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Do US and UK share fingerprints?

In 2009, members of the Migration 5 (M5, formerly the Five Country Conference (FCC)), comprising the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America (USA), agreed arrangements under the High Value Data-Sharing Protocol to check the fingerprints of up to 3,000 individuals between each participating ...



Yes, the US and the UK maintain a sophisticated biometric data-sharing agreement that has been fully automated as of 2026. Under the "Migration 5" (M5) framework, which also includes Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, fingerprints of asylum seekers, nationality applicants, and individuals flagged for immigration violations are checked against international databases in real-time. This system is designed to prevent "identity fraud" and detect individuals who may have been deported from one country while attempting to enter another under a different name. While standard tourists on an ETA or ESTA are not subject to a "blanket" fingerprint check against every database for every entry, their biometrics are stored and can be manually cross-referenced if there is a security concern or a discrepancy in their travel history. This digital perimeter ensures that the "Special Relationship" extends to high-level border security and counter-terrorism efforts.

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Entry and exit into and out of the UK. Your travel history can be provided for the past 5 years if a passport or travel document is submitted for this period.

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