The automated border control gates are easy to use and it can take as little as 15 seconds for a passenger to complete an automatic border control check.
People travelling with a wheelchair or an infant and anyone under the height of 130 cm still need to choose a manual border control line.
The automated border control system is based on biometric identification of the passenger by means of the microchip in a biometric passport. The automatic border control gate compares a real-time facial photograph with the photo on the microchip in the passport.
All Finns now have a biometric EU passport, which enables them to use an automated border control gate. In addition to citizens of the European Union and the Schengen countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, citizens of the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand who have a biometric passport can use the gates.
The Finnish Border Guard estimates that passenger traffic across external borders will increase to approximately five million passengers this year. It is about 10% more than in 2016.
The automatic border control system has been in use at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport since 2008. A total of 35 automated border control gates are currently used in traffic across the external Schengen border
How to use automated border control
Source: The Finnish Border Guard's press release 3.7.2017