Esta

[lyn5]

wondering if anyone out there can help PLEASE! have just been reading some of the posts on esta and visas and one of them says that at your uk departure airport they will fingerprint you and if your fingerprints come up on the system they will not allow you to fly. Can anyone please tell me if tis is correct.

[dzug]

Total rubbish I'm glad to say. There are no fingerprinting facilities at UK airports.

People who say this believe that your fingerprints are stored in the biometrics on your passport - definitely not true.

All that happens at the UK airport is that the airline (and security) make a visual check of your passport to see that you are you and that the name on the boarding card matches. Unless there's a security scare on immigration don't check people leaving.

[jno]

ESTAs relate to the USA (though there are other countries like Australia that also use them). They check eyes and fingerprints on arrival in the USA but not in the UK.

[kempie]

UK fingerprinting is currently reserved for UK incoming foreign nationals. The UK fingerprint visa programme covers three-quarters of the world�s population and operates in more than 133 countries....

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/ newsarticles/2008/tenpointplan

...although fingerprinting Brit departures at UK airports is still on the cards.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/28/ukba_a irport_fingerprints/

http://www.aoa.org.uk/media/latest_news_view.a sp?NEWS_ID=18711209

[cc1]

I thought the ESTA replaced the on board green form but apparently, because the system has been delayed as a compulsion, even with an ESTA you still need to complete a green slip!

[Dee Sa]

I have a relative with learning difficulties who could not sign her own passport application, they accepted a fingerprint.