Using passport eGates, here's what you need to know

In May 2025, the Government delivered some good news for anyone with plans to travel to Europe – UK citizens will be able to use eGates, speeding up the time it takes for you to get your passport checked when arriving at the border.  

It may not all be fully up and running in 2025, but you will be able to use them in some parts of Europe.

How different European countries currently allow the use of eGates

Whether you will be able to use eGates will depend on where you are travelling to, if they have eGates, and whether UK nationals are allowed to use them.

Currently, European countries take one of three approaches when it comes to allowing UK citizens to use eGates:

1.    Don’t allow it at all, so you need to queue to see a border guard.

2.    Allow it sometimes when it is busy, to help get people through passport control more quickly.

3.    Allow it all of the time.

Your passport still needs a stamp

An important thing to remember is that if you can use an eGate now, you will still have to have to get your passport stamped by a border guard. It is the passport stamping that tracks how long you have been in the country – you get a stamp on the day of your arrival, and one as you leave.

When will eGates be fully available to UK citizens?

eGates are a way of electronically checking your passport as you arrive at the border. But the system doesn’t currently electronically monitor or record how long you have been in the country. 

That will eventually change once a new electronic border scheme, called the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), is up and running. That’s not due to start being implemented until October this year, and will be introduced in stages. 

Once EES is in full swing, which should be mid-2026 you should be able to use eGates all of the time, if they are in place at the airport and the country allows, shaving off time going through passport control.

If you want to find out more about EES, then read this blog:

NEW Requirements for Travelling In Europe