Flying abroad? DigiYatra trials for international departures may soon begin at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru airports

DigiYatra is to roll out its facial recognition-based system, saving time for international flyers from India, as per the latest update. The initial testing phase is said to begin at Delhi and Mumbai.

Good news for international flyers! The government is reported to be working to introduce Digi Yatra, the facial recognition-based system, to international travellers during departures from India. The trials for the planned extension are said to begin with Delhi and Mumbai alongside Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin, as per Hindustan Times.

Digi Yatra for International departures

The trials for Digi Yatra for international departures are said to take place from October to December this year. Phase one of the trial is said to solely focus on departing passengers. It is likely to be only available at lower-risk touchpoints like terminal entry, security checkpoints, and boarding gates. Integration with immigration might follow in a later phase once the reliability of the system is fully proven, the report quoted a second official.

Meanwhile, all inbound flights and existing emigration checks are expected to remain unaffected during the trial.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Digi Yatra policy document, the immigration framework operates independently from the Digi Yatra boarding system. An automated border control is reported to be planned for a later stage.

The major difference between the two systems lies in identity verification. While domestic travel relies on Aadhaar e-KYC, international travel will use e-passports.

How it will work

Passengers will be able to set up an international credential by scanning the first page of their e-passport. It would read its embedded chip via a smartphone's Near-Field Communication (NFC). It is reported that the chip's stored image of the flyer would then be verified with the live selfie on camera, granting passage via a secure credential stored locally in the passenger's phone wallet.

Hindustan Times also reported that India has issued more than 17.3 million biometrically compliant e-passports till July 30, citing official parliamentary figures.

How long rollout may take

For now, the software upgradation work ahead of the trials remains pending. An audit by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is said to be conducted as well, added the second officer.

Reportedly, the upgraded app is at the final testing stage with a vulnerability assessment and penetration testing by CERT-In and Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC).

Additionally, rules and regulations for air travel, such as the mandatory requirement of showing passports for airport entry, are also likely to be amended ahead of the rollout. These guidelines are set by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the Bureau of Civil Aviation.

While travelling internationally is considered a sensitive border-crossing process, Digi Yatra chief executive officer (CEO) Suresh Khadakbhavi assured that talks with the authorities are progressing well. They are also said to be in discussion with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) ICAO, and an EUDI pilot trial under the APTITUDE cohort to make the Digi Yatra ecosystem interoperable.

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) announced that E-Boarding Passes are now accepted at all Immigration Counters as stamping is no longer mandatory.

About the Author

Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.

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