Digi Yatra trials have been launched for eligible international passengers at seven airports. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has started testing the facility of digital passenger verification where Indian nationals holding e-passports can use their digital identity credentials at airport checkpoints.

Digi Yatra digital passenger verification facility at an Indian international airport. | Photo Credit: AI Image

The trials started on November 1, 2026 and will continue through November and December. It is initially available to eligible passengers flying on select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo.

The project aims to make it easier for passengers to move through airport entry points, security hold areas and boarding gates by using digital identity verification. Feedback from the trial will inform how the government plans a wider rollout in 2027.

Which Seven Airports Are Included in the Digi Yatra Trials?

The international passenger trials are being carried out at the following seven airports:

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
Cochin International Airport, Kochi
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai
Chennai International Airport, Chennai
Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar

Eligible passengers can use the facility at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA) and boarding gates as appropriate (where required infrastructure is available).

However the service is not automatically available for every international flight leaving from these airports. Passengers have to be travelling on eligible international services operated by Air India or IndiGo.

Who Can Use Digi Yatra for International Flights?

The first trial is open only to eligible Indian nationals with e-passports.

Passengers must also be flying on select international flights operated by Air India or IndiGo from one of the seven airports.

An ordinary passport without an electronic chip does not satisfy the e-passport requirement for this facility.

Passengers who qualify for the scheme must create an e-passport based VC (Verifiable Credential) through Digi Yatra mobile app before using digital verification facility.

The availability of the service at a particular airport checkpoint also depends on whether that infrastructure has been enabled.

How to Use Digi Yatra for International Travel

Eligible passengers need to complete digital verification process through Digi Yatra mobile application.

The process involves the following steps:

Step 1: Open the Digi Yatra app

Download or open the Digi Yatra mobile application on a compatible smartphone.

Step 2: Scan the e-passport

Scan the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) printed on the information page of passport.

Step 3: Read the passport chip

Use the smartphone’s Near Field Communication (NFC) feature to read the electronic chip embedded in the e-passport.

Step 4: Complete selfie verification

Take a selfie and complete the identity verification process using the application.

Step 5: Generate the Verifiable Credential

Once verification is successful, the e-passport based digital credential gets generated and stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet on device.

Passengers can then use this credential at airport touchpoints where international trial facility is available.

Will Digi Yatra replace passport and immigration checks?

No. Digi Yatra will not replace existing international travel process.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the facility is “not meant to replace existing airport procedures but complement them”.

Passengers must still carry their physical passports and other travel documents. They must also check airline documents, immigration procedures and all other travel formalities.

Digi Yatra is intended to make identity verification and movement through enabled airport checkpoints easier. It does not exempt from international travel requirements.

What is the purpose of the International Digi Yatra trial?

The trial will show authorities how the digital identity system works for international passengers and where improvements may be needed before a wider rollout.

The government will collect passenger feedback in November and December 2026. This information will inform the next phase of implementation (2027).

The international roll-out builds on Digi Yatra’s use across India’s domestic aviation system.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation says the platform has more than 26.5 million users and over 110 million passenger journeys have been made on 39 domestic airports so far.

The government is also planning to expand Digi Yatra services to another 25 domestic airports by 2027.

What does Digi Yatra mean for international passengers?

The international trial is an important expansion of digital passenger verification in Indian aviation.

For eligible travellers it could reduce the need for repeated manual identity checks at airport checkpoints (taking part in the system); it may help make passenger flow more orderly at terminals, security areas and boarding gates.

However the actual experience will be airport infrastructure, participating airlines and enabled checkpoints.

Till now international passengers should check eligibility and flight details before relying on Digi Yatra. They must continue to carry their passports and complete all regular travel procedures as well.

The trial period will give the government time to test it out before deciding whether to roll it out globally in 2027.