TSA and Clear are finally adding eGates ahead of the 2026 World Cup—meaning your lines could get a lot shorter at these airports

Fast Company

2 days ago

If you travel outside of the country a lot, you'll know returning to America can be a slog. That's because American airports currently lack automated border control (ABC) systems, better colloquially known as 'eGates.' The lack of eGates at America's airports means even passengers with American passports need to wait in long lines to have their passports checked by a border customs official.
But now that's changing—at least at a few airports—thanks to a partnership between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and security identity company CLEAR. eGates are finally coming to America. Here's what that means for travelers.
What is an eGate?
An eGate is a colloquial term for an automated border control (ABC) system. eGates are checkpoints used at border crossings and security checkpoints in many foreign airports around the world. Instead of waiting in long lines for manual passport and boarding pass checks by a human official, passengers can opt to proceed via an eGate.
These automated eGates are equipped with cameras, passport readers, and biometric scanners. When a passenger enters an eGate, the system reads their passport and identifies them via their biometrics (via a facial scan or fingerprint scan). If everything checks out, the eGates open automatically and the passenger is permitted through—no human checks of their documents needed.
eGates can significantly reduce processing times for arrivals and departures, thereby decreasing wait times and enabling people to reach their final destinations more quickly.
Why are eGates finally being rolled out in the United States?
The rollout of eGates at select U.S. airports is being done for a few reasons. The first is to help modernize the infrastructure at American airports. Faster processing of passengers benefits everyone, from travelers who now have more time to catch connecting flights to airports that can streamline the onboarding and offboarding process. eGates also automatically records a traveler's biometrics, which helps increase security.
But there is another factor in the eGate rollout: the 2026 World Cup that is being held in the United States. That sporting event is expected to attract tens of millions of soccer fans from around the world to the United States next year. The massive influx of tourists threatens to overwhelm American airports' traditional, manual arrival procedures, which require travel documents to be manually checked by a TSA official.
An eGate rollout at American airports before the World Cup is expected to reduce these bottlenecks significantly.
What airports are eGates rolling out at?
It's important to note that eGates aren't coming to all American airports this year. As a matter of fact, the partnership announced between the TSA and CLEAR will also see three airports gain eGates at first. Those three airports are:
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA)
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
CLEAR says that after the initial trial at the three airports listed above, the company expects to roll out its eGate technology across its network of airports nationwide.
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