- CBP launched Enhanced Passenger Processing at L.F. Wade International Airport on August 31, 2026.
- The system uses facial comparison technology to verify U.S. citizens in seconds, with no advance enrollment required.
- Travelers may opt out, and Bermuda becomes the eighth preclearance location using EPP.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection introduced Enhanced Passenger Processing at L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda on August 31, 2026, giving U.S. citizens departing for the United States an automatic biometric option during preclearance. No advance enrollment stands between eligible travelers and the new process.
The system uses facial comparison technology and auto-capture cameras to check a passenger’s identity within seconds. It also creates a crossing record and shifts routine administrative work away from officers.
CBP said the process is designed to be “touchless, secure and efficient.” Officers can devote more attention to traveler interviews rather than manual processing tasks.
A CBP post on September 1, 2026, said the system “verifies a passenger’s identity within seconds.” The post said that allows U.S. citizens to move “securely through the inspection process and proceed directly to their boarding gate.”
The biometric process does not require a separate application. It appears automatically for U.S. citizens using Bermuda’s U.S. preclearance operation.
Travelers can decline. Anyone who does not want to participate can tell an officer and use the standard entry process instead.
The cameras handle routine checks while officers retain review authority
CBP said the technology combines auto-capture cameras with biometric comparison for several parts of the inspection. The system supports identity verification, citizenship checks, law-enforcement vetting and record creation.
Officers remain responsible for the inspection. They can refer a traveler to standard processing when the traveler opts out or when additional review is needed.
| Processing function | Role in the new system |
|---|---|
| Identity verification | Confirms the passenger’s identity through biometric comparison |
| Citizenship verification | Checks U.S. citizenship |
| Law-enforcement vetting | Conducts the required security review |
| Crossing record | Creates a record of the crossing |
| Officer review | Preserves referral to standard processing when needed |
The system therefore handles repetitive checks without removing human judgment from the process. Interviewing remains part of the officers’ work.
CBP’s description says the technology can rapidly verify identity and citizenship, complete vetting and produce the crossing record. The department also says officers can focus more closely on the traveler interview.
Bermuda joins seven other preclearance locations using EPP
The Bermuda launch adds another location to CBP’s existing EPP network. The program also operates at preclearance airports in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Dublin and Aruba.
Those facilities process travelers before their flights to the United States. Bermuda’s implementation applies to U.S. citizens departing the island for the United States.
The rollout was announced by U.S. officials and relayed by Skyport, the Bermuda airport operator. A spokesperson said the process is intended to “significantly improve security and streamline the preclearance experience for U.S. citizens departing for the United States.”
Skyport’s announcement described the program as a way to improve both security and the flow of U.S.-bound passengers through the airport. The operator said CBP officers use the cameras and biometric comparison to complete the checks and create a crossing record.
CBP is moving airport processing into digital workflows
The Bermuda launch fits a broader CBP shift toward biometric and contactless processing at airports and preclearance facilities. The agency’s 2026–2030 strategy emphasizes “shifting administrative burdens away from traditional, manual paperwork to digitized, touchless, and remote workflows.”
That strategy places routine documentation and identity processing in digital systems while leaving officers to handle interviews and cases requiring closer attention. The Bermuda program puts that model into operation for eligible passengers departing the island.
The facial comparison system is intended to speed screening, but the inspection remains an officer-led process when a traveler declines the technology or needs additional review. The standard pathway remains available at the airport.
The September 1 message from CBP described the final movement through inspection as direct passage to the boarding gate after the identity process. Travelers departing Bermuda can now encounter that biometric option as part of the preclearance operation.
