A method and apparatus for hand-free opening and/or closing of a vehicle door. The method includes the steps of detecting when an authorized person is in the vicinity of a vehicle door, opening that vehicle door after the authorized person has been in the vicinity of the vehicle door for a least a first time interval, the opening being performed automatically and without action by the authorized person, and providing a perceptible warning of impending opening of the vehicle door, the warning being provided after the authorized person has been detected in the vicinity of the vehicle door and before the vehicle door is opened. An analogous door closing process is performed when the authorized person leaves the vicinity of the vehicle door.