Andover families heading abroad this summer may find it easier to get through passport control when returning to the UK.
Children aged 8 and 9 can now use UK eGates, following a change introduced by the Home Office on Wednesday 8 July 2026.
The change applies to children aged 8 and over who are travelling with an adult and are at least 120 cm tall.
Until now, many younger children had to be checked manually by a Border Force officer, which could mean families joining longer queues after arriving back in the UK.
The change is expected to make journeys smoother for families during the summer holiday season.
The Home Office estimates that 1.5 million more children will be eligible to use eGates with their families over the next year.
There are more than 290 eGates at UK airports and ports, as well as at juxtaposed border locations where UK border checks take place in Europe.
This could help families from Andover travelling through airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick or Southampton, or using cross-Channel services including Eurostar, Eurotunnel and ferry routes.
Children aged between 8 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult to use the eGates. They must also be at least 120 cm tall.
The gates use facial recognition technology to check a traveller’s identity against the photograph in their passport.
Families travelling to Europe are also being reminded to check the latest travel advice for the EU’s Entry/Exit System, known as EES, which replaces passport stamping for non-EU nationals travelling into the Schengen area.
Anyone travelling this summer should check their passport, travel documents and airline or operator advice before setting off.