The Home Office's Registered Traveller Service is out of beta and fully live. After using this new quick and easy service, frequent visitors from the US, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and Australia are able to enter the UK more quickly and easily. Here's a short film we've made about it.
In a nutshell, the service lets users apply to become a Registered Traveller. It takes about 5 minutes. Once registered, users:
- don't have to fill in landing cards
- may use faster European Economic Area (EEA) border queues
- may use ePassport gates at participating UK international ports if they have a biometric passport
Making life easier for business travellers helps to keep the UK competitive. And by allowing travellers that have undergone detailed advance checks to use ePassport gates, Border Force airport staff are able to devote more time to other priorities.
The Registered Traveller Service is currently for travellers from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States of America.
If you're interested in the development of the service, here's a blog post by Mike Bracken on how the development team was able to reuse code from another Home Office project, Visit Visa: How sharing helps us improve digital services.
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12 comments
Comment by Keith posted on
To some extent I have to agree with Ray, that this service would benefit from being extended to non-European nationals who reside in the UK by virtue of Indefinite Leave to Remain. Currently, however, there is no cost benefit to me to make UK border activities more effective and until then will suffer the inconvenience upon re-entering the UK with my Irish family, experienced for over 20 years.
Comment by Ashley posted on
Question - I am a US citizen currently in London on business. I received my registered traveler approval while here. I am flying home tomorrow. Is there a way to complete the final step of getting border patrol to approve me while I am here, or does it have to wait until the next time I return? Hoping there is a way to take advantage of the fact that I'm already here to complete the final approval step.
Thanks,
Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on
Hi Ashley
Thanks for your question. I'll try and get an answer for you as soon as possible, but wanted to acknowledge your comment in case the response isn't quick enough to reach you before you fly.
Carrie
Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on
Hi Ashley
Enrolment can only be completed on your next international arrival into a participating UK port.
Hope that helps!
Comment by Ray posted on
As a Canadian living in UK, I am happy to see this services. However, it is very expensive - I travel abroad frequently, about 10-15 times a year just for holidays or sightseeing. It ends up about £5-7 per trip if I apply for it. Would I spend this money? Definitely NO. If £70 are for 5-10 years (or my until my visa expires) or £15-20 ish per year, I may give it a go...
Comment by Andrew Chesney posted on
I've heard that Global Entry is being trialled again, would you be able to send any further details.
Many thanks
Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on
A service called ‘Register to apply for US Global Entry’ will be launched later in the year which will enable British Citizens to then obtain Global Entry membership. We cannot confirm a commencement date yet but we will provide an update in early November. Thanks.
Comment by A MUIR posted on
Do you have an update on the progress of re-opening the Global Entry scheme to UK citizens as per your above comment?
Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on
The latest update is that a service called ‘Register to apply for US Global Entry’ will be launched later in the year. We cannot confirm a commencement date yet but we will provide an update in early November. Thanks.
Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on
In relation to Global Entry please see this post from the Home Office Digital team: https://hodigital.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/12/crossing-the-atlantic/
Comment by S .Ross posted on
Is the U.S. Global Entry program accepted in lieu of the UK program?
Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on
Thanks for your comment. British Citizens are currently unable to apply for Global Entry membership. However, UK Border Force are discussing with the US how the scheme may be opened to British Citizens later this year.