British holidaymakers will soon be able to skip passport queues when returning to the UK thanks to new facial recognition technology.
The system will allow travellers to be identified by high-powered cameras that can scan faces through car windshields at ports.
Similar "contactless corridors" are being developed for airports, enabling automatic scanning as passengers walk through.
Only those flagged as potential risks will face manual checks by Border Force officers.
The technology works by matching faces to passport and car details already stored in government databases.
"They have these really high-powered cameras that can look through the windscreen and take a picture of your face and match it to the face on the database," a source told The Telegraph.
Alternatively, passengers may wind down their windows and look at an iPad.
The system aims to streamline border crossings at maritime, rail and eventually air routes.
The technology has been on trial at four ports since November. Four companies have been involved in testing the facial recognition system.
The cameras are specifically designed to reduce the lengthy queues that typically form during busy holiday periods.
The system will mean most travellers can pass through border control without stopping for manual passport checks.
The new system will operate alongside the EU's Entry/Exit system (EES), scheduled to launch in October 2025.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office recently advised Britons that the EES will change entry requirements for Britons visiting Schengen countries.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Under the new EU system, British nationals will need to register their biometric details when arriving in Schengen areas.
This digital border system will replace the current manual passport stamping process, representing a significant advancement in border technology for returning British travellers.
"The aim is to use the technology on maritime and rail routes, then on air routes," according to a source familiar with the plans.
This contactless approach will particularly benefit families and large groups during peak travel periods.
Find Out More...
The system will allow travellers to be identified by high-powered cameras that can scan faces through car windshields at ports.
Similar "contactless corridors" are being developed for airports, enabling automatic scanning as passengers walk through.
Only those flagged as potential risks will face manual checks by Border Force officers.
The technology works by matching faces to passport and car details already stored in government databases.
"They have these really high-powered cameras that can look through the windscreen and take a picture of your face and match it to the face on the database," a source told The Telegraph.
Alternatively, passengers may wind down their windows and look at an iPad.
The system aims to streamline border crossings at maritime, rail and eventually air routes.
The technology has been on trial at four ports since November. Four companies have been involved in testing the facial recognition system.
The cameras are specifically designed to reduce the lengthy queues that typically form during busy holiday periods.
The system will mean most travellers can pass through border control without stopping for manual passport checks.
The new system will operate alongside the EU's Entry/Exit system (EES), scheduled to launch in October 2025.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office recently advised Britons that the EES will change entry requirements for Britons visiting Schengen countries.
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Under the new EU system, British nationals will need to register their biometric details when arriving in Schengen areas.
This digital border system will replace the current manual passport stamping process, representing a significant advancement in border technology for returning British travellers.
"The aim is to use the technology on maritime and rail routes, then on air routes," according to a source familiar with the plans.
This contactless approach will particularly benefit families and large groups during peak travel periods.
Find Out More...