Finland unveils world’s first digital passport

The real travel revolution may be about to begin Finlandas the Scandinavian country experiences for the first time in the world passports digital.

Travelers on select Finnair flights will be able to clear border controls using their digital travel credentials (DTC) instead of queuing at border control.

The Finnish Border Guard reports that this is the first case digital passport “in a real border control environment, reportedly a world first.” They claim this will make the process “faster and smoother than usual.”

How does the Finnish digital passport work?

The DTC pilot opened to Finnish passengers on Finnair flights to London, Edinburgh or Manchester on 28 August. Available only to Finnish citizens.

• Travelers interested in volunteering must first download the FIN DTC Pilot digital travel document app on your smartphone from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. To use it, you’ll need to activate some sort of phone screen lock method (PIN, fingerprint, or Face ID) before installing the app.
• You will then need to register with the police at the Licensing Service of Vantaa Main Police Station. To do this, you need to make an appointment and bring passport valid physical to create a digital version. During registration, you will sign a consent form and your face will be photographed for use in facial recognition.
• You only need to register with the police once, after which you can use DTC.
• The border agent will compare your photo with the DTC photo taken when registering with the police. Once you place your passport in a separate reader, you will have to look into the camera. Once cleared, you will go through border control.