Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said Ebola screening will begin at Heathrow airport from Tuesday (October 14).
Passengers from ‘at-risk’ countries in West Africa will have their temperatures taken, answer a travel health questionnaire and will be visually assessed for illness.
Hunt confirmed that screenings will also take place at Gatwick airport and the Eurostar hub, St.Pancras in “the coming days”.
Anyone arriving in the country after travelling from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia will be subject to the screening.
The Chief Medical Officer says the risk to the UK is low, but expects a "handful" of cases.
The department for health estimates that 85 per cent of all arrivals to the UK from affected countries will come through Heathrow. Anyone with suspected Ebola will be taken to hospital.
“Passengers will have their temperatures taken and complete a questionnaire asking about their current health, recent travel history and whether they might be at potential risk through contact with Ebola patients,” said Hunt. "They'll also be required to provide contact details.
He added: “Should they develop symptoms, they'll have the reassurance of knowing this system will get them first-class medical care, as the NHS demonstrated with nurse William Pooley (who survived after contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone)."
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “The welfare of our passengers and colleagues is always our main priority and we are working with Government to support the implementation of the screening measures as announced by the Health Secretary today.
“We would like to reassure passengers that the Government assesses the risk of a traveller contracting Ebola to be low. We would encourage anybody with individual questions or concerns to refer to guidance from Public Health England and the Foreign Office.”
The Ebola outbreak has already killed around 3,500 people and infected more than 7,200, mostly in West Africa.