Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta airports to introduce eGates for faster, more efficient travel

Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta airports to introduce eGates for faster, more efficient travel

Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta will soon open eGate lanes for faster border control. Following a successful trial in Cancun, Mexico is hoping this new automated system will provide the smoothest possible border experience.

Equivalent to Automated Border Control Systems, eGates help decrease processing times upon arriving to and departing the country. Passports are scanned and biometric data is registered ensuring a smarter, safer and cost-effective alternative to traditional passport checks. 

The trail at Cancun International saw 18 operational checkpoints where travelers simply had to scan their passport to gain entry. This trial is the first phase building towards a semi, or fully digital border in the future. Since the trial began, 53,207 people have used the eGates in Cancun and no major issues – whether technical or security-related – were reported. 

Travelers can complete screening within half a minute on average if they meet the relevant requirements. These being carrying a valid biometric passport and not having broken immigration law in the past.

The expansion to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta is no surprise as these two cities follow as the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. Los Cabos is one of the world’s top beach destinations while Puerto Vallarta has set new records for visitors. 

Along with Cancun, there are 12 eGates in Mexico City International (MEX). The eGates can be used by international tourists arriving from ‘low-risk departure points’.

While there has been no official start date for the self-service kiosks at either airport for the trial, it is expected to start in the coming weeks or months. This will help alleviate any bottlenecking and allow travelers to have a smooth and easy process through border patrol.

This news comes soon after both airports removed their Arrival Form, which foreigners had to fill out, sign and hand to passport control.