Speedier Arrivals to Dublin With New Facial Recognition System

Arrivals to Dublin Airport should have a speedier experience through passport control as from today

A new facial recognition system is designed to speed up arrivals where 20 electronic passport machines will be in service across Terminals 1 and 2.

The 20 self-service automated passport control gates allow people entering the country to use electronic passport machines. There will be 10 gates in each of the airport’s two terminals and a spokesman said additional machines may be installed at the airport and at other points of entry should it makes operational and financial sense do so.

The automatic border gates use facial recognition technology and passport readers to conduct security checks on people arriving into the country. The new gates are expected to speed up movement of passengers, with just one immigration officer needed to monitor several gates.

Phase 1 of the ‘eGate’ rollout includes all Irish passengers, EU, EEA and Swiss visitors over 18 with an electronic passport. Irish passport card holders will be able to use the gates.

The Republic’s Department of Justice has said it will consider extending the use of gates to non-EU passport holders using registered traveller programmes, particularly for regular business travellers.

The new passport machines are programmed to read the passport’s electronic chip, including the photo, and run various watch-list checks. A camera captures the facial image of the passenger and compare it to the passport photo using biometric matching software.

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