BER Biometrics

BER Biometrics is a BER Airport service that enables contactless use of the Fast Bag Drop (printing baggage labels), BER Runway, access to the central exit and the BER Tegel lounge (after prior booking for a fee at lounge.berlin-airport.de).

BER Biometrics is a BER Airport service that enables contactless use of the Fast Bag Drop (printing baggage labels), BER Runway, access to the central exit and the BER Tegel lounge (after prior booking for a fee at lounge.berlin-airport.de). BER Biometrics can only be booked via the SmartDepart app via the provider Airsphere. A corresponding profile needs to be created in the app in that respect. Instructions

Passengers create a profile in the Airsphere SmartDepart app and upload their boarding pass to the app before each flight. They can then book the BER Biometrics product in the app for the day of departure. 

At BER Airport, registered passengers can then access the services at the processing locations using only their face, i.e. “Hands-free.” Access is gained via pictures taken on-site and the matching of these against the passenger’s picture (selfie) stored in the app. During the matching, no original image files are matched against each other, but only digitally created reference files to enable an allocation between the passenger on-site and the boarding pass holder / app user. If a match is successful, the airport receives your boarding pass information and grants access.

You can use all process locations offered “Hands-free,” i.e. once you have uploaded your boarding pass and booked the services, you no longer need to show or scan your boarding pass at the process locations.

If you use BER Biometrics, you have a large selection of BER runway slots and can plan your access to the security control at your leisure. This will be available to you from 2 hours before your booked time slot. 

No, BER Biometrics is only available to people aged 16 and over.

Persons aged 16 and over can use the service free of charge at the Fast Bag Drop (print baggage label), BER Runway and access to the central exit. To gain contactless access to the BER Lounge Tegel, a ticket must be purchased in advance at lounge.berlin-airport.de or via the BER app.

No, BER Biometrics can be used by all passengers on all airlines. Only the minimum age of 16 years is to be observed.

Not all airlines currently offer Fast Bag Drop (printing baggage labels and handing them in independently) at BER Airport. If your airline is yet to offer this service, BER Biometrics cannot currently be used at this process location. Is my airline taking part?

To use BER Biometrics, you must already be checked in for your flight and have a valid boarding pass. Please note that the name on the boarding pass must match your name in the app profile.

Participating passengers must install the SmartDepart app on their smartphone, create a profile and save a picture (selfie) locally in the app. Before using the app at the airport, the passengers must upload their boarding pass to the app to display the services available at BER Airport. The service can be used once BER Biometrics has been selected and the consent fields have been ticked. Instructions

Yes, BER Biometrics is available to all interested parties free of charge. Using the Fast Bag Drop (printing baggage labels), BER Runway and access to the central exit is free of charge. To gain contactless access to the Tegel lounge, you must have previously purchased a ticket for the lounge at lounge.berlin-airport.de or be authorised to access the lounge as part of a loyalty/credit card programme or flight ticket. 

Yes. Passengers have control over the data they provide at all times when using the app. Users can delete the data completely from the app at any time. All information in the app is stored in the local protected app memory and shall not be used without your consent. Only when used for a flight event are the reference data of the selfie for verification and the boarding pass forwarded in encrypted form and are only available for the respective flight event as protected data. All data are deleted once the flight has been completed at the latest. The image from the airport and the profile information are verified exclusively using digital reference files that do not allow the original image to be transferred back. You also have the option of cancelling the use of BER Biometrics in the app, in which case the transferred boarding pass and reference data of the selfie in SmartDepart shall be deleted without delay. 

BER Biometrics uses the image you take at the process location to verify and check your access authorisation. To that end, a digitally encrypted reference file is sent to the verification provider Airsphere and matched against the encrypted reference files available in the database at short notice. In the case of a positive match, the verification provider Airsphere transmits the required boarding pass information to the process locations and access is granted.

If you consent to receive marketing information, your data shall be stored and used for marketing purposes. We take care at all times to protect your personal data and ensure that your data are processed in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations.

No. If you use BER Biometrics, you shall automatically receive a BER Runway Slot, which you can select during the order process. This will be available to you from 2 hours before your booked time slot.

Furthermore, you can use our BER Runway service independently of BER Biometrics via the BER website, the BER app or the SmartDepart app.

Yes. Travellers must at all times carry their printed or digital boarding pass with them at the airport. You will need it at the gate to board the aircraft. It also serves as a fallback in the event of any disruptions.

If you register for BER Biometrics, you can use the following process points “Hands-free.”

• Fast Bag Drop (print baggage label)
• BER Runway 
• Access to the central exit
• BER Lounge Tegel (after prior booking of a free ticket at lounge.berlin-airport.de or in the BER app)

No, you can use BER Biometrics if you install the SmartDepart app on your device and create a local profile.

The boarding pass must be uploaded to the app and BER Biometrics must be booked for each flight event. This can be done by scanning the QR code on the printed boarding pass, uploading a screenshot of the boarding pass from the personal gallery on the smartphone or sharing a picture/screenshot of the boarding pass with the app. 

On the day of departure, travellers at the airport are to proceed to the process locations via the BER Biometrics signposts. There you will be asked to look into the cameras for verification. If verification is positive, the process location is automatically activated. 

The boarding pass must at all times be carried in digital or analogue form.

No, each passenger must create their own BER Biometrics profile and can only manage the process independently. You may not take accompanying persons with you.

BER Biometrics can be used from the age of 16. 

No, use is voluntary and can be decided individually for each flight.

No. No ID document needs to be uploaded to the app to use BER Biometrics. You are still under obligation to carry a valid ID document with you.

You can find it here.