through the border, e-gates may be used by British citizens and citizens of a number of countries and territories that meet the conditions, including countries of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States of America. Passengers who do not meet the conditions or whose check fails must go through standard control with an officer.
It is important to distinguish the right to use an e-gate from the right to travel to the United Kingdom. The British electronic travel authorisation system, known as ETA, applies to passengers who do not need a visa for a short stay, but do need prior digital permission to travel. According to official Home Office guidance, every passenger must have their own ETA if they need one, including children and babies. An ETA is not permission to enter the country, but permission to travel to the United Kingdom; the final decision on entry is made at the border.
This means that lowering the age limit for e-gates does not abolish other obligations for passengers. Children travelling to the United Kingdom must still have a valid passport, and if, according to their nationality and purpose of travel, they are subject to the ETA system, they must also have the appropriate authorisation. For families, it is therefore important to check travel requirements in advance, especially because British rules on digital permissions have been gradually expanding in recent years. According to official information from the British government, visitors who need an ETA will not be able to board transport to the United Kingdom if they do not have one, unless they are exempt.
How automated control works
An e-gate is an automated passage at border control that reads a biometric passport and compares the photograph in the document with the passenger’s face in front of the camera. The passenger usually scans the passport themselves, stands in the marked place, looks into the camera and waits for the system’s decision. If the check is completed successfully, the gates open and the passenger continues onward. If the system cannot confirm identity, if the document is not accepted or if there is a need for an additional check, the passenger is redirected to a Border Force officer.
In children, such a check is more sensitive because facial appearance changes more quickly than in adults, while height and position in front of the camera can affect the quality of the reading. For that reason, the age limit for children in automated border control systems has traditionally been higher. According to the available information on the new rules, the minimum height condition of 120 centimetres was introduced precisely so that the devices could properly capture the face and carry out the biometric comparison. If a child cannot use the device properly or the system does not accept the check, the family will still have to go through the standard procedure.
In earlier explanations, the British Home Office emphasised that e-gates and manual checks are two ways of carrying out the same border process. Automation is not simply about opening a passage more quickly, but includes checking the travel document, identity and relevant security data. In practice, this means that an e-gate can speed up passage for passengers with valid documents and a clear biometric match, but it does not exclude the supervision of border officers. That is why, even when access is expanded to children, it is emphasised that this is a change in the conditions for using the technology, not a reduction in border control.
Effect on families and airports
The greatest practical effect of the change is expected for families travelling with children aged eight and nine. Until now, such children had to go to standard passport control, so parents or guardians often had to choose whether the whole family would wait in the same queue or whether adults and older children would separate and go to the e-gates. Lowering the age limit should allow a greater number of families to pass through border control together, provided that all family members meet the conditions. This reduces the possibility of congestion in arrivals areas and makes it easier to organise travel after landing.
According to a statement by Karen Dee, chief executive of the AirportsUK association, reported by British media, airports welcome the change because it would allow more families to use the technology and reduce waiting at the border. AirportsUK represents British airports and in public statements often emphasises the importance of efficient border systems for the overall passenger experience. In the context of the summer season, when airports face a larger number of arrivals, any reduction of pressure on manual desks can help distribute passenger flows.
However, the effect will not be the same in every situation. The speed of passage will depend on the number of open e-gates, the number of officers available, the technical reliability of the system and the structure of passengers on a particular flight. Automated passages can reduce the burden on manual control, but they cannot completely remove congestion if a large number of passengers arrive at the same time or if an increased number of passengers is redirected for additional checks. For that reason, airports and border services still depend on a combination of technology, staff and clear instructions to passengers.
Security issues and children’s travel
When children cross the border, British services retain the ability to ask additional questions, especially if a child is travelling with an adult who is not a parent or if surnames differ. According to the British government’s official guide to faster travel through the border, officers in such cases may ask for clarification of the relationship with the child in order to establish the circumstances of travel. Passengers are advised, where relevant, to carry evidence of the relationship with the child or parental permission, such as a birth certificate, adoption document, marriage or divorce document if it explains the difference in surnames, or a letter from a parent with contact details.
That recommendation is not directly connected only with e-gates, but with the general rules of procedure at the British border. If a family uses an automated passage, the system may enable faster entry, but it does not remove the obligation of officers to react when there are questions about the safety or welfare of a child. British documents on children travelling to the United Kingdom emphasise the duty of border services to take account of the protection and welfare of children. Therefore, passengers may be asked for an additional explanation even when passports are in order.
For parents and guardians, this means that preparation for travel should include more than checking the passport and ticket. It is especially important to check whether the child is travelling with a person who can prove a parental or guardianship relationship, whether the child has their own required travel authorisation and whether the information in the documents corresponds to the actual travel plan. In practice, such preparation can reduce the possibility of being held at the border, regardless of whether entry is through an e-gate or through a conventional desk.
The wider context of border digitalisation
The announced change is part of the wider digitalisation of the British border. In recent years, the United Kingdom has gradually expanded electronic travel authorisation, digital immigration statuses and automated checks. According to the official Home Office explanation, ETA was introduced as digital permission to travel with the aim of strengthening border security and making the passenger experience more efficient. Within that framework, e-gates are used as a physical point at which some checks can be carried out without direct contact with an officer, while riskier or technically unclear cases are redirected to manual processing.
For passengers, it is crucial to understand that digitalisation does not necessarily mean fewer rules, but a different order of checks. Some conditions are checked before the journey, for example through the ETA system, and some at the border itself through passport and biometric control. In the case of children, questions of guardianship and consent to travel are added, and these cannot always be resolved by an automated system. Families are therefore still expected to follow official instructions and carry documents that can confirm the circumstances of travel.
The change in the age limit for e-gates will probably be most visible to passengers returning to or arriving in the United Kingdom through larger international airports. If the announced date is confirmed in practice, children aged eight and nine who meet the conditions could, from 8 July 2026, use automated passages for the first time together with older children and adults. This moves the British system further towards faster passenger processing, while retaining the possibility of manual checks where they are needed for reasons of security, documents or child protection.
Sources:
- GOV.UK / Home Office – guide to faster travel through the British border, including rules for travelling with children and using e-gates (link)
- GOV.UK / Home Office – 2023 announcement on extending the use of e-gates to children aged ten and eleven (link)
- GOV.UK / Border Force – explanation of how e-gates and biometric checks work (link)
- Home Office in the media – official information material on the ETA system and passengers’ obligations, including children (link)
- GOV.UK / UK Visas and Immigration – official guidance on who can apply for electronic travel authorisation to the United Kingdom (link)
- GOV.UK – official leaflet and guidance on children travelling to the United Kingdom (link)
- The Sun – report of 14 May 2026 on the announced lowering of the e-gate age limit to eight years, citing Home Office confirmation (link)
- The Times of India – report of 14 May 2026 on the start of application of the new rules from 8 July 2026 (link)