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Does LHR use E-gates for US Passport holders at Immigration?

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Does LHR use E-gates for US Passport holders at Immigration?

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Old Jan 8, 2019, 12:25 pm
  #1  
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Does LHR use E-gates for US Passport holders at Immigration?

I read that they would be rolling them out for inbound passengers in mid-2019 but haven't seen any thing about outbound. They make a huge difference when I travel out of FCO.

Last edited by cbastian; Jan 8, 2019 at 12:38 pm
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Old Jan 8, 2019, 1:27 pm
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There are no passport exit checks at LHR, so not an issue.
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Old Jan 8, 2019, 4:43 pm
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Originally Posted by cbastian
I read that they would be rolling them out for inbound passengers in mid-2019 but haven't seen any thing about outbound. They make a huge difference when I travel out of FCO.
The roll out is still vague on when exactly when "this summer" US e passport holders will be able to us them.

Not sure what the 1st respondent was refering to.
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Old Jan 8, 2019, 7:33 pm
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It was a simple statement that when you depart from LHR you don’t show your passport to an immigration officer like you do in some countries.


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Old Jan 9, 2019, 7:46 am
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Originally Posted by tattikat2
Not sure what the 1st respondent was refering to.
A very logical reply, there are no exit immigration checks in the UK, it is done via the airline API
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Old Jan 9, 2019, 12:05 pm
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Originally Posted by aidy
A very logical reply, there are no exit immigration checks in the UK, it is done via the airline API
Does this happen immediately after going through security? From what I've noticed playing around with Heathrow's maps (and what I remember last time I flew through there), there didn't seem to be any obvious way to go back out once you go through. There has to be a way to shuttle passengers on missed/cancelled flights that require an overnight stay at least through UK Border/customs, right?
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 3:15 am
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Originally Posted by tmiw
Does this happen immediately after going through security? From what I've noticed playing around with Heathrow's maps (and what I remember last time I flew through there), there didn't seem to be any obvious way to go back out once you go through. There has to be a way to shuttle passengers on missed/cancelled flights that require an overnight stay at least through UK Border/customs, right?
There are ways to get back to the UK Border and get landside for those who are in the LHR terminals' departure areas. But they designed the airport terminals to not make it all that quick and easy to do so.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 4:52 am
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Originally Posted by tmiw
Does this happen immediately after going through security?
Nothing really happens, UKBF just collects check-in records from airlines. The computer system supposedly matches exits to entries (but this may or may not happen instantaneously, or at all), however even if they didn't care about recording passenger movements, the same data would be collected anyway in order to match person-of-interest watchlists.

there didn't seem to be any obvious way to go back out once you go through. There has to be a way to shuttle passengers on missed/cancelled flights that require an overnight stay at least through UK Border/customs, right?
At T5 you can easily return to immigration by taking the train to C gates and staying on it.

When passengers need to enter the UK because they have not been able to board their flight, they will be escorted by staff and the appropriate secure doors will be unlocked. Some of these passengers may not ordinarily be allowed to enter the UK.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 5:20 am
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Originally Posted by :D!
Nothing really happens, UKBF just collects check-in records from airlines. The computer system supposedly matches exits to entries (but this may or may not happen instantaneously, or at all), however even if they didn't care about recording passenger movements, the same data would be collected anyway in order to match person-of-interest watchlists.



At T5 you can easily return to immigration by taking the train to C gates and staying on it.

When passengers need to enter the UK because they have not been able to board their flight, they will be escorted by staff and the appropriate secure doors will be unlocked. Some of these passengers may not ordinarily be allowed to enter the UK.
Due to boarding pass conformance checks at T5 even when doing terminal transfers from another terminal via tarmac shuttle buses, it's not possible for incoming passengers at LHR to get to the T5 train to get to immigration that way unless already airside in the departures area at T5 or unless having just arrived by plane into a section of T5. I only bring this up in case some think about doing terminal shuffles to try to get a faster passport control line.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 7:11 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Due to boarding pass conformance checks at T5 even when doing terminal transfers from another terminal via tarmac shuttle buses, it's not possible for incoming passengers at LHR to get to the T5 train to get to immigration that way unless already airside in the departures area at T5 or unless having just arrived by plane into a section of T5. I only bring this up in case some think about doing terminal shuffles to try to get a faster passport control line.
That's not correct. If you are arriving at another LHR terminal (T2/3/4), you can if you wish follow signs for Flight Connections and take the airside transfer bus to T5, which drops you at the Arrivals/Flight Connections area in T5A. From there, instead of going with other passengers through connections security to connect to another flight (where your BP would be scanned for conformance), you can simply go to passport control and cross the UK border there. There is no train involved in this.

More detail available in the guide here: A Guide to Connecting at LHR T5
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 7:14 am
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Originally Posted by Ldnn1
That's not correct. If you are arriving at another LHR terminal (T2/3/4), you can if you wish follow signs for Flight Connections and take the airside transfer bus to T5, which drops you at the Arrivals/Flight Connections area in T5A. From there, instead of going with other passengers through connections security to connect to another flight (where your BP would be checked), you can simply go to passport control and cross the UK border there. There is no train involved in this.

More detail available in the guide here: A Guide to Connecting at LHR T5
There is no train involved in that. "Due to boarding pass conformance checks at T5 even when doing terminal transfers from another terminal via tarmac shuttle buses, it's not possible for incoming passengers at LHR to get to the T5 train to get to immigration that way". There are other ways to get to Terminal 5 immigration without dealing with the conformance check. I posted about it within the past 24 hours.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30635735-post10.html
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 10:54 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
There is no train involved in that. "Due to boarding pass conformance checks at T5 even when doing terminal transfers from another terminal via tarmac shuttle buses, it's not possible for incoming passengers at LHR to get to the T5 train to get to immigration that way". There are other ways to get to Terminal 5 immigration without dealing with the conformance check.
Hmm, you chose a rather strange/confusing way to express your point then, since the impression given was that it’s not possible to change terminals to do immigration at T5.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 1:22 pm
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Originally Posted by Ldnn1
Hmm, you chose a rather strange/confusing way to express your point then, since the impression given was that it’s not possible to change terminals to do immigration at T5.
Indedd on arrival in to any terminal at LHR if you follow the flight connections signs and take the airside bus you can do immigration at another terminal and exit landside there. I have done it a few times for various reasons. Obviously not a good idea if yah have a checked bag you are supposed to collect at the original arrival terminal
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Old Jan 14, 2019, 1:19 pm
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Interesting discussion about transfers between terminals, but what about US Passports and e-gates on arrival to the UK?
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Old Jan 14, 2019, 1:59 pm
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Have a look here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-...countries.html
Registered Traveller Scheme - easier entry for regular visitors to the UK
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