DigiYatra has become mandatory for eligible international transit passengers at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad airports, expanding the facial recognition-based airport processing system beyond its domestic passenger base.
The requirement applies to eligible international transit passengers at the four airports. Travellers register through the DigiYatra mobile app, complete selfie and Aadhaar-linked verification, and upload travel details before using facial recognition-enabled e-gates at airport checkpoints. The Digi Yatra Foundation and India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation have not issued a fresh public statement on the mandatory international-transit requirement.
DigiYatra uses facial recognition to match a live image at the airport against encrypted identity and travel credentials associated with the passenger. The system reduces repeated presentation of physical documents and boarding passes while improving passenger flow through security, check-in, and boarding checkpoints. Passengers complete a one-time enrollment and can then use the biometric e-gates for subsequent journeys without presenting physical documents at each step.
In February, the Digi Yatra Foundation said the biometric travel platform would expand to international flights, with work underway to support passport-based identity and cross-border use cases. The platform has grown steadily since passing 9 million users and reached 19 million registered users by early 2026.
DigiYatra has processed more than 100 million passenger journeys and is planned for expansion to additional airports. The system currently operates at 38 airports in India, and the foundation has said it plans to cover all Indian airports in phases, with international flight support as part of the next stage of development.
The mandatory requirement marks a shift from DigiYatra’s earlier positioning as a voluntary service. Indian authorities have previously emphasized that DigiYatra follows a self-sovereign identity model, with personally identifiable information stored on the user’s device rather than in a central repository. The foundation has said the system uses a decentralized architecture, with biometric templates stored locally on each passenger’s device rather than in a centralized database.
International transit operations involve passengers moving between airlines, terminals, and document regimes. A mandatory enrollment process requires clear rules for eligible passengers, fallback handling for travellers who cannot use Aadhaar-linked verification, and deletion policies for biometric data captured during the airport process.
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
