The Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1 November 2026 began Digi Yatra international trials for Indian e-passport holders at seven airports: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. The trials run until December 2026 on select Air India and IndiGo international flights, and passenger feedback will shape a wider rollout in 2027.
Until now, Digi Yatra, the facial recognition-based paperless boarding system first proposed as a plan for seamless, ID-free boarding at Indian airports, has served only domestic flyers. The international trial is the first time the platform is being tested on overseas departures, where identity checks are tied to passports rather than Aadhaar.
How the Digi Yatra international trials work
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s release on the Press Information Bureau, eligible passengers must first create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential (VC) in the Digi Yatra mobile app. The enrolment has four steps:
- Scan the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) printed on the e-passport.
- Read the passport’s embedded chip using the Near Field Communication (NFC) feature of a compatible smartphone.
- Capture a selfie for face matching.
- Verify the details, after which the credential is stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet on the device.
Once enrolled, travellers can use the credential at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA) and boarding gates, wherever the required infrastructure is in place at the seven airports. The design builds on India’s chip-based passports, which the Ministry of External Affairs has been rolling out under the Passport Seva Programme’s e-passport upgrade.
What does not change for passengers
The ministry made clear that the facility will complement, not replace, existing procedures. Passengers must still carry their travel documents and complete airline document checks, immigration and every other mandatory formality. Hindustan Times reported that officials plan to take up integration with immigration at a later stage, after the airport touchpoints are tested.
The trial has also grown since it was first planned. Hindustan Times had reported in September that the government was looking at five airports; the final list adds Chennai and Amritsar. The Digi Yatra Foundation told The Hindu BusinessLine that the trials cover all international destinations served by Air India and select destinations operated by IndiGo.
Why it matters for India’s digital public infrastructure
Digi Yatra already operates at scale on domestic routes. The ministry said the platform has more than 26.5 million users and has enabled over 110 million journeys across 39 domestic airports, with 25 more domestic airports planned by 2027. Elets eGov has earlier tracked how cloud infrastructure supports citizen-centric platforms such as DigiYatra.
Moving to international travel is a step up in complexity. Suresh Khadakbhavi, Chief Executive Officer of the Digi Yatra Foundation, said interoperability with global frameworks such as the International Air Transport Association’s One ID and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Public Key Directory would be an important part of the effort, while keeping passenger consent, privacy and security in place.
The wallet-based, consent-led model also fits a wider shift in Indian e-governance towards citizen-held digital credentials, seen in moves such as Karnataka’s mandate to store licences and certificates in DigiLocker.
Key takeaways
- Digi Yatra international trials began on 1 November 2026 at seven airports and run until December 2026.
- Only Indian nationals with e-passports on select Air India and IndiGo international flights are eligible.
- Passport, airline and immigration checks remain mandatory; a wider rollout is planned for 2027.
FAQ
Who can use Digi Yatra on international flights?
During the trial, only Indian nationals holding e-passports and flying on select international flights of Air India and IndiGo from the seven participating airports can use it.
Does Digi Yatra replace immigration checks?
No. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said passengers must still carry travel documents and complete airline checks, immigration and all other mandatory formalities.
Which airports are part of the trial?
Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar airports are running the trials from November to December 2026.
Source: Ministry of Civil Aviation release, Press Information Bureau, 1 November 2026; Digi Yatra Foundation.
Featured image: Departure gates at Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. Photo: Ramesh NG via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).