New UK eGate Rule for Children at Glasgow Airport 2026

Key Points

• New UK travel rules for children allowing younger travellers to use eGates have come into force at 13 UK airports from Tuesday 8 July 2026, including Glasgow Airport.
• The minimum age to use eGates at UK airports has been reduced from 10 to 8 years old, provided other conditions are met.
• Children must be at least 120cm tall, hold a biometric passport, and travel with an adult to use eGates.
• The Border Force says the change is expected to allow an additional 1.5 million people (predominantly children) a year to use automated border controls, reducing congestion at peak times.
• The 13 UK airports where the new eGate rules apply include Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Glasgow Airport.
• The rule applies to children returning to the UK from abroad, not to those leaving the UK for the first time.
• Families travelling from Glasgow Airport can now take advantage of faster passport control for eligible children, which could cut waiting times during busy summer holidays.
• The change is part of a broader biometric border transformation aimed at speeding up arrivals and improving the experience for family travellers.

Glasgow (Glasgow Express) July 8, 2026 – Families travelling abroad with children from Glasgow Airport can now take advantage of a new travel rule that has come into force this week, allowing younger children to use automated eGates when returning to the UK. As reported by Glasgow Live, the new UK travel rules for children have come into force today at 13 airports, including Glasgow Airport, and could be good news for families.

The change lowers the minimum age for using eGates from 10 to 8 years old across more than 290 eGates at UK airports and juxtaposed border controls in Europe, according to the Home Office and BBC News. This means that children aged eight and nine returning to the UK from abroad will be able to use e-gates from 8 July, as confirmed by BBC News.

The update is expected to allow an additional 1.5 million children a year to pass through automated border controls, which could ease congestion at peak travel times, particularly during the busy summer holiday period, as reported by Flymy and The Traveler.

For families departing from or returning via Glasgow Airport, the new rule could mean shorter queues at passport control and a smoother arrival experience for eligible children accompanied by adults.

What age and height requirements must children meet to use eGates?

Under the new rules, children as young as eight years old can use eGates when returning to the UK, provided they meet specific conditions.

As reported by Flymy and Westminster Pimlico News, children must be at least 120 centimetres tall to use the biometric scanners and must hold a biometric passport.

In addition, children must be accompanied by an adult when using the eGates. This requirement ensures that minors are supervised during the automated border process and helps Border Force maintain security standards, as stated in government and media reports covering the announcement.

Do the eGate rules apply to children travelling from Glasgow Airport to abroad as well as those returning?

The updated eGate rules apply specifically to children returning to the UK from abroad, not to those leaving the UK. As BBC News reported, children aged eight and nine returning to the UK from abroad will be able to use e-gates from 8 July.

This means that the new rule is primarily relevant for families who are coming back to Scotland and the rest of the UK after overseas travel, including those arriving at Glasgow Airport from destinations such as Europe, North America or the Middle East.

Families travelling from Glasgow Airport to holiday destinations abroad will not see a direct change in how children are processed when departing, but they may benefit from quicker arrivals on their return.

The focus of the change is on smoothing the arrival process for inbound family travellers, particularly during high-demand periods such as the summer season, according to multiple media outlets covering the Border Force announcement.

Where do the new eGate rules apply across the UK?

The new eGate age rules apply at 13 UK airports, as confirmed by reports from Oxford Mail, Travel and Tour World and the Home Office. These airports include:

• Heathrow
• Gatwick
• Manchester
• Stansted
• Birmingham
• Glasgow
• Newcastle
• Edinburgh
• Cardiff
• Luton
• Southend
• Bristol
• East Midlands (Amberdale)

Glasgow Airport is explicitly named among the 13 airports where the new rules are in force, meaning families using Glasgow for international travel can now benefit from the expanded eGate access for eligible children, as reported by Glasgow Live and Travel and Tour World.

How does this change affect Glasgow Airport specifically?

For Glasgow Airport, the change means that children aged eight and nine who meet the height and passport requirements can now use eGates when arriving back in the UK from overseas.

As reported by Glasgow Live, this could be good news for families, potentially reducing waiting times at passport control during busy periods such as summer holidays and school breaks.

The Border Force has indicated that the change is expected to allow an extra 1.5 million people a year to use automated border controls across the UK, with Glasgow Airport among the locations where congestion could be eased, according to Glasgow Times and Oxford Mail.

This could help improves the overall passenger experience for families arriving at Glasgow after international trips.

What is the background of the eGate age reduction development?

The reduction in the minimum age for using eGates at UK airports is part of a broader biometric border transformation aimed at modernising the UK’s border system and improving the speed and efficiency of arrivals.

As reported by Travel and Tour World, the change is described as a “landmark 2026 border transformation” that will impact millions of family travellers, allowing younger children to use eGates and delivering a faster and more convenient UK arrival experience.

The Home Office confirmed that the minimum age for using e-gates will be lowered from 10 to eight across more than 290 e-gates at UK airports and juxtaposed border controls in Paris and Brussels, with the aim of speeding up arrivals for families ahead of a busy summer season, according to Flymy and BBC News.

The government estimates that the change will allow an additional 1.5 million children a year to pass through automated border controls, reducing congestion at peak travel times and improving overall passenger flow at major airports such as Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester.

The policy builds on previous expansions of eGate usage, which have already allowed adults and older children to use automated border controls at many UK airports and at juxtaposed sites in Europe.

The inclusion of younger children is intended to further streamline the process for families, who historically faced longer queues when children were required to go through manual passport control, as noted in reports covering the Border Force announcement.

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How can this development affect families travelling through Glasgow Airport?

Families travelling through Glasgow Airport can expect potentially shorter queues at passport control when returning to the UK from abroad, particularly during peak periods such as summer holidays, school breaks and weekends.

As reported by Glasgow Live and Oxford Mail, the new eGate rules are designed to allow more children to speed through passport control, which could reduce waiting times for entire families, since adults and eligible children can now use automated gates together.

For parents and carers, this could mean less time standing in lines, less stress for young children who may find long queues challenging, and a smoother transition from aircraft to the rest of the airport.

The Border Force’s estimate that an extra 1.5 million people a year could use eGates suggests that the impact on congestion could be significant at busy airports, including Glasgow, where international flights arrive throughout the day and evening, according to Glasgow Times and Flymy.

Are there any limitations or considerations families should keep in mind?

Although the new rules offer benefits, families should still ensure that their children meet all eligibility criteria before attempting to use eGates. Children must be at least 120cm tall, hold a biometric passport and travel with an adult, as outlined in Home Office and media reports.

If a child does not meet these requirements, they will still need to go through manual passport control, which could mean longer queues for that particular family.

There is also the possibility that, in the initial weeks after the change, some passengers and staff may need time to adapt to the new process, which could lead to minor confusion or delays at certain times.

However, the overall intention of the policy is to improve efficiency and reduce congestion, and Border Force has indicated that the change is expected to ease pressure at peak times, according to reports from Travel and Tour World and BBC News.