Passengers arriving in the UK may soon pass border control without showing a passport, as airports prepare to deploy facial recognition technology designed to make arrivals faster and more seamless.
The UK Government has announced £10.5 million in funding to help key ports and rail terminals prepare for the European Union’s new digital border checks, set to begin later this year.
The EU will start rolling out the Entry/Exit System (EES) from 12 October 2025, with full deployment expected by 10 April 2026. ETIAS is expected in late 2026 and the travel authorisation fee is set to rise to €20.