Key points
- India’s civil aviation ministry announced Digi Yatra trials for international passengers on 1 November 2026.
- Seven airports take part: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar.
- Only Indian e-passport holders on select Air India and IndiGo international flights can use it.
- The trials run from November to December, and feedback will shape a wider 2027 rollout.
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has started Digi Yatra international trials at seven airports. It announced them in a Press Information Bureau release dated 1 November 2026. The trials run through December.
Digi Yatra is the government’s digital airport processing platform, used so far on domestic flights. The ministry said eligible passengers are Indian nationals with e-passports, travelling on select international flights run by Air India and IndiGo. Where the infrastructure exists, the service works at terminal entry points, security hold areas and boarding gates.
How Digi Yatra international trials work
Passengers create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential in the Digi Yatra mobile app. They scan the passport’s machine readable zone, read its chip by NFC on a compatible smartphone, take a selfie and verify the details. The ministry said the credential is stored in the passenger’s Digi Yatra wallet on the device and used at enabled touchpoints. For background on the technology, see our guide to airport face recognition.
What stays the same
The ministry said the facility complements existing processes and does not replace them. Passengers must still carry travel documents and complete airline document checks, immigration and other formalities. The release does not cover data retention, sharing or other data practices.
Domestic base and next steps
According to the ministry, Digi Yatra has more than 26.5 million users and has supported over 110 million journeys across 39 domestic airports. It plans to add 25 more domestic airports by 2027. Feedback from the international trials will inform a wider rollout that year.
Open questions
How long will international trial data be kept, and who can access it? Which airlines and airports will join in 2027? What will passengers without e-passports use in the meantime?
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