Plans to roll out facial recognition technology at ports will allow British travellers returning to the UK to bypass passport queues.

Holidaymakers will no longer have to leave their cars or pass over their passports when driving through “contactless corridors” at ports.

Cameras will instead be used to identify faces in a vehicle and match them to their passport and information logged in government databases.

The new technology, trialled at four ports since November, aims to enhance security and efficiency at UK maritime ports, including border control processes for people in vehicles.

From 2 April, most visitors to the UK (excluding British and Irish citizens) will need to share biometric details before they travel to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

The UK, in common with many other countries, is demanding more information in advance from prospective visitors before they board planes, ships or trains to Britain – or drive across the border from Ireland to Northern Ireland.

Applicants must supply a photograph and answer a set of questions on “suitability and criminality” before the ETA is linked to the traveller’s passport.

Four companies were involved in trialling the technology for UK Home Office research between December 2024 and February 2025.

According to iProov, a biometric security company participating in the trials, advanced facial comparison technology will identify people within their vehicles and link the confirmed passenger ID with the vehicle they are travelling in.

A source who has seen the technology said that the cameras take a picture of faces through the windscreen before vehicles get a green light to drive through the border, reported The Telegraph.

Currently, passports are handed to a Border Force officer for scanning through the car window.

Andrew Bud, founder and CEO of iProov, said: “This project marks a significant step towards a future where border control is seamless, secure, and automated by innovative technology. We’ve worked very closely with the Home Office on this initiative and are extremely impressed with their dedication to solving the challenges of maritime border security.

“By bringing the latest identity verification technology to this critical domain, we aim to create a streamlined and efficient experience for all passengers that doesn’t compromise on speed or accuracy, and they never have to leave their vehicles.”

A spokesperson for the Home Office told The Telegraph: “We use a wide range of techniques and technology to protect our border security, but we do not comment on trials of specific equipment.”

Last week, plans to take fingerprints and facial biometrics from British travellers to Europe were again postponed.

The entry-exit system says the European Union, “will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings, and does not allow a systematic detection of over-stayers”.

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