Finland is allowing passengers to use digital travel documents instead of passports for the first time as part of the trial of a new EU initiative.
Finnish citizens who are travelling on Finnair flights from Helsinki airport to the UK can now register as a voluntary Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) user during the next six months.
The DTC is a digital version of the physical passport, which is said to be “equally reliable” and “allows smooth and fast border crossings without compromising security”.
The document is being developed by the European Commission in co-operation with member states as part of its wider package of new digital identity services.
Participants in the programme are required to register as a DTC user at police service points in Tikkurila or Helsinki airport and follow the online instructions of the Finnish Border Guard. Passengers can then use the digital document at border control when leaving or arriving in Finland.
The initiative is only available to Finnish citizens travelling on flights to London, Manchester and Edinburgh from 28 August until the end of February 2024 when the trial ends.
The EU is co-funding the DTC project to the tune of €2.3 million and it will also be tested at Zagreb International airport in Croatia later this year.