Global Automated Border Control Hardware Set to Expand 50% by 2035
A Valour Consultancy report forecasts a nearly 50% increase in automated border control hardware globally by 2035, with biometric pods and totems seeing the fastest growth.
Significant Growth in Border Automation Forecast
The global installed base of automated border control (ABC) equipment, encompassing eGates, immigration kiosks, and biometric pods and totems, is projected to expand by almost 50% between 2025 and 2035. This forecast originates from the 'Smart Borders 2026: The Future Evolution of Land, Sea and Air Borders' report by Valour Consultancy, published on 30 September 2026.
The study indicates a substantial and ongoing investment by governments and border agencies worldwide into modernising entry and exit processes. This growth reflects a broader shift towards integrating various self-service and assisted-processing technologies to enhance efficiency and traveller throughput at international borders.
Biometric Pods and Totems Lead Expansion
While ABC eGates currently hold the largest geographic deployment and account for the greatest proportion of annual revenues among automated border equipment, Valour Consultancy's report predicts biometric enrolment pods and totems will experience the most rapid growth.
These units are expected to increase by 77% over the next decade, significantly outpacing the 44% growth forecast for ABC eGates during the same period. John Devlin, the report's author at Valour Consultancy, noted that eGates remain a recognisable symbol of automated borders but represent only one element of the current investment cycle.
Immigration kiosks facilitate self-service tasks like declarations and document scanning, while pods and totems are designed to enhance officer-led processing by improving biometric capture quality and consistency.
Diverse Global Modernisation Strategies
Border agencies are adopting a diverse range of self-service, biometric enrolment, and assisted-processing equipment, integrating them with advanced identity and border management platforms. The implementation of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EU-EES), for example, is a key driver for demand in biometric enrolment hardware across air, land, and maritime checkpoints.
Conversely, governments in parts of Asia and the Middle East are actively exploring passportless processing initiatives, extending eGate eligibility, and introducing new methodologies at land borders.
Other nations are prioritising the reinforcement of foundational systems, such as ePassports, advance passenger information (API), and core border management platforms, before scaling up broader automation efforts.
Implications for Asian Travel and Operations
For Asian travellers and the region's travel industry, the push towards passportless processing and expanded eGate eligibility, as noted by Valour Consultancy, signals a future of potentially faster and more streamlined border crossings.
Airports in major hubs like Singapore, Seoul, and Hong Kong, already leaders in automation, could see further integration of mobile enrolment, digital travel credentials (DTCs), and biometric corridor concepts.
This tiered approach to clearance, directing travellers into different streams based on identity and risk assessment, will require Asian airlines and airport operators to invest in compatible systems and adapt operational procedures.
The ongoing modernisation means that while human officers will remain central, the blend of conventional eGates, kiosks, and advanced biometric units will redefine the traveller experience across Asia's busy gateways.
Get The Post.
The global travel stories that matter, three mornings a week. Free.
