India’s Digi Yatra initiative is preparing to extend its contactless airport processing experience to eligible international passengers, with trials scheduled to go live at seven Indian airports on November 1, 2026.
The three-month programme, running through December 2026, will allow eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports to use digital identity credentials at designated airport touchpoints while travelling on international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo.
The trials will cover Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. Passenger feedback is expected to help shape plans for a wider international rollout in 2027.
The initiative marks an expansion of Digi Yatra beyond domestic air travel, where the platform already enables passengers to use facial recognition and digital identity verification at participating airports.
Seven Airports to Participate in the International Trials
The international passenger trials will take place at 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 will be able to use Digi Yatra at enabled terminal entry points, security hold areas and boarding gates, depending on the infrastructure available at each location.
The trial covers all international destinations served by Air India and selected international destinations served by IndiGo. It is therefore not yet a universal facility for every international passenger or airline.
Who Can Use Digi Yatra for International Travel?
The initial trial is limited to Indian nationals holding e-passports who are travelling internationally on the participating airlines.
Unlike a conventional passport-based check alone, the process uses a digital credential created through the Digi Yatra mobile application.
Eligible passengers need to complete the following steps:
- Scan the machine-readable zone (MRZ) on their e-passport using the Digi Yatra app.
- Read the passport’s embedded electronic chip using a compatible smartphone’s Near Field Communication (NFC) capability.
- Capture a selfie and complete the required verification.
- Store the resulting e-passport-based Verifiable Credential in their Digi Yatra wallet on the device.
The digital credential can then be used at participating airport touchpoints during the trial, subject to local infrastructure availability.
Digi Yatra Will Not Replace Passports or Immigration Checks
Although the initiative is designed to make airport processing more convenient, passengers must continue to carry their original travel documents.
The digital credential does not remove mandatory airline document checks, immigration procedures or other international travel requirements. Travellers must still complete the formalities applicable to their destination.
The trial is intended to test how digital identity credentials can support passenger processing while maintaining the required travel and security procedures.
Redesigned Digi Yatra App Introduces New Features
Alongside the international trials, Digi Yatra has introduced a redesigned version of its mobile application.
The updated interface includes a cleaner layout, simplified navigation, improved boarding pass displays with airline-mapped colours and a more structured credential wallet.
Other changes include clearer indicators for guardian and minor credentials. A redesigned consent screen is also intended to make it easier for users to understand what information is being shared, who receives it and for what purpose.
Consent, privacy and security remain important considerations as the platform explores the use of digital identity across international travel journeys.
Digi Yatra’s Growing Adoption Across Indian Airports
The international expansion builds on the platform’s existing use across India’s domestic aviation network.
According to the programme’s reported figures, Digi Yatra has:
| Adoption indicator | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Registered users | More than 26.5 million |
| Journeys enabled | Over 110 million |
| Domestic airports covered | 39 |
| Domestic airlines served | 11 |
| Average airport adoption | Approximately 30% |
| Regional languages available | 11 |
The platform plans to expand language support to all 22 scheduled Indian languages by 2027. Another 25 domestic airports are also planned for coverage by that year.
These figures underline the scale of Digi Yatra’s domestic adoption as it explores the next stage of digital passenger processing.
What the International Trials Could Mean for Indian Travellers
If the trials prove effective, digital identity credentials could make selected stages of international airport processing more convenient for eligible passengers. The initiative also gives Digi Yatra an opportunity to explore compatibility with wider global digital travel frameworks.
The platform is looking at interoperability with IATA’s One ID framework and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Public Key Directory, which are relevant to the development of more seamless and secure digital identity processes for international travel.
For now, the programme remains limited to participating airports, eligible e-passport holders and specified airline routes. The experience and feedback gathered during the trial period will help determine how the service could be expanded in 2027.
For Indian travellers, November 1 marks an important step in exploring how digital identity technology could gradually become part of international airport journeys.
