Finland becomes 1st in world to test digital travel doc

The Finnish Border Guard invites passengers on Finnair flights to and from the UK to test the digital travel document at border control at Helsinki Airport from 28 August, said the Border Guard in a press release on Monday.

Finnair customers on the London, Manchester and Edinburgh routes will be able to pass through border control faster and smoother than usual without queuing.

This is possible by registering as a voluntary Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) user and using it at border control when leaving and/or arriving in Finland.

The Digital Travel Document can be tested at Helsinki Airport from Monday 28 August 2023 until the end of February 2024.

The digital travel document DTC is now being tested in real border control, reportedly for the first time in the world.

The DTC is a digital version of the physical passport and is equally reliable. It allows smooth and fast border crossings without compromising security.

The European Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, is developing the DTC as part of a broad digital identity policy package that includes a number of digital services.

The DTC Pilot project, led by the Finnish Border Guard, involves Finnish and Croatian partners. The DTC will be tested at Zagreb International Airport in autumn this year. The EU is co-funding the pilot project with €2.3 million.