Digi Yatra International Trials Begin November 1 at 7 Airports: Who Can Use It and How It Works

International Travel in India Is Getting a Digital Upgrade

Airport queues, repeated document checks and the familiar scramble to find your passport at the entrance could soon become a little less stressful for some international travellers.

India's Digi Yatra initiative is preparing to extend its facial-recognition-based passenger processing system beyond domestic flights. Starting November 1, 2026, international passenger trials are scheduled to open at seven Indian airports, allowing eligible Indian nationals to use digital travel credentials at designated airport checkpoints.

The trial involves Air India and IndiGo international passengers and builds on Digi Yatra's existing use for domestic air travel. The programme is expected to run through December 2026, with passenger feedback helping shape a broader rollout planned for 2027.

For frequent flyers, this could mean fewer repeated identity checks at participating touchpoints. For occasional international travellers, it introduces a new option worth understanding before the next trip abroad.

But there is an important catch: this is a limited trial, not a replacement for your passport, immigration clearance or existing airline procedures.

Which 7 Airports Will Offer Digi Yatra for International Travel?

The international passenger trials will cover the following airports:

These airports will allow eligible passengers to use Digi Yatra at participating checkpoints where the necessary infrastructure is available. The exact facilities may differ between airports and flights.

Notably, Bengaluru and Kochi are already part of this transition. Bengaluru airport has announced international departure trials, while Cochin International Airport reported processing an international passenger through Digi Yatra on October 27, ahead of the wider November trial phase.

Who Can Use Digi Yatra for International Flights?

Unlike the existing domestic service, the international trial has specific eligibility requirements.

You may be eligible if you meet all the following conditions:

• You are an Indian national.

• You hold an electronic passport, commonly called an e-passport, with an embedded electronic chip.

• You are travelling internationally on an eligible Air India or IndiGo flight.

• Your airport and journey have the required Digi Yatra facilities enabled.

The trial covers international destinations served by Air India and selected international destinations served by IndiGo. Availability should therefore be checked for your specific flight rather than assumed for every departure.

What if you have a regular passport? If your passport does not contain the required electronic chip, you should not assume you can enroll for this international trial. You can continue using the standard airport process.

How Does Digi Yatra International Travel Work?

Digi Yatra uses digital identity credentials and facial recognition to help verify passengers at enabled airport checkpoints.

Here is how eligible travellers can prepare.

Step 1: Download or update the Digi Yatra app

Install the official Digi Yatra app on a compatible smartphone and check that you are using the latest available version.

Step 2: Scan your e-passport

Scan the machine-readable section of your passport as directed by the app. This allows the system to capture the required passport information.

Step 3: Read the passport's electronic chip

Use your phone's Near Field Communication (NFC) capability to read the embedded chip in your e-passport. Your device must support the required functionality.

Step 4: Complete photo verification

Take a selfie and complete the identity verification process. The app uses the information to establish a digital travel credential, known as a Verifiable Credential.

Step 5: Use Digi Yatra at enabled checkpoints

Once enrolled, you can use your credential at participating airport touchpoints, which may include terminal entry, the security hold area and boarding gates, depending on the airport and flight.

The digital credential is stored in the Digi Yatra wallet on your device. However, the availability of each checkpoint is subject to the trial's infrastructure and operational arrangements.

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Will Digi Yatra Replace Your Passport or Immigration Checks?

No. This is one of the most important things international travellers need to understand.

Digi Yatra is designed to simplify identity verification at participating airport checkpoints. It does not eliminate the legal requirements associated with international travel.

Passengers must still:

• Carry their valid passport and other required travel documents.

• Complete mandatory airline document verification.

• Follow immigration and emigration procedures.

• Meet visa and destination-country entry requirements.

• Follow all applicable airport security instructions.

In other words, your face may help establish your identity at an enabled checkpoint, but it does not become a substitute for your passport or visa. Immigration remains a separate statutory process.

What Does This Mean for International Travellers?

The expansion could make the airport experience more convenient by reducing repeated identity and document checks at selected points.

Potentially smoother terminal entry

At participating checkpoints, digital verification could reduce the need to repeatedly present physical documents for identity checks.

Less repetition during the airport journey

If multiple touchpoints are enabled, passengers may be able to move through parts of the departure process using the same verified digital credential.

A more connected digital travel experience

The trials will help assess how e-passport-based credentials can work across different airports and airline operations. Compatibility with international aviation identity frameworks is also an area being explored.

However, the trials do not guarantee shorter queues at every airport. Passenger volumes, security procedures, immigration requirements and infrastructure will continue to influence the overall time spent at the airport.

Is Digi Yatra Mandatory for International Flights?

No. Digi Yatra is a voluntary passenger-processing option.

Travellers who do not wish to use the platform, do not meet the trial requirements or cannot access it for their flight can continue through the conventional airport process. The Ministry of Civil Aviation describes Digi Yatra as a contactless processing initiative that links passenger identity with travel details at participating airports.

If you prefer carrying out the usual document checks, you do not need to enroll simply because your airport is participating in the trial.

What About Privacy and Personal Data?

Facial recognition and digital identity naturally raise questions about how personal information is handled.

Digi Yatra's international trial uses a verified digital credential linked to an eligible passenger's e-passport. The initiative has also introduced changes to its app interface, including a redesigned consent screen intended to make it clearer what information is shared, with whom and for what purpose.

Before enrolling, passengers should read the app's current privacy notice and consent terms carefully. Understand what information is required, how the credential is used and what choices are available to you.

As with any digital identity service, travellers should install the official app, protect their phones and avoid sharing sensitive travel information with unverified websites or third parties.

Digi Yatra's Bigger Expansion Plans for 2027

The international trials are part of a wider effort to expand digital passenger processing in Indian aviation.

According to Digi Yatra Foundation figures reported in October 2026, the platform has more than 26.5 million users and has enabled over 110 million journeys. It operates at 39 domestic airports and serves 11 domestic airlines, with plans to extend coverage to another 25 domestic airports by 2027.

The international programme will provide an opportunity to assess how the system performs in a more complex travel environment, where airlines, airport operators and border authorities have different responsibilities.

A broader rollout will depend on the outcomes of the trials, passenger feedback, technical readiness and the arrangements required for international travel.

What Should You Do Before Your Next International Flight?

If you are flying internationally from one of the seven participating airports after November 1, keep these practical points in mind:

• Check whether your airline and specific international flight are included.

• Confirm that you have an eligible e-passport.

• Make sure your smartphone supports NFC if required for enrolment.

• Complete the app-based registration and verification steps in advance.

• Keep your physical passport, visa and other necessary documents with you.

• Arrive with enough time for airline checks, security and immigration.

• Follow airport instructions if Digi Yatra is unavailable at a particular checkpoint.

Most importantly, do not arrive at the airport expecting the entire international departure process to become paperless overnight. The programme is still a trial, and the experience may vary between airports and flights.

The Bottom Line

India's move to extend Digi Yatra to international passengers marks an important step in the digitalisation of airport travel. From November 1, 2026, eligible Indian e-passport holders flying on participating Air India and IndiGo international services will be able to test digital identity verification at seven airports.

The potential benefit is straightforward: fewer repeated identity checks and a more convenient experience at enabled checkpoints. But passengers must continue to follow existing airline, security and immigration procedures.

For now, the best approach is to check your eligibility, understand how the app works and keep your travel documents ready. If the trials perform well, this could be an important step towards a more connected digital airport experience in India.