Zurich Airport has renovated its passport control hall and introduced eight automated boarding control eGates.
With automated passport control, arriving passengers can pass through the Schengen border on their own, as biometric data in their passport are used. Automated passport control at Zurich Airport is voluntary for passengers. The staffed passport counters can still be used with no restrictions.
Eight of the ABC eGates have been installed. If they are successful, five more automated gates will be installed for departures, also by mid-2018.
How it works
Passengers who would like to use an automated passport control gate must fulfil the following conditions:
• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a biometric passport/e-passport (not an ID card)
• Be a citizen of Switzerland or an EU/EEA country
Step 1
Passenger places his or her biometric passport on the passport reader at the security gate and waits until the document’s validity has been checked and the entrance doors open.
Step 2
When passenger sets foot in the security gate, a biometric comparison is made between an image of his or her face (live recording) and the electronic photo stored in the e-passport. At the same time as the biometric facial verification, the personal details are checked.
Step 3
Once the check has been successfully completed, the exit doors open and the passenger leaves the gate. If the check indicates any irregularity or if further clarification is required, a manual check is carried out. After the passenger has left the gate, the biometric data collected during the control are immediately deleted.
N.B. Image credit: Zurich Airport
