Up to now, international travellers arriving in the UK by air or sea from outside the European Economic Area have had to fill in landing cards.
From Monday this is no longer necessary and international passengers will also now be able to enter the UK through e-gates at passport control, which are currently only open to those from inside the UK. Travellers from the EU are already exempt.
UK Border Force director general Paul Lincoln, in a letter to staff, said it would ‘help meet the challenge of growing passenger numbers’.
About 16 million landing cards are issued every year and have been in use since 1971. They are used to record what is said to border staff on arrival. They ask details of the person’s visit to the UK as well as where and how long they are planning to stay. Proposals to scrap them were announced in August 2017.