FlyerTalk Forums - Smart Gate?

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I will fly with Emirates from Amsterdam to DXB in March. It will be on the A380, how long is the walk from the A380 concourse to customs?

Also, I am a Dutch national thus do not need a visa. Can we use the smart gates on arrival without ANY prior registration/biometric scan or something?
I read it here :

Quote:

The Dubai General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs’(GDRFA) smart gate at Terminal 3 is making life easier for travellers’ entering and exiting without the need to stop at passport control section to show their passport or ID. Travellers who use the smart gate do not need to undergo prior registration with the GDRFA unlike the e-gates.

[...]

The combined security system, to be in all airports across the country by 2015 and that will mean an end to long queues for people with biometric passports from 32 preapproved visa countries, UAE and GCC citizens,” he said.

Al Merri said the smart gate technology is the first to use biometrics, fingerprints, iris and facial recognition. He also confirmed that travellers do not need to register before using the system.

Does this also work for minors? If not, how long are the waits? I previously always travelled with KLM and in that terminal, waits were almost non existent.

Also, if somebody has taken the AMS flight, what services as to food are there?

Thank you for your information in advance. :)

I think you need a biometric scan but that is done at one of the desks at the passport control so you go past the electronic multi use machines to a passport control officer who will do the facial scan then you can use it whenever you pass through. Minors I doubt it as there is a minimum age for e gate which might also apply to other smart entry methods but could be wrong.

So I DO have to get a scan first, instead of walking right in? And that can be done on the spot so we actually can circumvent the long queues if any?

Also what's the minimum age for the e-gates?

Yes you do but will be at the passport control so first time in will be a manual scan. Don't know about min age but I think 16.

Thanks!

Travelling with a 15 year old, though.
Regardless, if lines are long would the smart gate + manual scan still be faster? Anyone experience with the initial scanning time, or is it just picture and go?

Just a picture and go! Might be worth trying to find out min age for e gate I think if you went for the screening they would probably stamp the 15 yo through even if not eligible for smart gate

Are there any SmartGates at T1? I *may* be arriving on BA sometime soon.

I have done some more research and there is some conflicting info about the need for a prior biometrical scan.

However, if this article is correct, smart gate is awesome!

Quote:

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Emirates Group and Chairman of Dubai Airports (pictured), has unveiled a new Smart e-Gate system, which will eventually be installed across all Dubai International’s immigration entry and exit points.

Sheikh Ahmed hailed the trial of this new technology as a “new era in passenger service”, paving the way for a faster and more efficient movement of the growing number of passengers into and out of the world’s fourth busiest airport for international passengers.

The new e-Gate will eliminate the need for prior user registration with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner Affairs (GDRFA), which is the case with the existing UAE e-Gate card. The new system quickly scans and reads passport information and captures biometric data including facial recognition and retinal scan using a high-accuracy camera. The system then matches the traveller's captured biometrics and passport information against existing lists to detect any potential immigration issues. All these procedures are expected to be completed in 12-14 seconds while maintaining a high-level accuracy and security standards.

All holders of modern passports with bar-codes that can be read by the e-reader can use the e-Gate, including children above the age of seven. Passengers who hold passports without e-readable barcodes, can proceed to the existing e-Gates or the conventional immigration counters to complete their entry or exit process.
- See more at: http://www.readme.ae/articles/local-....S85db8Lo.dpuf

Good news on the child front. Pretty sure first time will need to be a manual scan as a colleague did it recently but it was very fast. Either way good luck!

Thanks. I will certainly report back once I have flown.

At midnight is the regular passport control very crowded? And what about departure immigration on a Friday around 13:00H?

BTW I also found a tutorial video about the smart gate on Youtube.

Yes quite crowded at midnight. I would just proceed to the empty smart gate booths and put your passport into the reader. The gate should open and worst case the side gate opens and you go straight to a passport control officer who will do the manual scan. I think not busy on Friday outbound.

I used the "smart gate" for the first time a couple of month ago. There was almost nobody, it took 5 minutes, including the waiting.
In a week I'm going to use them again

Quote:

Originally Posted by DYKWIA (Post 22257451)

Are there any SmartGates at T1? I *may* be arriving on BA sometime soon.

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Don't all be shy :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DYKWIA (Post 22277968)

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Don't all be shy :)

Can't help you with that one, sorry :( I would think that most of the people browsing this forum don't pass through immigration at T1 though!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DYKWIA (Post 22277968)

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Don't all be shy :)

They didn't have smart gates in T1 on Christmas Eve, just the egates. And I haven't heard of anything since then to indicate that this has changed.