johncrossley
Established Member
Which airports outside the UK and Ireland have eGates that accept UK passports for entry into the country?
I think also Amsterdam Schiphol.
According to its official statement, “the Immigration and Border Service (SEF) started this week (12th April) to operate four new generation e-gates at Lisbon Airport, ensuring a faster and more functional border control at arrivals for nationals of the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore.
These new e-gates have a faster and more functional operating system, which allows passports with biometric data to be read more quickly, and are part of a set of 50 that are in operation in all national airports.
The RAPID system enables automated border control, supervised by SEF Inspectors. Automatically, and in less than 20 seconds, the system authenticates the travel document and, through a facial recognition system, compares at the moment the passenger’s face with the photograph registered on the document’s chip through a proprietary algorithm and a technological biometrics solution. After validation of the identification process, which includes a search in international databases, the passenger is authorised to continue his journey.
The new system performs this process in just “one step” and all procedures are performed in a single passenger stop.
In practice, the new e-gates, besides presenting a more modern layout and suitable to the current passenger flow, have some innovative features based on the principles of security, modernisation and interoperability, culminating in a reduction of times in all steps of the process.”
Yeah, I went through Palma de Mallorca last September where they allowed the use of eGates on arrival, with passports stamped afterwards.A couple of others within Europe (though you then need to go to a desk to get the passport stamped):
France (at least at major ports of entry e.g. CDG Airport/St Pancras International - though the latter is having a remodel of the immigration layout at the moment so its temporarily manned desks only!)
Spain/Canary Islands
Same at Bergamo e-gates followed by then having to queue for a stampFrom memory Turin I believe though you have to get a stamp after. I think also Amsterdam Schiphol.
I’m not sure if this is commonplace across the Schengen area with other places using eGates but when exiting Lisbon last year there were a number of disgruntled customers being sent to manned desks as the eGates there would only accept customers to exit if they had also previously entered via an eGate in Portugal. All of the people rejected seemed to have come off a cruise but I suppose it’s possible you could have entered via another country or a manned desk.This 2022 article says that at Lisbon airport you can use an e-gate with a UK passport
I’m not sure if this is commonplace across the Schengen area with other places using eGates but when exiting Lisbon last year there were a number of disgruntled customers being sent to manned desks as the eGates there would only accept customers to exit if they had also previously entered via an eGate in Portugal. All of the people rejected seemed to have come off a cruise but I suppose it’s possible you could have entered via another country or a manned desk.
Confirm this was the case at Bergamo last week. However the surly disinterested official had four attempts at stamping my passport as he kept stamping the corner of pages!! Then more or less threw the passport back at me. Welcome to Italy!!Same at Bergamo e-gates followed by then having to queue for a stamp
When I went to Portugal in the autumn of 2022 I entered at Porto via a manual desk and exited at an e-gate in Lisbon with just a stamp from a guy sat at a desk behind the gates.I’m not sure if this is commonplace across the Schengen area with other places using eGates but when exiting Lisbon last year there were a number of disgruntled customers being sent to manned desks as the eGates there would only accept customers to exit if they had also previously entered via an eGate in Portugal. All of the people rejected seemed to have come off a cruise but I suppose it’s possible you could have entered via another country or a manned desk.
Yes, it is -I thought a stamp was now required at all entry/exits from EU countries (except Ireland) for UK citizens.
Are you sure? I thought they were in the EU as they are Spanish territoryYes, it is - but, assuming you're referring to Arrecife, that's in the Canary Islands, which are outside the EU.
The Canary Islands are an Outermost Region of the EU, and are therefore in it, but have derogations to account for local differences. The Canaries are outside the EU VAT area, but inside the Customs Union and part of the Schengen Area.Yes, it is - but, assuming you're referring to Arrecife, that's in the Canary Islands, which are outside the EU.
I thought a stamp was now required at all entry/exits from EU countries (except Ireland) for UK citizens.
Canadian airports don't have e-gates but you have no interaction with immigration / police on arrival.
You complete a customers declaration electronically form and scan your passport on an electronic kiosk.
This will then print a form which you hand to a customs official.