Data Card
UK lowers biometric eGate age threshold to 8
The UK Home Office lowered the minimum age for biometric eGate use from 10 to 8, adding an estimated 1.5 million eligible child travelers from July 8, 2026.
2026-05-15CC-BY-4.0border-controltravelchildren
About
Key Facts
- Children aged 8 or 9 must hold an eligible biometric passport, be at least 120 cm tall, and travel with a responsible adult.
- The change applies to more than 290 eGates across the UK border estate and juxtaposed controls in Brussels and Paris.
- eGates use facial comparison to match the traveler against the biometric chip in the passport.
Card Text
The policy update makes child travelers a more visible part of biometric border processing and raises the operational importance of facial comparison performance across younger age groups.