Sep 24, 2013, 7:39 am
Last edit by: BotB
The Registered Traveller Scheme is intended to allow easier entry for regular visitors to the UK.
The scheme is available for regular travelers to the UK who have a passport issued by
Africa
Botswana, Namibia, Seychelles.
Asia
Brunei, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region passports only), Japan, Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan (if your passport has a personal ID number on the photo page)
Europe
Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City State.
Middle East
Israel.
North America
Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, USA.
Oceania
Australia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga.
South and Central America
Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay.
* Visited the UK 4 times in the previous 24 months as a Business visitor, General visitor, Member of a diplomatic mission, Academic visitor, Entertainment or sports visitor, In transit - passing through the UK, Parent of a child in a UK school or Medical visitor. This generally includes tourists.
* Hold a valid visa in the categories Tiers 1, 2, 4 or 5 (excluding Creative/Sporting concession), Indefinite Leave to Remain, Naturalisation, UK Ancestry, Family member or spouse/partner. Note that EEA family permits, discretionary leave and leave outside the rules are excluded.
The application cost is £70 of which £50 is refunded if the application is rejected. Renewal costs £50 each year and changes of document details cost £20.
Registered Travellers are able to use the faster entry lanes (generally EU lines) when going through the UK Border at Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick (special registered traveller line), Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Southend and Stansted airports (or, alternatively, the ePassport gates if they have a biometric passport; while the ePassport gates at LHR T3 & T4 are being renovated the FastTrak lines can be used or the EU lines can be used). You will not have to fill in a landing card. (you do still need to carry your visa or BRP (biometric residence permit))
In addition, Registered Travellers are able to go through the UK Border at the Brussels, Lille and Paris Eurostar terminals without having to fill in a landing card.
Registered Travellers who hold a UK visa will not have their fingerprints checked at the UK Border.
Registration link: https://www.gov.uk/registered-traveller
The scheme is available for regular travelers to the UK who have a passport issued by
Africa
Botswana, Namibia, Seychelles.
Asia
Brunei, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region passports only), Japan, Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan (if your passport has a personal ID number on the photo page)
Europe
Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City State.
Middle East
Israel.
North America
Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, USA.
Oceania
Australia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga.
South and Central America
Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay.
* Visited the UK 4 times in the previous 24 months as a Business visitor, General visitor, Member of a diplomatic mission, Academic visitor, Entertainment or sports visitor, In transit - passing through the UK, Parent of a child in a UK school or Medical visitor. This generally includes tourists.
* Hold a valid visa in the categories Tiers 1, 2, 4 or 5 (excluding Creative/Sporting concession), Indefinite Leave to Remain, Naturalisation, UK Ancestry, Family member or spouse/partner. Note that EEA family permits, discretionary leave and leave outside the rules are excluded.
The application cost is £70 of which £50 is refunded if the application is rejected. Renewal costs £50 each year and changes of document details cost £20.
Registered Travellers are able to use the faster entry lanes (generally EU lines) when going through the UK Border at Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick (special registered traveller line), Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Southend and Stansted airports (or, alternatively, the ePassport gates if they have a biometric passport; while the ePassport gates at LHR T3 & T4 are being renovated the FastTrak lines can be used or the EU lines can be used). You will not have to fill in a landing card. (you do still need to carry your visa or BRP (biometric residence permit))
In addition, Registered Travellers are able to go through the UK Border at the Brussels, Lille and Paris Eurostar terminals without having to fill in a landing card.
Registered Travellers who hold a UK visa will not have their fingerprints checked at the UK Border.
Registration link: https://www.gov.uk/registered-traveller
Some extra information from Gatwick Airport is here.
Older terms and conditions of the initial trial are recorded in post 78.
