Which countries now allow entry with visual passport checks instead of biometric capture, and what are the practical tradeoffs?
Executive summary
Border control is in transition: an expanding set of hubs and blocs now require or default to biometric capture at entry (notably the EU’s Entry/Exit System and airport rollouts in Singapore and Dubai), while many states and checkpoints still accept traditional visual passport checks or retain officer-led photo-matching as the operational norm (for example the US) [1] [2] [3] [4]. The practical tradeoffs are straightforward: biometrics reduce document fraud and speed automated lanes but raise privacy, inclusion and infrastructure concerns and cannot yet be described as universally compulsory in every country or port of entry based on the available reporting [5] [6] [7].
1. The changing baseline: blocs and hubs pushing mandatory biometric capture
The clearest recent example of mandatory biometric capture is the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaces manual passport stamping with recorded facial images and fingerprints for non‑EU short‑stay travelers as it rolls out from October 2025 to full implementation in 2026—making biometric capture the default at Schengen external borders [1] [2]. Major transit hubs are also adopting “passport‑free” biometric flows: press reporting and industry coverage name Singapore’s Changi as moving residents to fully automated, biometric clearance and Dubai upgrading walk‑through face capture tunnels, signaling an operational preference for biometric capture over visual checks at those terminals [4] [7].
2. Places that still allow visual passport checks or retain passport-plus‑visual matching
Several countries and checkpoints continue to accept visual passport checks or rely on an officer visually matching a traveler to the passport photo rather than replacing the passport with a biometric-only flow; the United States, for example, uses facial scans to verify that a traveler’s face matches the passport photo but still relies on the physical passport document at immigration [4]. More broadly, industry explainers emphasize that “optical” or non‑chip passports remain valid and usable at many borders, which implies that visual or document‑centric checks persist where e‑gates and biometric enrollment are not installed [5] [8]. At the same time, the near‑ubiquity of chip‑enabled ePassports—reported at 178 countries by mid‑2025—means the technical ability to perform electronic checks is widespread even if it is not always exercised [8].
3. The practical tradeoffs: speed, security and exclusion in tension
Biometric systems promise faster, automated throughput and stronger resistance to document fraud—ePassport chips plus face or fingerprint matching enable e‑gates and centralized records that replace error‑prone stamping and manual checks [5] [1]. However, adoption brings tradeoffs: privacy and civil liberties concerns over centralized biometric databases are documented and politically salient, and critics warn of surveillance risks when governments collect facial and fingerprint templates [6] [7]. Operationally, biometric rollouts are resource‑intensive and create first‑time registration bottlenecks, prompting airports to build contingency lanes for manual checks, and benefits depend on error rates and inclusivity—people with certain physical features, travel documents, or limited digital enrollment options can face higher friction [7] [5].
4. What the reporting does and does not prove about who “allows” visual checks
The sources establish clear, named pockets where biometric capture has become the operational default (EU EES; Changi; Dubai) and confirm that many countries still process travelers using the physical passport or via officer photo‑matching [1] [2] [3] [4]. The reporting does not provide a comprehensive, country‑by‑country roster stating “this country allows visual checks, that one does not,” and the existence of ePassports in 178 countries only shows technical capability rather than legal obligation to capture biometrics at every crossing [8] [5]. Consequently, any definitive checklist of states that permit purely visual passport entry cannot be compiled from these sources alone.
5. Bottom line for travelers and policy watchers
Travelers should assume a mixed reality: biometric capture is increasingly mandatory at major hubs and within blocs like Schengen (EES) while many borders, smaller ports and officer‑run lanes still accept visual passport checks or officer photo‑matching—each approach trades speed and fraud reduction for different degrees of privacy risk and potential exclusion [1] [4] [5] [7]. Reporting shows momentum toward biometric defaults but also important practical limits and social costs; the precise answer to “which countries allow visual checks” requires additional, up‑to‑date jurisdictional lists beyond the available coverage [8] [6].