UK - IRIS is going away

[mr_botak]

Looks like IRIS will be gone sometime after the summer. Already closed to new registrations.

To put it mildly, this is a pain in the bum.

[CarbonMan]

The iris technology may be on its way out but I can't imagine the cash-strapped UK Govt moving away from technology per se to improve productivity with border security. Every first world country is moving in this direction, if it's not iris then it'll be thumbprint a'la Changi or something else ... unless the unions are behind this.

[Desert Traveller]

I had always wanted to sign up for this but never had the time to visit one of the enrolment rooms. Sad to see this go away.

The other automated immigration option, the e-gates in the UK do not work for me...my passport always gets rejected and I gotta go for the manual check. Explanation: someone with a German national ID card that has the same number as my passport (yeah, German efficiency at its best...we recycle numbers. ) reported his ID card lost/stolen. Not a problem in Germany, but everywhere else I get questioned...till they discover the difference between passport and ID card.

[mr_botak]

For UK/some EU passport holders facial recognition will still be in place. The beauty of IRIS was it was open to anyone who could legally reside in the UK. Without we're going to endure the queues and questioning. Not fun.

[FN-GM]

I had always wanted to sign up for this but never had the time to visit one of the enrolment rooms. Sad to see this go away.

The other automated immigration option, the e-gates in the UK do not work for me...my passport always gets rejected and I gotta go for the manual check. Explanation: someone with a German national ID card that has the same number as my passport (yeah, German efficiency at its best...we recycle numbers. ) reported his ID card lost/stolen. Not a problem in Germany, but everywhere else I get questioned...till they discover the difference between passport and ID card.

I would ask to have your passport reissued. Worth a try.

[Desert Traveller]

I would ask to have your passport reissued. Worth a try.

A Swiss border guard actually suggested that as well...but currently being based in China, getting my residency and work permits re-issued is more of a hassle and not worth the money and time to save a few minutes when travelling intra-Europe. Just realized that 'everywhere' in my previous post only applies to Europe as the ID card is not recognized as a travel document in the wider world.

[stargold]

By all accounts, although the IRIS system was capable of saving a lot of time and hassle, it was unreliable, clunky and only half-heartedly embraced by the authorities. A lost opportunity really, given how much it must have cost.

I don't know what they plan to replace it with (and I do hope they will eventually have something other than the current e-gates for the non-EU passport holders) but hopefully their next effort will be with a little more enthusiasm!

[nickbot]

I'm sad to see IRIS go, a great idea in principle (although I have had no issues with the machine readable passport e-gates). I'm not sure if it's down to lack of familiarity, but I often found it hard to line up properly with the IRIS sensors.

[jjpb3]

I'm not sure if it's down to lack of familiarity, but I often found it hard to line up properly with the IRIS sensors.

Put it down to beady, shifty eyes.

[nickbot]

Put it down to beady, shifty eyes.

OUCH!

[phaleesy]

What a pity!

I love the IRIS. Walk up, follow the instructions, look into the mirror, and out we go. Much faster than the EU queues too!

[SQtraveller]

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