India begins Digi Yatra international passenger trials at seven airports

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Digi Yatra trials for international passengers at seven Indian airports: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai, and Amritsar. Running from November to December 2026, the pilot program aims to facilitate seamless, contactless movement through facial recognition technology.

Eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports can use the service for select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo. The facility is available at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA), and boarding gates where infrastructure permits. To participate, passengers must create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential (VC) via the Digi Yatra mobile app by scanning the passport’s Machine Readable Zone (MRZ), using Near Field Communication (NFC) to read the embedded chip, and completing a selfie verification.

The ministry emphasized that this digital facility is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing travel processes. Passengers are still required to carry physical travel documents and complete all mandatory immigration and airline document checks. Feedback from these trials will be used to plan a wider rollout of the international service in 2027.