How to tell if your passport is biometric
If an eGate checker asks whether your passport is biometric or an ePassport, the quickest first check is the passport cover. Official UK and Australian border guidance tells travellers to look for the biometric/ePassport symbol on the cover.
What should I look for?
The internationally used biometric-passport mark is a small rectangular symbol with a circular shape and a horizontal line through it. It is normally printed or embossed on the front cover. UK government guidance describes this symbol as indicating that the document contains a biometric chip.
If the symbol is present, you can normally answer “Yes” to the biometric/ePassport question in our checker. If you cannot find the symbol, choose “Not sure” rather than assuming that a newer-looking passport is electronic.
Biometric passport does not mean automatic eGate eligibility
The chip is only one condition. An automated border system can also apply rules about age, height, passport issuer, immigration permission, residence documents, accompaniment of children, or the particular border crossing.
How the four systems in eGate Checker use this information
| System | Does a biometric/ePassport matter? | Other major checks |
|---|---|---|
| UK eGates | Yes. The standard route requires a passport with the biometric symbol. | Age, height, qualifying nationality/route and, for most non-British/Irish travellers, valid digital immigration permission/status. |
| Australia Arrivals SmartGate | Yes. Australian Border Force requires an ePassport for the arrivals route. | Age, height and accompaniment rules for children. |
| New Zealand eGates | Yes. New Zealand Customs requires an ePassport from a currently supported country or territory. | Passport issuer, age and arrival/departure formalities. |
| Europe EES | Not used by our checker to decide whether EES registration generally applies. | Nationality, short-stay status and residence/long-stay document exemptions. Local automated-gate availability is a separate question. |
Is a machine-readable passport the same thing?
No. “Machine-readable” and “biometric/ePassport” are not interchangeable conditions. A passport can be designed for machine reading without satisfying a rule that specifically requires an electronic chip. This distinction matters in Australia, where published departure SmartGate rules refer to a valid machine-readable passport while the arrivals route specifically requires an ePassport.
What if I am still not sure?
Do not guess if the answer changes your travel plan. Check the passport cover, then use the official border-authority guidance for your destination. If your document is unusual, damaged, temporary, an emergency passport or another travel document, use the authority's document-specific guidance rather than assuming the standard eGate rule applies.
You can also leave the checker on “Not sure”. Where a biometric passport is required, eGate Checker will return a caution instead of pretending the condition is confirmed.
Common questions
Does every biometric passport work at every eGate?
No. The passport chip is only one requirement. Countries and border systems apply their own eligibility rules.
Does having the symbol mean my chip is definitely working?
The symbol identifies the document as a biometric/ePassport, but it does not prove that the chip will successfully read at a particular gate. A border authority can still refer you to an officer.
Can children have and use biometric passports?
Yes, but eGate age and accompaniment rules are separate. For example, the UK, Australia and New Zealand currently use different minimum-age and child-travel conditions.
Does Europe’s EES require me to have a biometric passport?
EES applicability is not the same question as eGate eligibility. Our EES check therefore focuses on nationality, trip type and relevant residence or long-stay documents instead of using the biometric-passport field as the deciding condition.
Official references
Border Force guidance says UK eGate users must have the biometric symbol on the passport cover. Separate UK identity-check guidance explains that the symbol indicates a biometric chip.
UK eGate guidance ↗UK biometric-chip guidance ↗
Arrivals SmartGate guidance requires an ePassport symbol and publishes the other passenger conditions separately.
Australian SmartGate eligibility ↗New Zealand publishes its ePassport requirement, eligible passport issuers, minimum age and current eGate locations.
New Zealand eGate guidance ↗Guidance checked 15 September 2026. Rules and operational availability can change; the linked authority remains the source of truth.