Going through the UK’s passport control is easier than ever!
If you haven’t been to London in a few years, it might be because you didn’t care for all the effort it took to get through passport control at Heathrow. It used to take forever, standing in line and waiting to have your passport examined by a stern-faced immigration official. Well, there’s no need to postpone that trip any longer. Entering the United Kingdom at Heathrow airport is now easier than ever, thanks to E-gate. E-gate is an automated system that allows U.S. citizens to go through immigration without having to queue up at a traditional passport control desk.
All you need is a passport with a biometric chip (which all current U.S. passports have), and you can use e-gate to get through passport control quickly and easily. Simply scan your passport at the e-gate kiosk, stare into the camera that is at eye level (for facial recognition), at which point the machine will verify your identity and you’re on your way. E-gate is available for all U.S. citizens arriving at Heathrow, so make sure to take advantage of this super convenient service the next time you travel to the United Kingdom.