Digi Yatra has begun trials for international passengers at seven airports across the country, allowing eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports to use the facility at select airport touchpoints while travelling on select international flights, the government said on Sunday.
“The trials, scheduled to run from November to December 2026, will allow eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports to use the Digi Yatra at designated airport touchpoints while travelling on select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo,” a government statement said.
HT had exclusively reported in September that the government was working to extend Digi Yatra to international departures, with trials then planned at five airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin — between October and December.
The trials are now being conducted at seven airports — Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. “Eligible passengers will be able to use the facility at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA) and boarding gates, wherever the required infrastructure is available,” the statement said.
{{/usCountry}}The trials are now being conducted at seven airports — Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. “Eligible passengers will be able to use the facility at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA) and boarding gates, wherever the required infrastructure is available,” the statement said.
{{/usCountry}}Feedback received during the trial period will inform the planning of a wider rollout in 2027, the government said.
To access the facility, eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports will 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 its embedded chip using the Near Field Communication (NFC) feature of a compatible smartphone, capturing a selfie and verifying the details.
“The credential is stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet on the device and can be used at airport touchpoints enabled for the trials,” the government said.
The facility will complement, and not replace, existing travel procedures. “Passengers must continue to carry their travel documents and complete all mandatory airline document checks, immigration procedures and other applicable travel formalities,” the statement said.
HT had earlier reported that the international expansion would require software upgrades, security assessments and additional technology integration. Officials had said the initial rollout would focus on airport touchpoints such as terminal entry, security and boarding gates, while integration with immigration would be taken up at a later stage.
Digi Yatra currently has over 26.5 million users and has enabled more than 110 million journeys across 39 domestic airports, according to the statement. Another 25 domestic airports are planned to be covered by 2027.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation remains committed to leveraging technology to improve airport operations and facilitate seamless air travel, in line with the Government of India's vision of Digital India and Ease of Flying,” the statement said.