Now U.S. and Canadian citizens have joined seven countries who can now use ePassport gates when visiting the U.K., which gives them easier and faster entry into the country.
The expansion of the ePassport gate eligibility will reduce lines and improve the flow of passengers, as well as the overall experience at the U.K. border. The ePassport experience was previously only available to nationals from the U.K. and the E.U., now eligible nationals will be exempt from the landing card requirement, providing a faster route through the border.
“The new eGate access for eligible travelers boosts our competitive tourism offer and our message of welcome, building on the growth we have seen and inspiring even more visitors from Canada and the U.S. to book a trip to the UK right now,” says Gavin Landry, VisitBritain director of The Americas. “We aim to provide a world-class experience for the millions of American and Canadian visitors who travel to the U.K. every year, and we are thrilled this new process will allow travelers even more time to explore on the ground.”
The U.S. is the United Kingdom’s most valuable inbound visitor market for tourism spend. VisitBritain is expecting 3.9 million visits from the U.S. this year with visitors forecast to spend $4.8 billion.
For more information on who is eligible to use the system and other details, visit gov.uk/government/news/government-expands-use-of-epassport-gates-to-7-more-countries.
