The British government has announced a further expansion to the Registered Traveller Service.

Membership is now open to travellers from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The scheme, which currently has 40,000 members, is already open to Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the US.

Members who frequently travel to the UK can benefit from an improved traveller experience.

Potential members must apply online via gov.uk and once UK Border Force officers have undertaken security checks, individuals are then provisionally accepted onto the scheme.

Membership is completed the next time they visit the UK.

Once they become a Registered Traveller member, individuals are then eligible to use passport eGates and the UK/EU controls at Heathrow and other participating airports.

UKinbound welcomed the latest expansion to the service.

UKinbound chief executive officer, Deirdre Wells comments: “UKinbound is delighted to welcome the extension of the Registered Traveller scheme to 16 new countries, including important inbound markets in South America and the Far East.

“Tourism from these markets has grown exponentially in recent years and this announcement will send a clear signal that the UK is open for business and continues to be an outward-facing and welcoming destination in a post-Brexit world.”