The first phase will focus on making some of the airport procedures easier for Indians flying abroad. However, the international process will work differently from the Digi Yatra system currently used for domestic travel, and immigration checks will continue to be conducted manually during the trial.

Where will it be used?

The first phase is limited to departing international passengers and will cover selected, lower-risk touchpoints inside the airport. These include:

• Terminal entry
• Security checkpoints
• Boarding gates

This means the system will help travellers move through these parts of the airport using a digital identity, reducing the need for repeated physical document checks at the supported touchpoints.

However, immigration and emigration are not part of the automated process at this stage. Passengers will still have to complete these checks separately through the standard manual procedure.

How does International Digi Yatra work?

The international system will also differ from domestic Digi Yatra. While domestic travel uses Aadhaar-based e-KYC, the international setup will rely on electronic passports, or e-passports.

For an Indian traveller using the system, the process will involve the following steps:

Scan the e-passport: The passenger first scans the information page of their e-passport using a smartphone.

Read the passport chip: The phone's NFC (Near Field Communication) feature is then used to read the embedded chip inside the e-passport.

Complete facial verification: The traveller takes a live selfie. This is matched with the photograph securely stored inside the passport chip.

Generate a digital credential: Once the identity is verified, a temporary, flight-specific travel token is generated. This token can then be used for contactless passage through supported airport gates.

Physical passport still mandatory

The trial does not mean passengers can travel without their physical passports.

They must continue to carry their physical e-passports and complete the regular immigration process. The digital system is being introduced to facilitate movement at selected airport touchpoints; it does not replace mandatory border or visa checks during the trial period.

For Indian passengers flying abroad, the international Digi Yatra trials will therefore initially mean a digital and contactless experience at selected stages of the airport journey, while the formal immigration process remains separate and manual.