Canberra 13 August 2013. The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) has begun a trial at Adelaide and Sydney airports that allows eligible UK ePassport holders to use SmartGate, Australia's self-service passport control system.

The trial began on Thursday, 25 July 2013, and so far more than 5,700 UK ePassport holders have successfully used SmartGate. It is open to all UK ePassport holders who are 16 years or older when they arrive at Adelaide Airport and Sydney Airport Pier C.

The ACBPS is facing a range of challenges in the near future including a significant increase in the volume of international travel and trade. A detailed strategy to respond to these challenges is outlined in the Blueprint for Reform 2013-2018, which was released on 3 July 2013.

A key part of the Reform programme involves providing more travellers with the option to self-process through passport control. The extension of SmartGate to nationalities beyond Australia and New Zealand began in November 2012 with a trial allowing US Global Entry Program members to use SmartGate, and continues with this trial for UK citizens.

ACBPS CEO, Michael Pezzullo, said that extending the use of SmartGate to other nationalities will make processing through passport control simpler for travellers and ensure that Customs and Border Protection officers at airports are able to focus on high-risk activities.

"Australia has seen a steady increase in the number of international travellers arriving over the last few years - a trend which is expected to continue.  Extending the use of SmartGate to other nationalities will help provide a more convenient border processing experience for travellers," Mr Pezzullo said.

"Initiatives such as this will form a key plank of the Reform programme for Customs and Border Protection."