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The UK government has confirmed that children aged 8 and 9 will be able to use eGates at UK airports and border ports from Wednesday 8 July 2026. Conveniently, this is just before the school summer holidays begin in England and Wales, and in the middle of the Scottish school summer holidays. For families heading home from Disney World or Disneyland Paris this is likely to reduce the time spent getting through customs.
eGate Changes: Key Information
The key information about the changes:
When do eGate changes happen? Wednesday 8th July 2026
How old do children need to be from 8th July 2026 to use eGates? Children aged 8 and 9 who are at least 120 cm (3ft 11in) tall .
Do children need to be accompanied by an adult? Yes, children must be accompanied by an adult . They pass through together
Does this change affect all UK eGates? Yes, it covers all 290+ e-gates at 15 UK airports and rail ports
What’s The Change To E-Gates?
Children currently have to be 10 or over to pass through the automated passport gates alongside an accompanying adult. The change lowers that threshold by two years, and applies at more than 290 e-gates across UK air and rail ports. The government estimates that around 1.5 million additional children will be eligible in the first year alone.
From Wednesday 8 July 2026, children aged 8 and 9 who are at least 120 cm (3ft 11in) tall can use UK passport e-gates alongside an adult. The change covers all major UK airports with direct flights to Orlando and Paris area airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. It also applies to the Eurostar juxtaposed border controls in Paris and Brussels. Families returning from both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will be able to clear passport control faster, without queuing at a staffed desk.
For UK families with a Disney holiday booked for summer 2026 this will likely be a welcome improvement to their journey home.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp said:
"By expanding eGate access, more families can experience a swifter and smoother journey home – freeing up precious time this summer holiday season."
When do the new e-gate rules come into effect?
The new rules come into effect from Wednesday 8th July 2026. This means families heading home from Orlando, Florida or Paris in July and August will benefit on their return journey home. E-gates are already installed and operating at multiple UK locations. This change will only effect the return journey home to the UK, so it affects every family returning from any Disney destination, regardless of which UK airport they depart from.
Where can you use e-Gates?
There are 15 locations across the UK airport and rail ports where you can use eGates, and the change will affect all locations. The e-gate change affects your return to the UK only; US entry at Orlando International Airport is a separate immigration process. All airports in the UK with direct flights returning from Orlando International Airport (MCO) are included on the list:
London Heathrow (LHR)
London Gatwick (LGW)
Manchester (MAN)
Edinburgh (EDI)
The other regional airports with eGates, will matter more for people flying home from Disneyland Paris this summer, include:
London Stansted (STN)
London Luton (LTN)
London City (LCY)
Birmingham (BHX)
Bristol (BRS)
Cardiff (CWL)
East Midlands (EMA)
Glasgow (GLA)
Newcastle (NCL)
Rail Ports with eGates that families coming home from Disneyland Paris can use are Eurostar Terminals at St Pancras International (London); Ashford International; Ebbsfleet International.
If you’re interested in using eGates, you can read more about using them at Guide to faster travel through the UK border.
Does my child need to be a certain height to use a UK eGate?
Yes. As well as being aged 8 or 9, children must be at least 120 cm (approximately 3ft 11in) tall to use an eGate. Children who do not meet this height requirement, even if they are within the eligible age range, will still need to queue at a staffed passport desk.
It is worth checking your child's height before you travel, particularly if they are on the smaller side for their age. Finding out at passport control after a long-haul flight from Orlando is not the ideal moment to manage expectations.
What passport does my child need to use a UK e-gate?
EGates work by reading the chip embedded in a biometric passport. Children must hold a valid, chip-enabled biometric passport, older non-chip passports are not compatible with the automated system.
Will this help us get through passport control faster when we land back from Orlando?
In most cases, yes. EGates typically process a passenger in under two minutes, compared to several minutes at a staffed desk. During busy early-morning long-haul arrival peaks, time savings can be significant.
The biggest improvement for families heading home from Disney World this summer is that you can now move through passport control as a complete family unit, without splitting into different queues based on age. Previously, a family with an 8-year-old had to send eligible older children through the eGate lane while parents managed younger ones in the manual desk queue. From 8th July, that split is no longer necessary for 8 and 9 year olds.
It is worth noting that eGate systems can occasionally experience technical issues. In the event of a system outage, all passengers are redirected to staffed desks. Build adequate time into any onward connections or transport plans from the airport.
Does the eGate age change apply to Disneyland Paris trips as well?
Yes. Families travelling to Disneyland Paris by train will benefit on the return journey home. This means that whether you are flying back from Orlando or stepping off the Eurostar from Paris after a few days at Disneyland Paris, the same faster processing applies for children aged 8 and 9.
Magic In A Minute
The eGate expansion is part of a broader push by the UK government towards automated border processing. Since February 2026, the UK has also fully enforced its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visitors from non-visa countries. For UK families, the immediate summer 2026 eGate benefit is straightforward: a faster, smoother end to a Disney holiday from Disney World, Orlando or Disneyland, Paris.