Digi Yatra could soon expand beyond domestic flights to international departures in India, with trials reportedly planned at five major airports between October and December 2026. The proposed international Digi Yatra trials are expected to cover Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi airports.
The initial phase could focus on passenger touchpoints such as terminal entry and security checks, while immigration and emigration procedures are expected to remain separate during the early trials.
What Is Digi Yatra?
Digi Yatra is a facial-recognition-based airport processing system that allows eligible passengers to use a digital identity linked to their boarding pass at participating airport checkpoints.
For domestic travel, the system can reduce repeated manual verification of identity documents and boarding passes. The proposed international expansion would adapt this technology for passengers travelling overseas, where additional passport and border-control requirements apply.
What Is International Digi Yatra?
International Digi Yatra is the proposed expansion of India’s Digi Yatra system to international departures. The system could allow international passengers to use facial authentication and a digital travel credential at selected airport checkpoints.
Unlike domestic Digi Yatra, international travel requires passport verification and immigration checks. Therefore, the international version is expected to use additional technology to connect a passenger’s verified identity with their passport and flight information.
When Will International Digi Yatra Trials Start?
The proposed trials are expected to take place between October and December 2026.
The initial trials are expected to be conducted at five major international airports:
- Delhi
- Mumbai
- Bengaluru
- Hyderabad
- Kochi
The first phase could focus on terminal entry and security processing before authorities consider expanding the system to additional stages of the international passenger journey.
Which Airports Will Test International Digi Yatra?
The proposed international Digi Yatra trials are expected at five major Indian airports:
Delhi Airport
Delhi’s airport is expected to be among the locations where international Digi Yatra technology is tested. The trial could help authorities assess the system at a major international gateway handling large passenger volumes.
Mumbai Airport
Mumbai is another proposed airport for the international Digi Yatra trials. Its international passenger traffic and existing digital airport infrastructure could provide a large-scale environment for testing the system.
Bengaluru Airport
Bengaluru is expected to participate in the proposed trials, allowing authorities to evaluate facial authentication and digital passenger processing at another major international airport.
Hyderabad Airport
Hyderabad is also included in the proposed five-airport trial programme and could help authorities assess how the technology performs across different passenger flows.
Kochi Airport
Kochi is the fifth proposed airport for the initial international Digi Yatra trials, providing a test environment for international passenger processing in southern India.
How Could International Digi Yatra Work?
The proposed system could combine an electronic passport, smartphone-based NFC technology and facial recognition to create a digital travel credential.
The potential process could work as follows:
- Scan the electronic passport: The passenger could use an NFC-enabled smartphone to read the chip embedded in an e-passport.
- Verify passenger information: Information stored in the passport chip could be used to establish the passenger’s verified identity.
- Complete facial verification: The passenger could complete facial authentication using the digital system.
- Create a digital travel credential: The verified information could be associated with the passenger’s international flight.
- Use compatible airport checkpoints: Facial authentication could then be used at participating airport gates and checkpoints.
The objective would be to reduce repeated physical presentation of passports and boarding passes during parts of the airport journey.
Will Digi Yatra Replace Immigration for International Flights?
No, not initially. International Digi Yatra is not expected to completely replace immigration and emigration checks during the initial trials.
The proposed phased rollout could allow Digi Yatra to handle processes such as terminal entry and security, while passengers would continue to complete the existing immigration procedure before boarding an international flight.
This separation is important because international travel involves border-control requirements that are different from domestic airport processing.
Will Passengers Still Need Their Passport?
Yes. During the initial international rollout, passengers should continue to carry and present their passport wherever required.
The proposed Digi Yatra system could reduce repeated physical document checks at compatible airport checkpoints, but it would not mean that the passport becomes unnecessary for international travel.
What Technology Could Be Used for International Digi Yatra?
The international version could use several technologies together:
- Electronic passports (e-passports)
- NFC-enabled smartphones
- Facial recognition
- Digital travel credentials
- Biometric authentication
- Digital passenger processing systems
An e-passport contains an embedded chip that stores verified passenger information. NFC technology can allow compatible smartphones to communicate with the chip.
Combining passport-chip verification with facial authentication could help create a more secure digital identity for airport processing.
Why Is Digi Yatra Being Expanded to International Travel?
International airports involve multiple passenger verification stages, including terminal entry, security screening, immigration and boarding.
A digital identity system could potentially reduce repeated document handling at selected stages of this journey.
The proposed expansion could also help authorities evaluate whether India’s existing contactless airport-processing infrastructure can be adapted for international passengers while maintaining aviation-security and border-control requirements.
Will Immigration Be Integrated With Digi Yatra?
Immigration is expected to remain separate during the initial international Digi Yatra trials.
The proposed phased approach means Digi Yatra could initially be used for selected airport processes, while immigration and emigration checks continue through the existing system.
If the technology and security processes perform successfully during testing, authorities could evaluate whether Digi Yatra can be integrated into additional stages of international travel in the future.
How Will International Digi Yatra Protect Passenger Data?
Security and privacy will be important considerations because international Digi Yatra would involve sensitive identity, biometric and passport information.
Before wider deployment, the system is expected to undergo appropriate security assessments and vulnerability testing.
Authorities would also need to ensure that the system operates in accordance with applicable data-protection, privacy, aviation-security and border-control requirements.
The central challenge will be balancing a faster passenger experience with the security requirements associated with international travel.
What Are the Benefits of International Digi Yatra?
If implemented successfully, international Digi Yatra could offer several potential benefits:
- Faster processing at participating airport checkpoints
- Reduced repeated presentation of physical documents
- Greater use of contactless facial authentication
- A more integrated digital passenger journey
- Reduced manual identity verification at selected touchpoints
- Potentially smoother movement through airport entry and security areas
However, the actual benefits will depend on the outcome of the trials and the final design of the system.
What Could International Digi Yatra Mean for Travellers?
For international passengers, the eventual experience could involve using a digital travel credential and facial authentication at multiple compatible airport checkpoints.
A simplified journey could look like:
E-passport → Digital Travel Credential → Facial Verification → Terminal Entry → Security → Immigration → Boarding
The important distinction is that immigration would continue to operate separately during the initial phase.
