WIREDGOV

Frequent travellers from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan are to benefit from a fast-track service into the UK.

AS of today 17 November the ‘Registered Traveller’ scheme will be extended following a successful pilot. Those eligible to enrol will benefit from a speedier transit through Heathrow and Gatwick airports including being able to use ePassport gates, if they have a biometric passport, or join the queue designated for EU/EEA nationals.

The scheme will initially be limited to a maximum of 5,000 highly valued travellers. To meet the criteria people will need to have visited the UK at least four times within the last 12 months and will be subject to extensive checks before being approved

Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said:

We want to attract business to Britain. The Registered Traveller scheme will make it easier for business people and investors to come to the UK and contribute to the economy, while always maintaining the security of our border.

The Registered Traveller service will be extended to other ports in the coming months.