Registered Traveller Scheme - easier entry for regular visitors to the UK
Mar 27, 2015, 6:53 am
#406
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: SK Gold, ITA Executive, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,163
Mar 27, 2015, 7:03 pm
#407
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,847
I am arriving at LHR on April 7, the last day of the pilot program. After a few emails, they assured me that as long as I do not apply to the regular program before April 7, I can use my pilot program membership to enter through the e-gates on that day.
Then today I get the email that says that beginning April 8, I will have to pay an extra 20 quid to apply.
Sigh.
Then today I get the email that says that beginning April 8, I will have to pay an extra 20 quid to apply.
Sigh.
Mar 27, 2015, 7:59 pm
#408
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: LHR
Programs: BA
Posts: 19
I read it as £70 the first year, and £50 each year you renew. Either way, it's over triple the cost of US Global Entry. There's no good reason to make people renew every year or pay £20 simply to update their passport data.
I'll still pay for it since it saves a ton of time arriving in the UK. But it makes you wonder how the US can do it for just $100 every 5 years, and that includes an in-person interview and RFID card. I agree that the UK seems to view this as a revenue generator rather than just recovering the costs of the scheme.
I'll still pay for it since it saves a ton of time arriving in the UK. But it makes you wonder how the US can do it for just $100 every 5 years, and that includes an in-person interview and RFID card. I agree that the UK seems to view this as a revenue generator rather than just recovering the costs of the scheme.
Mar 28, 2015, 12:19 pm
#410
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Cayman, San Diego, London
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold, AA 4MM Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold
Posts: 1,054
I am arriving at LHR on April 7, the last day of the pilot program. After a few emails, they assured me that as long as I do not apply to the regular program before April 7, I can use my pilot program membership to enter through the e-gates on that day.
Then today I get the email that says that beginning April 8, I will have to pay an extra 20 quid to apply.
Then today I get the email that says that beginning April 8, I will have to pay an extra 20 quid to apply.
Mar 28, 2015, 6:10 pm
#412
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Actually you might be better of applying for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker - Creative and sporting) visa—just put "comedian" down on under the employment section.
[There are no refunds
In all seriousness, if the non-EEA line is shorter you can still use it. However the electronic passport line will be faster even if it is longer.]
[There are no refunds
In all seriousness, if the non-EEA line is shorter you can still use it. However the electronic passport line will be faster even if it is longer.]
Mar 28, 2015, 11:00 pm
#413
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
Mar 29, 2015, 3:43 am
#414
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Posts: 6,265
Mar 29, 2015, 5:22 am
#415
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Mar 29, 2015, 7:43 am
#416
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
It's hard to know sometimes.
Fast track at LHR T5 passport control took me nearly 20 minutes a few weeks ago, and there were two stations staffed for it and only 3 people in the line in front of me when I got there, They seemed to be spending 2-8 minutes per person on that slow evening and coming up with excuses to slow the processing. While the line available for Registered Travelers was moving very fast it was also very long. In the end, I made a mistake by choosing the almost empty line rather than using the RT scheme.
By the way, thanks again for getting me into the program, stimpy. I've since picked up a bunch more codes -- for what else am I to do when hanging out in that very slow but very empty Fast Track passport control line.
Fast track at LHR T5 passport control took me nearly 20 minutes a few weeks ago, and there were two stations staffed for it and only 3 people in the line in front of me when I got there, They seemed to be spending 2-8 minutes per person on that slow evening and coming up with excuses to slow the processing. While the line available for Registered Travelers was moving very fast it was also very long. In the end, I made a mistake by choosing the almost empty line rather than using the RT scheme.
By the way, thanks again for getting me into the program, stimpy. I've since picked up a bunch more codes -- for what else am I to do when hanging out in that very slow but very empty Fast Track passport control line.
Mar 30, 2015, 6:32 am
#417
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,847
When you renew your membership for Registered Traveller Service, you will have to under go another credibility interview at the Border. You may wish to consider this for when you wish to renew your membership.
Mar 30, 2015, 7:33 am
#418
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,682