The Civil Aviation Ministry has begun trials of Digi Yatra for international passengers at seven Indian airports.
The November–December trials will initially cover Indian nationals holding e-passports travelling on select international Air India and IndiGo flights.
Eligible passengers must create a Verifiable Credential through the Digi Yatra app using their e-passport.
The Civil Aviation Ministry on Sunday, November 1, announced that trials of Digi Yatra for international passengers have begun at seven Indian airports, with a wider rollout of the facility expected in 2027. The trial, running from November to December this year, will initially be available to Indian nationals holding e-passports travelling on select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo.
The facial recognition-based system enables contactless movement through various airport checkpoints. While Digi Yatra is already operational for domestic passengers, the latest trials will test its use for eligible international travellers at designated touchpoints.
Seven Airports Included In Initial Trials
According to the ministry, the trials are being conducted at Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar airports. Eligible passengers will be able to use the facility at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA) and boarding gates, wherever the necessary infrastructure is available.
Feedback gathered during the two-month trial period will inform the planning and implementation of the wider rollout in 2027.
The ministry clarified that Digi Yatra will complement existing travel procedures rather than replace them. Passengers will still be required to carry their travel documents and complete all mandatory airline document checks, immigration procedures and other applicable formalities.
How International Passengers Can Use Digi Yatra
Indian nationals eligible for the facility will first have to create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential (VC) through the Digi Yatra mobile application.
The process involves scanning the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of the e-passport, reading the chip embedded in it using the Near Field Communication (NFC) feature of a compatible smartphone, capturing a selfie and verifying the details. Once created, the credential will be stored in the passenger's Digi Yatra wallet on their device.
The ministry said the Digi Yatra platform currently has more than 26.5 million users and has facilitated over 110 million journeys across 39 domestic airports. Another 25 domestic airports are planned to be brought under the platform by 2027.
(With PTI Inputs)
