A.Savin / Wikimedia Commons / Mumbai 03-2016 114 Airport international terminal interior / FAL
Digi Yatra now works on some international flights from seven Indian airports
Indian e-passport holders on select Air India and IndiGo international flights can now use Digi Yatra face recognition at seven airports, in a trial running to December. Immigration checks still apply.
What has changed
The Ministry of Civil Aviation says Digi Yatra, the face-recognition system already used on domestic flights, has started trials for international passengers at seven airports: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. The trials run from November to December 2026. Eligible passengers can use it at terminal entry, the security hold area and the boarding gate, wherever the equipment is installed (Ministry of Civil Aviation, 1 November).
Who can use it
Only Indian nationals with an e-passport, flying on select international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo. Not every international flight from these airports is included. Foreign nationals and Indians without an e-passport are not covered yet (Business Standard, 2 November).
How to set it up
In the Digi Yatra app, create an e-passport credential: scan the machine-readable zone of your passport, hold the passport to your phone so it can read the chip (the phone needs NFC), take a selfie and confirm the details. The credential is stored on your phone.
What it does not replace
You still need your passport and boarding pass, and you still go through airline document checks and immigration. Digi Yatra only speeds up certain checkpoints. The ministry says feedback from the trial will shape a wider rollout in 2027. Domestic Digi Yatra already covers 39 airports, with 25 more planned by 2027.
What Indian travellers should do
If you have an e-passport and are flying Air India or IndiGo internationally from one of these airports, set up the credential at home before you travel, not in the queue. Ask your airline at check-in whether your flight is in the trial. Keep your documents to hand either way.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- Digi Yatra Begins International Passenger Trials at Seven Airports — Ministry of Civil Aviation (PIB), 01 November 2026
- Digi Yatra for international flyers begins at 7 airports: Who is eligible — Business Standard, 02 November 2026
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