Eurostar starts check-in with facial recognition at train stations in London

Travelers can now check in partially biometrically for a train journey with Eurostar. To do this, they must submit some information in advance, including a facial scan. Biometric check-in is currently only possible at St. Pancras station in London.

The so-called SmartCheck service is becoming offered by iProov and is so far only available to customers who purchase a Business Premier ticket or book a trip with a Carte Blanche membership. They can complete the first passport check biometrically and probably faster. This means that a ticket scan is no longer necessary. Everyone must then pass a second checkpoint for an additional passport check at French customs, regardless of whether the traveler uses SmartCheck or not.

Travelers can submit their ticket, passport and facial scan in advance via the iProov.me app so that they can go through part of the passport control at a SmartCheck post. According to Eurostar, after verification, data is forwarded to a passport control system and the biometric gates. After check-in, the data will be stored for a maximum of 48 hours and deleted after the trip has been completed.

The biometric check-in system was tested at the same station between late 2021 and April 2022 and has now been officially put into use. It is unknown if or when travelers without a listed Business Premier ticket or Carte Blanche membership will be able to use the service. It is also not clear whether SmartCheck will be used at other stations.