Digi Yatra trials start at 7 airports for international passengers

The civil aviation ministry said Digi Yatra trials for international passengers are underway at seven airports – Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. File Image | Photo credit: B. Velankanni Raj

The Civil Aviation Ministry said on Sunday (November 1, 2026) that Digi Yatra trials for international passengers have begun at seven airports and a wider rollout of the facility is expected in 2027.

It will be available on a trial basis for Indian nationals holding ePassports on selected international flights by Air India and IndiGo.

Based on facial recognition technology, Digi Yatra ensures contactless and hassle-free movement of passengers at various airport checkpoints. It is currently available at various domestic airports.

In a release, the ministry said Digi Yatra trials for international passengers are underway at seven airports – Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar.

Feedback received during the trial period from November to December this year will be used to plan for a wider deployment of the technology in 2027.

According to the ministry, the trials will enable eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports to use Digi Yatra at designated airport contact points while traveling on select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo.

“Eligible passengers will be able to use the facilities at terminal entry points, security check-in areas (SHAs) and boarding gates wherever the required infrastructure is available,” the report said.

The ministry said the device is intended to complement, not replace, existing travel processes.

“Passengers must continue to carry their travel documents and comply with all mandatory airline document checks, immigration procedures and other relevant travel formalities,” it added.

How international travelers can use it

For international travel, eligible Indian nationals need to create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential (VC) through the Digi Yatra mobile app.

The process involves scanning the machine readable zone (MRZ) of the e-passport, reading the embedded chip using the Near Field Communication (NFC) feature of a compatible smartphone, taking a selfie and verifying the details, the report said.

The credentials will be stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet at the facility.

Currently, the Digi Yatra platform has over 26.5 million users.

It has enabled more than 110 million journeys through 39 domestic airports and plans to cover another 25 domestic airports by 2027, the report said.

Published – 02 Nov 2026 09:48 IST