Visitor pre-registration with QR passes

For visitors the office is expecting. Someone books the visit and the visitor receives a QR pass. At the gate the guard scans it and gets a clear answer.

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TL;DR — Quick Summary

Announced Visitors is Sentry’s visitor pre-registration. The guard scans the QR pass on the visitor’s phone or printout, and the handset shows whether it is genuine, valid today and still has scans left.

The office books the visit and sends a QR pass
Green, red or amber on the guard’s screen
One scan in, one scan out
Today’s arrivals listed at the post

What is visitor pre-registration?: Booking a visitor before they arrive. The office books the visit, the visitor receives a QR pass, and the guard scans it at the gate.
What does the guard see when they scan?: Green if the pass is genuine, valid today and has scans left, with the visitor’s name in large type. Red means stop. Amber means the handset did not hear back in time, so the guard checks today’s list before scanning again.
Does the same pass work for leaving?: Yes. The first scan records the visitor arriving and the second records them leaving.
What about visitors nobody booked?: The guard logs them through Visitors Management by scanning their licence, ID or passport.

How it works

Booked by the office, checked at the gate

Someone in the office books the visitor in and sends them a pass. At the gate the guard points the handset at the code on the visitor’s phone or printout, and it reads by itself.

A clear answer

Green means the pass is genuine, valid today and has scans left. The visitor’s name is shown in large type so the guard can check it against the person at the gate. Red means stop. Amber means the handset did not hear back in time.

Why a pass is refused

The handset refuses a pass that has expired, has used all its scans, was issued for a different site, or was not issued by Sentry. The guard sends the visitor to whoever booked them, and the office can issue a new pass in a moment.

In and out on the same pass

The first scan records the visitor arriving and the second records them leaving. Each pass has a set number of scans, usually one in and one out.

Protects the pass when the network is slow

When the answer is amber, the scan may already have gone through, and a second scan would record the visitor leaving. So the amber screen lists what the site has recorded today, and the guard can see whether the visitor is already on it.

Today’s scans

The handset lists everyone who has come through the site today and when. A guard taking over the post can check it instead of phoning the office.

FAQ

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Sentry Announced Visitors, answered for security operators and site supervisors.

What is visitor pre-registration?Overview

Booking a visitor before they arrive. In Sentry, someone in the office books the visit and the visitor receives a QR pass. The guard at the gate scans it, and the handset confirms whether the pass is genuine and valid today.

Why would a visitor pass be refused?Refusals

Because it has expired, has already been used the maximum number of times, was issued for a different site, or is not a Sentry pass. The guard sends the visitor to whoever booked them, and the office can issue a new pass.

Does the same pass work for leaving?Exit

Yes. The first scan records the visitor arriving and the second records them leaving. Each pass has a limited number of scans, usually one in and one out, so guards scan it only when someone is actually passing through.

What should a guard do when the answer is amber?Network

Check the list before scanning again. Amber means the handset did not hear back in time, and the scan may already have been recorded. A second scan would log the visitor leaving. The amber screen shows what the site has recorded today, so the guard can see whether the visitor is already there.

What if the pass will not scan?Troubleshooting

Most cases are solved by turning up the phone’s screen brightness, wiping the camera lens or moving out of direct sun. If it still will not read, the guard logs the visit through Visitors Management with the visitor’s licence or ID.

See it with your own sites

Book a demo and we will walk through the Announced Visitors module with your own sites and shift patterns.

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Beathan Technologies·Enterprise IT Solutions Provider — South Africa & Worldwide

Last updated: 13 October 2026

Reviewed by IT experts

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