There is good news for expatriates who wish to travel in and out of Qatar from now on.

The Ministry of Interior has made the use of E-gate services, for resident expatriates using ID cards and passports, free of charge.

No prior registration is required for using the service if the expatriate is a resident of Qatar. Their children aged above 18 can also make use of the service, reported Gulf Times.

“The use of ID card does not need any prior registration or pay any fees, and a resident expatriate only need to have a valid ID card,” said Colonel Mohamed Rashid Al Mazroui, director of Airport Passports Department.

At present, there are 19 E-gates in the departure lounge and 16 in the arrival lounge.

This is an initiative that falls under the Smart Passenger Project, which aims to facilitate passengers to complete the entry and exit process through self-service devices, depending on smart technology, without the need to approach the counter staff.

Use of the R-gate services is fairly straightforward and easy. All a passenger will need to do is place his/her ID card or passport on the E-reader at the gate, which will read data recorded on it and verify them.

Once verified, the device will remove a glass barrier and allow the passenger to move forward.

The device will then match data obtained from the travel document by capturing his/her eye print and fingerprint. If everything is in order, the device will allow the passenger to exit to the boarding gate or baggage collection area. The entire process is expected to be complete in under two minutes.

The new system is expected to fast track the flow of passengers and complete their travel procedures with only minimal hassles.