The Ministry of Civil Aviation has commenced trials of the Digi Yatra facility for international passengers at seven airports across India: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai, and Amritsar. The trials will run from November to December 2026 and are designed to collect passenger feedback to inform a wider rollout planned for 2027.
Eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports can participate in the trials while traveling on select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo. Participants can use the digital facility at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA), and boarding gates where the required infrastructure is available. To access the facility, passengers must create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential (VC) through the Digi Yatra mobile application by scanning the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of their e-passport, reading the embedded chip using Near Field Communication (NFC) on a compatible smartphone, capturing a selfie, and verifying details. The credential is stored in the passenger's Digi Yatra wallet on their device.
The Digi Yatra facility is intended to complement rather than replace existing travel processes. Passengers must continue to carry all travel documents and complete mandatory airline document checks, immigration procedures, and other applicable travel formalities. The platform has already achieved significant domestic adoption with over 26.5 million users and more than 110 million journeys facilitated across 39 domestic airports. An additional 25 domestic airports are planned to be covered by 2027, demonstrating the Ministry's commitment to leveraging technology for improved airport operations and seamless air travel in line with the Digital India and Ease of Flying initiatives.