Definition
India's face-recognition boarding system for domestic flights. You register once on the DigiYatra app using Aadhaar and a selfie, add your boarding pass, and then pass airport entry, security and boarding gates by face scan instead of showing ID and boarding pass at each point.
How DigiYatra works
- Download the DigiYatra app, verify your identity with Aadhaar (through DigiLocker or an Aadhaar OTP) and take a selfie.
- After web check-in, add the boarding pass to the app. It shares your credential with the departure airport for that flight.
- At the airport, use the DigiYatra lanes at the terminal entry gate, at security and, where installed, at the boarding gate.
Your identity data is stored on your phone rather than in a central database, and according to DigiYatra the airport deletes the shared credential shortly after your flight.
Where it works
At the time of review, a government update in mid-2026 put DigiYatra at about 38 airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Pune, with expansion to more airports planned by 2027. It covers domestic flights. Trials for international departures, using the chip in e-passports, were announced for late 2026 at airports including Delhi and Mumbai. Immigration stays a separate check either way. See immigration.
Is it worth it?
On busy mornings at Delhi, Bengaluru or Mumbai, DigiYatra lanes are often quicker than the general entry queue, though they can back up too. Practical points:
- Register a few days before travel, not at the gate, because Aadhaar verification and app updates sometimes fail.
- The face scan can stall with a cap, mask or new glasses. Take them off at the gate.
- Each flight needs its boarding pass added, so after a schedule change upload the new one.
- It's optional, and you must still carry a valid photo ID.