The UK Home Office recently announced that its Digital, Data and Technology directorate will now be known as Home Office Digital, a change presented as a new step in the department’s technological modernization.
In a statement published on March 10, the Home Office Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer, Rob Thompson, said the change reflects the increasingly central role of digital technology in delivering the department’s public services.
“We have built a resilient, high-performing digital capability that sits at the heart of how the Home Office delivers for the public,” he wrote, adding that these tools have significantly transformed processes related to passports, visas, and border control.
On that occasion, the department also shared several indicators illustrating the scale of this transformation, particularly regarding the processing of electronic travel authorizations and visas.
ETA decisions made “in just 45 seconds”
Among the examples highlighted by the Home Office is the operation of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system introduced for nationals of visa-exempt countries traveling to the United Kingdom for short stays.
According to UK authorities, some ETA application decisions can now be made “in just 45 seconds” thanks to automated digital analysis systems.
The scheme, which has been fully in force since February 25, 2026, requires eligible travelers to obtain this authorization before departing for the United Kingdom. It enables authorities to carry out preliminary checks based on information provided by passengers, with the aim of moving part of the immigration screening process upstream, before the journey begins.
The ETA notably applies to visitors traveling to the United Kingdom for tourism, business, or short stays. Applications are submitted online, and the authorization is currently priced at £16, although the British government plans to increase the fee to £20 in the near future.
Comparable to systems already implemented in other countries, such as the U.S. ESTA, the upcoming European ETIAS, or Japan’s planned JESTA, the UK ETA relies on largely automated processing of applications, aiming both to streamline border crossings and to allow authorities to conduct security checks before travelers arrive.
Around 7 million eVisa users
The Home Office’s digital department also highlighted progress made in the transition toward a fully digital immigration system based on eVisas.
This system gradually replaces physical documents with a digital record of immigration status, accessible through an online account with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). According to British authorities, around 7 million people can now quickly access their immigration status digitally in the United Kingdom.
The rollout of electronic visas is taking place in phases. eVisas have already replaced visa vignettes for several categories of applicants, including work, study, and family visas, for applications submitted since 2025. Since February 25, 2026, most people granted a visitor visa or other UK visa categories now receive only an eVisa, accessible through their UKVI account before traveling.
As part of the latest updates announced by the authorities, travel documents issued by the Home Office are now automatically linked to UKVI accounts, allowing eVisa holders to view their immigration information and travel documents in a single digital space.
According to the UK government, the system is designed to simplify proof of immigration status when dealing with authorities, employers, or other institutions, while also reducing the risks of loss or forgery associated with physical documents.
76 million border crossings through eGates
Digital transformation is also affecting border control infrastructure.
At the United Kingdom’s main airports, automated eGates now process around 76 million border crossings each year, according to data released by the Home Office.
Gradually deployed over several years, these systems allow eligible travelers, including British and European nationals and citizens of certain partner countries, to pass identity checks automatically using a biometric passport.
The system verifies a passenger’s identity using facial recognition technology and queries multiple government databases in real time.
For UK authorities, these infrastructures are a central element of border modernization, helping both to speed up passenger processing and to strengthen control capabilities through the integration of data from digital immigration systems.
A digital strategy looking toward 2030
These developments form part of the Home Office’s Digital Strategy 2030, described as the department’s first unified digital roadmap.
Launched in 2025, the strategy aims to position the Home Office among the most advanced government departments in the United Kingdom in the use of digital technologies, data, and innovation to manage its responsibilities, particularly in the fields of immigration and border security.
The plan outlines several structural transformations, including greater automation of services through artificial intelligence, improvements to digital platforms used for visas and travel authorizations, stronger cybersecurity capabilities, and enhanced data collection and sharing between Home Office services and other public administrations.
Authorities also aim to develop more scalable technological systems, reduce operating costs for digital services, and strengthen digital skills within the department.
For Rob Thompson, these changes are intended to place digital technology firmly at the center of the ministry’s operations. “We have much to be proud of, but also much more to do. The name change reflects our role and our ambition for the future. We are here to set the standard for modern government through innovation, stronger partnerships, and by putting digital at the heart of everything we do,” he said.
