Australians (and certain other nationals) allowed to use UK biometric gates from mid 2019

[Mal]

Per the UK budget today

4.37 Enhancing the UK border experience – In 2019, the government will introduce
changes at the UK border to enhance the experience for business and leisure travellers to the UK.
As part of this, citizens of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan will, by
next summer, be able to use the e-passport gates at UK ports, significantly improving the flow
of passengers at busy airports such as Heathrow. Businesses will be able to become customs
trusted traders (including ‘Authorised Economic Operator’) in half the time it currently takes,
as part of the UK’s aim to be at the cutting edge of global customs administration. HMRC will
implement the improvements within 2 years.

 

[serfty]

Time to defer that January travel

 

[docjames]

Wow that’s good news, should make immigration a whole lot better experience. (The current fast track should just be called track).

 

[Forg]

Given that it looks like exactly the same system I've seen at SYD, I did suspect their system would have worked with my passport & the only thing stopping it from working was probably just the fact that my passport wasn't a UK one!

 

[SeatBackForward]

Will be in the UK in mid-June, wonder if this will be available by then?

 

[kelvedon]

And the Brexit spin...

Chancellor Philip Hammond made the announcement in his budget speech on Monday, saying it would send the message “loud and clear to the rest of the world” that Brexit Britain was “open for business”.

Australians will be able to use e-passports in UK

 

[RooFlyer]

Very welcome and will make a difference to my future travel plans. I was not planning to fly into UK again; if it works as intended, I think I will (but won't fly out!).

 

[kermatu]

This is welcome. that said I must have been damn lucky as I sailed through LHR T3 immigration the other day. From the gate to the Emirates chauffeur point was 20 minutes.

 

[drron]

Hopefully working by May next year.

 

[VPS]

Excellent news

 

[Andyzx]

Very excellent news - even though I get to use the EU lanes (attached to SWMBO) most of the time, the e-lanes are much faster and less waiting. Lets hope its there by late May - please

 

[Warks]

So we are no longer 'foreigners' in the eyes of the Poms? Growing up in Australia and living in an era of God Save the Queen and raising both the Australian and British flag in the morning (only the 70s) I was shocked to get to England in the late 80s and be treated as an alien. Seeing the Euro passports all breeze through immigration while us Aussies were subjected to severe scrutiny. It rankled a bit. This is a welcome change but too late to apologise now!! (/s)

 

[kelvedon]

So we are no longer 'foreigners' in the eyes of the Poms? Growing up in Australia and living in an era of God Save the Queen and raising both the Australian and British flag in the morning (only the 70s) I was shocked to get to England in the late 80s and be treated as an alien. Seeing the Euro passports all breeze through immigration while us Aussies were subjected to severe scrutiny. It rankled a bit. This is a welcome change but too late to apologise now!! (/s)

Is there such a thing as a Prodigal Mother ?

 

[awaywithfairies]

Hooray! The last time I arrived at Heathrow from Australia (in July 2017), it took almost 2 hours to get through Immigration in the "Non-EU/Everyone Else" queue. Tedious is an understatement. It was even slower than previous trips and they were bad enough at the time.

By the time I got to the baggage hall, all the leftover bags from my flight (there were quite a few still there) and been taken off the carousel and lined up against a wall. And the carousel had bags from another later flight starting to circulate on it.

 

[QF WP]

Hmm, my family will have an interesting conundrum when we hit Heathrow at Xmas 2019.

We are all dual passport holders - I'm Australian & Irish, my wife and kids are all Australian & British (but I think theirs may have expired). Do we get the kids Irish or renew their British. I read that children can't use the e-gates.

A watching brief.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

This is amazing news!! Sadly a few years too late as I've sunk a few pounds into registered traveller over the last few years but better late than never.

Will be a big win at LGW where they have no priority for status pax.

 

[RooFlyer]

Will be a big win at LGW where they have no priority for status pax.

Not that 'fast track' at LHR was any use.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I actually did find it useful initially tbh. I was doing intra europe hops so wouldnt be arriving at standard ex Asia or US hours. Even coming off QF1 was very speedy. YMMV

 

[docjames]

Not that 'fast track' at LHR was any use.

Wow that’s good news, should make immigration a whole lot better experience. (The current fast track should just be called track).

As previously

 

[kelvedon]

I read that children can't use the e-gates.

A watching brief.

Originally you had to be over 18 to use e gates but this report suggests that there’s a trial for 12-17 year olds

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