What is the passport chip?
Since 2010 UK passports have been ePassports, also known as biometric passports. They contain a chip in the front cover confirming the passport details, as an extra layer of security. It also allows you to use eGates at airport security.
You can tell if a passport has a chip from the small golden camera icon at the bottom of the front cover. This applies to UK and international passports.
Any in-date UK passport will have a chip.