DigiYatra's Facial-Recognition Check-In Is Set to Trial on International Departures From October

DigiYatra, the facial-recognition boarding system already in use at more than 100 Indian airports for domestic travel, is preparing to extend into international departures. Trials are planned between October and December 2026, with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin among the airports involved, and Delhi and Mumbai expected to be first.

How the international version differs

DigiYatra's domestic rollout has relied on Aadhaar-based enrolment, but the international version is built around e-passports instead. Travellers with a chip-enabled passport will be able to scan its data page and use an NFC-enabled smartphone to read the embedded chip, with the system then matching the passport's stored photograph against a live selfie to generate a digital boarding credential. Initial trials are expected to cover terminal entry, security checkpoints and potentially boarding gates.

Immigration checks stay unchanged, for now

Officials have been explicit that the first phase does not touch immigration or emigration processing: those checks will continue under the existing manual process regardless of whether a traveller has enrolled in DigiYatra, and passengers remain fully responsible for carrying their passport and completing standard exit formalities. The system is being pitched as a way to cut repeated document checks at terminal entry and security rather than as a replacement for immigration control. Authorities have also said the platform is undergoing vulnerability assessment and penetration testing ahead of the trial phase.

Confirm before you travel

As with any staged pilot, the trial timeline and the list of participating airports could shift, and enrolment for international departures is not yet open nationwide. Travellers flying out of India between October and December 2026 should confirm current DigiYatra availability and requirements through the official DigiYatra app or their airport's own channels rather than assuming international enrolment is already live.

Traveller tips

• Existing domestic DigiYatra enrolment, based on Aadhaar, does not automatically cover international departures, which will require separate e-passport-based registration.
• Carrying a physical passport and completing normal immigration formalities will remain mandatory throughout this trial phase.
• Only passengers with newer, chip-enabled e-passports will be able to use the international version at launch.
• Check the DigiYatra app or your departure airport's website closer to your travel date for the current list of participating terminals.