IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The United Kingdom has expanded its Registered Traveller program to travelers from Hong Kong (SAR), Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

What does the change mean? Eligible travelers do not need to fill out a landing card and may use fast lanes at U.K. airports. Individuals holding biometric passports may use ePassport gates.

  • Implementation time frame: Immediate.
  • Visas/permits affected: Registered Traveller program.
  • Who is affected: Travelers holding passports from Hong Kong (SAR), Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
  • Impact on processing times: The program expedites border procedures.
  • Business impact: Frequent business travelers to the U.K. benefit from the service.
  • Next steps: Interested travelers may apply online.

Background: Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a visa to the U.K. or have visited the U.K. at least four times in the last two years.

Registered Travellers may use U.K. and EU entry lanes and ePassport gates at Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester and Stansted airports, as well as Eurostar train terminals at Paris, Brussels and Lille.

Other countries already in the program are Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.

BAL Analysis: The U.K. continues to expand the Registered Traveller program – a convenient option for frequent travelers that also reduces queues at airports overall by diverting low-risk travelers to automated entry clearance gates.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@bal.com. 

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