India is preparing to expand DigiYatra to international departures, with trials planned between October and December 2026 at major airports. Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin are expected to participate, with Delhi and Mumbai likely to be among the first airports.
Unlike the domestic system, which uses Aadhaar-based enrolment, the international version is expected to use electronic passports for identity verification.
Passengers with e-passports could scan the passport’s first page and use an NFC-enabled smartphone to read the embedded chip. The photograph stored on the chip would then be matched with a live selfie to create a digital travel credential.
The initial trials are expected to focus on terminal entry, security checkpoints and potentially boarding gates. Immigration and emigration checks will continue under the existing process during the first phase.
The government is also conducting technology and security checks ahead of the trials, including vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.
If successful, the expansion could make international departures more digital and reduce repeated document checks at participating airport touchpoints, while passengers will still need to carry their passports and complete mandatory immigration procedures.
