New Delhi Bureau
Summary: The Civil Aviation Ministry has begun Digi Yatra trials for international passengers at seven airports across India. During November and December 2026, Indian e-passport holders travelling on select international flights will be able to use the face-recognition facility at airport checkpoints.
Indian air travellers have received a major new facility. Digi Yatra, so far available only for domestic flights, is now being tested for international travel as well. The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced on Sunday, 1 November 2026, that trials for international passengers have begun at seven airports in the country. The trials will run through November and December 2026, and the feedback gathered during this period will shape a wider rollout planned for 2027.
Digi Yatra is a contactless and paperless initiative based on facial-recognition technology. It has already become a familiar part of domestic air travel for millions of passengers. Extending it to international departures is the next step in the government’s push to use digital technology to make airport journeys smoother. The ministry said the move marks a further step in the adoption of digital technology in the country’s aviation sector.
Seven airports where the trial will run
The trial is being conducted at seven major airports: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin (Kochi), Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. All seven handle a large volume of international traffic, and a large number of Indian travellers fly abroad from these airports every day.
The ministry has made it clear that during the trial, the facility will be available only where the necessary infrastructure is in place. It will not automatically apply to every international flight or every gate. Passengers will need to check in advance whether their flight and airport are part of the trial.
Who can use the facility
The trial is limited in scope. To begin with, it is open only to Indian nationals who hold e-passports. It is also available only on select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo.
This means a traveller flying with another airline, or holding an ordinary passport, will not be able to use the facility in this phase. The ministry has kept the trial limited so that the system can be tested in practice before it is extended to more passengers and flights.
How registration works: an e-passport-based digital credential
Unlike the existing domestic Digi Yatra system, the international trial requires passengers to create a special digital identity. This is an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential, created through the Digi Yatra mobile application.
Registration involves several steps. First, the passenger scans the Machine Readable Zone of the e-passport. Then, using a compatible smartphone’s Near Field Communication feature, the electronic chip embedded in the passport is read. The passenger then captures a selfie and verifies the details. Once the process is complete, the credential is stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet on the smartphone and can be used at supported airport checkpoints.
Where the facility will work inside airports
During the trial, passengers will be able to use the facility at three key airport touchpoints. The first is the terminal entry point, where travellers enter the airport. The second is the Security Hold Area, where passengers wait after security screening. The third is the boarding gate, from where passengers board the aircraft.
Even at these three touchpoints, the ministry clarified, access will be limited to places where trial infrastructure has been enabled. Travellers have therefore been advised to confirm the status of their flight and airport before travelling, so that they face no difficulty at the airport.
Passports and immigration checks remain mandatory
The most important question for travellers is whether Digi Yatra will remove the need for a passport or immigration checks. The ministry has answered this clearly: the facility is designed to complement existing airport procedures, not to replace mandatory travel formalities.
Passengers must continue to carry their travel documents and complete all mandatory airline document checks, immigration procedures and other applicable formalities. Visa requirements, where they apply, remain unchanged. Digi Yatra will only speed up and simplify the identity-verification process at airport entry and boarding-related checkpoints.
The domestic network: 39 airports, millions of journeys
The international trial builds on a strong domestic base. According to the ministry, Digi Yatra is already available at 39 domestic airports across India, and so far it has been used only by domestic passengers.
The platform has more than 26.5 million users and has facilitated over 110 million journeys. These figures show that the facility has found wide acceptance among domestic travellers, helping them avoid long queues and move faster through identity checks at airports.
The government also plans to extend Digi Yatra to another 25 domestic airports by 2027. This will strengthen the domestic network further and bring the facility to airports in smaller cities as well.
What the 2027 wider rollout will depend on
The ministry said feedback received during the November–December trial period will inform planning for a wider rollout in 2027. That feedback will show how the technology works in practice across different airports and checkpoints, and where it needs improvement.
The expansion plan will also decide whether more airlines are included, whether additional passenger categories are added, and whether more airport touchpoints come under the facility. The ministry has not yet released a detailed schedule for this expansion. The success of the trial will determine its shape.
What changes for travellers, and what does not
For eligible international travellers, the trial promises convenience at the airport. Identity checks at terminal entry, security areas and boarding gates could become quicker, saving time and improving the travel experience during busy hours.
But travellers must understand that this is a limited trial, not a general launch. Only seven airports, only Indian e-passport holders, and only select Air India and IndiGo flights are covered. Creating the credential on the Digi Yatra app before travel, confirming the flight’s eligibility, and carrying all travel documents remain essential.
The experiment with digital identity at airports is an important milestone for India’s aviation sector. If the trial succeeds, international travel could in the coming years become as fast and seamless as domestic travel already is for millions of passengers.
Disclaimer: This news has been prepared on the basis of available sources and verification. If any fact is found incorrect, a correction will be published.
