Digi Yatra trials for international flyers begin at 7 airports; rollout set for 2027

Digi Yatra is a digital airport facility that lets eligible passengers use a digital identity at enabled touchpoints. For international trials, it is designed for Indian nationals holding e-passports. The system matters because it may make movement through selected airport stages more seamless while retaining existing travel requirements.

A passenger creates an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential in the Digi Yatra mobile application. The passenger scans the passport’s Machine Readable Zone, reads its embedded chip with a compatible smartphone’s NFC feature, captures a selfie and verifies the details. The credential is then stored in the Digi Yatra wallet on the device.

During the trials, the credential can be used at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas and boarding gates where infrastructure is available. It does not replace passports, airline checks, immigration or other formalities. Feedback from the trials will help shape a possible wider international rollout in 2027.

International Digi Yatra trials are taking place at seven airports: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. The expansion is notable because an earlier plan covered five airports. The trials are scheduled from November to December 2026 and involve selected international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo.

Passengers may use the facility at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas, known as SHAs, and boarding gates. Availability depends on whether the necessary infrastructure has been installed at a particular airport and touchpoint. The system is therefore being tested selectively rather than across every stage of every international journey.

The trial focuses on airport touchpoints before and during boarding. Immigration integration is planned for a later stage, according to earlier reporting included in the article. Feedback gathered during the two-month trial will guide planning for a wider rollout in 2027.

The international trials are open to eligible Indian nationals who hold e-passports. This eligibility rule is central because the trial credential is built from the e-passport and is intended for use on selected international flights. The facility is being offered at participating airports and enabled touchpoints, not universally.

To begin, the passenger uses the Digi Yatra mobile application. The app scans the e-passport’s Machine Readable Zone and reads the passport’s embedded chip through the Near Field Communication feature of a compatible smartphone. The passenger then captures a selfie and verifies the displayed details. Together, these steps create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential.

The credential is stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet on the device. It can be presented at enabled trial touchpoints, such as terminal entry, Security Hold Areas and boarding gates. Passengers must still carry travel documents and complete airline, immigration and other required checks.

Digi Yatra has already reached substantial domestic scale before its international expansion. The government statement records more than 26.5 million users and over 110 million journeys. These figures show that the system is not starting from scratch as international trials begin.

Its current domestic coverage extends across 39 airports. Passengers at those airports have access to Digi Yatra-enabled facilities, although the article does not detail how usage is distributed among airports or users. The international trial is a separate expansion for eligible Indian nationals with e-passports on selected flights.

The domestic network is also set to grow. Another 25 domestic airports are planned to be covered by 2027. Meanwhile, feedback from the international trials at seven airports will inform decisions about a broader rollout. The combined plans point to continued expansion of digital airport processing, while existing travel procedures remain in place.

If the trials succeed, Digi Yatra could become available to international passengers more widely in 2027. The immediate possibility is broader use of an e-passport-based digital credential at airport touchpoints such as terminal entry, security and boarding gates. That could support a more seamless airport journey for eligible Indian nationals.

The current trial shows how this might work. Passengers create a credential through the Digi Yatra app, then use it at enabled touchpoints on selected international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo. The seven-airport test includes Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. Feedback will help officials plan the wider rollout.

The expansion would not remove existing safeguards or procedures. Passengers would still carry documents and complete airline checks, immigration and other formalities. Earlier reporting indicates that immigration integration is intended for a later stage, while software upgrades, security assessments and additional technology integration are required.

Digi Yatra complements existing travel procedures because its digital credential only works at selected, enabled airport touchpoints. It is designed to support movement through places such as terminal entry, Security Hold Areas and boarding gates. It does not cancel the broader checks required for international travel.

For example, an eligible passenger may create a credential from an e-passport and use it at a trial boarding gate. The passenger must still carry travel documents and complete mandatory airline document checks. Immigration procedures and other applicable travel formalities also remain necessary, whether or not Digi Yatra is available at that point.

This distinction is especially important while the international system is being tested. The government says the facility will complement, not replace, existing procedures. Earlier reporting indicates that immigration integration will be taken up later. The trials therefore test digital access at selected airport stages without changing the formal travel requirements passengers must satisfy.

The trial combines several identity signals into one digital credential. The passenger’s e-passport provides the Machine Readable Zone and an embedded chip. The smartphone reads the printed-zone information through the app and uses Near Field Communication to read the chip, while a selfie supplies the passenger’s captured facial image.

The process takes place in the Digi Yatra mobile application. The passenger scans the passport’s Machine Readable Zone, reads the chip with NFC on a compatible smartphone, captures a selfie and verifies the details. These steps create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential rather than requiring the passenger to repeatedly present the passport at every enabled trial point.

The credential is stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet on the device. It can then be used at participating terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas and boarding gates where infrastructure is available. The article does not describe the exact matching software or biometric decision process, so those technical details are not specified.