Registered Traveller: faster entry through the UK border

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1. Overview

The Registered Traveller service can help you get through the UK border faster.

Registered Travellers can use UK channels at some airports and train stations. You can use:

  • UK passport entry lanes
  • ePassport gates - if your passport has a ‘chip’

If you have a visa

Before you travel, you must:

2. Eligibility

To apply for Registered Traveller membership, you must be 18 or older and have an eligible passport.

You must also either:

  • have an eligible UK visa - if you need a visa to visit the UK
  • have visited the UK at least 4 times in the last 24 months - and do not need a visa to travel

A visit is when you enter the UK from another country. It does not count if you’re passing through the UK on your way to another country.

Eligible passports

Africa

Seychelles.

Asia

Brunei, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region passports only), Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Taiwan (if your passport has a personal ID number on the photo page).

Europe

Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City State.

Middle East

Israel (a travel document in lieu of national passport, also called a provisional passport, is not eligible).

North America

Bahamas, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Oceania

Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga.

South and Central America

Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Eligible visas

Most visas are eligible.

You cannot use your visa to apply for Registered Traveller membership if you have:

  • a Marriage Visitor visa
  • a Graduate visa
  • a British National (overseas) visa - (including dependants) 
  • a High Potential Individual visa 
  • a Temporary Work - Creative Worker visa concession certificate of sponsorship
  • an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
  • been granted ‘discretionary leave’ or ‘leave outside the rules’

3. Where you can use Registered Traveller

You can use the service at the following airports:

  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • Cardiff
  • East Midlands
  • Edinburgh
  • Gatwick
  • Glasgow
  • Heathrow
  • London City
  • Luton
  • Manchester
  • Newcastle
  • Southend
  • Stansted

You can use the service at the following Eurostar terminals:

  • Brussels
  • Lille
  • Paris

4. How to apply

Before you apply, check you’re eligible.

  1. Apply online for Registered Traveller membership. It costs £70 and lasts 12 months. You’ll need your passport to upload a picture of it.

  2. You’ll get a decision on your application within 10 working days. You’ll get £50 back if your application is unsuccessful.

  3. If your application is accepted, the next time you travel to the UK you must go through the ‘other passports’ lane.

  4. The immigration officer will check that you meet the criteria and tell you if you can become a member. Your 12 month membership will start on the day you submitted your application.

5. Renew or update your membership

Your Registered Traveller membership lasts for 12 months. You’ll need to renew your membership after that to continue using it.

You must update your details if your visa or immigration status changes.

You also need to update your passport details if you get a new passport. You must do this before you travel to the UK.

How much it costs

It costs:

  • £50 to renew your membership
  • £20 to update your passport details

There’s no fee to update your details if your visa or immigration status changes.

How to renew or update your membership

Sign in to your Registered Traveller account to:

  • renew your Registered Traveller membership for another year
  • update your passport details or a change in your visa or immigration status

You’ll need your Registered Traveller number to sign in.

6. Add children to your membership

You can apply to add your children to your Registered Traveller membership if you have 29 days or more left on it.

Once your child is added to your membership, you can both use the UK passport lanes together.

You will not be able to use the ePassport gates.

Your child’s membership will expire at the same time as yours. You’ll need to renew or update your and your child’s memberships separately.

Once you’ve added the child to your membership, they can also travel with their other parent as long as they’re also a member. Before they travel together, you’ll need to email the Home Office with full names and Registered Traveller numbers for:

  • you
  • your child
  • your child’s other parent

Home Office Registered Traveller service
rtinbox@homeoffice.gov.uk

Eligibility

Your child must be 17 or under. They must also have an eligible passport and eligible visa or entry clearance if they’re not applying as a visitor.

Fee

You must pay a £20 administration fee to apply for each child, plus a membership fee. This is £2 a month until your membership expires.

You’ll be told how much you need to pay when you apply.

You’ll get the membership fee back if your application is unsuccessful. You will not get the £20 administration fee back.

How to apply

You must apply and pay for each child separately.

You’ll need your:

• Registered Traveller number
• child’s passport number and expiry date

You’ll get a decision on your application within 10 working days.

Renew or update your child’s membership

You’ll need to sign in to your Registered Traveller account using your child’s Registered Traveller number and date of birth to renew or update your child’s membership.

It costs £24 to renew your child’s membership.

It costs £20 to update their passport details if they get a new passport. You must do this before your child travels to the UK.

You must also update your child’s details if their visa or immigration status changes. There’s no fee to do this.

When you travel to the UK

If your application is successful, the first time you and your child travel to the UK you must both go through the ‘other passports’ lane together.

You might need to prove the relationship between you and any children travelling with you, for example if you have different surnames.

You can do this with:

• a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship to the child
• a divorce or marriage certificate if you’re the parent but have a different surname to the child

The immigration officer will then confirm your child has been added to your membership. You’ll get a confirmation email within 48 hours.