#PASSPORT PROCESSING TIME MANUAL#

We apologise for any impact this is having to passenger journeys.'īorder Force said they had robust plans in place to support passenger flow and minimise waiting times. 'Our teams are working closely with Border Force to help resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we have additional colleagues on hand to manage queues and provide passenger welfare. 'This issue is impacting a number of ports of entry and is not Heathrow specific. Heathrow Airport posted on Twitter: 'We are aware of a nationwide issue impacting the eGates, which are operated by Border Force. Our staff are working with UK Border Force - who operate passport control including the e-gates - to provide assistance to passengers where necessary.” 'My plane landed at 6am, there is still a sea of people in front of me, passport checks are being done manually.

#PASSPORT PROCESSING TIME MANUAL#

The automated e-gate system is available for British citizens aged over 12 and those from the EU, as well as people from several other countries including Australia, Canada, the US, Japan and New Zealand.Ī Gatwick Airport spokesperson told ITV News, 'Some passengers may experience delays at immigration due to a nationwide issue with UK Border Force e-gates. Apparently national outage in border control machines so manual passport checks. Each country sets its own visa requirements and processing times which can range anywhere from three to 45 business days. Our team is working with UKBF to support their operations and minimise disruption. For a visa request, additional processing time (beyond the 15 business days required for the official passport) is necessary to meet the visa issuing requirements of the foreign government. There are currently no significant queues, but this may result in longer waiting times. Since new full validity passports in respect of the applications received at HCI, London are now printed in India, applications under Tatkal Scheme are. 'UK Border Force is currently experiencing an outage affecting its e-gates. Processing time is 1-3 working days subject to production of proof of the emergency or if the Passport Officer is satisfied of the emergency situation during interview with the applicant. Lina Tayara landed at Heathrow at 6am on Saturday and is experiencing delays with a queue as far as the eye can see Credit: Lina Tayara

Passport processing time