Finland is ahead of the times.
For the first time, travelers from Helsinki to the United Kingdom will be able to board a flight using a digital copy of their passport.
It is no secret that we live in a digital age where we order everything online, have video meetings with people on the other side of the globe, and use our faces to unlock our phones. But one thing that has always remained in the physical realm is passports.
The Finnish Border Control is taking part in a pilot project that will see Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) used in a “real border control environment” for what is believed to be the first time in the world.
The DTC is a digital version of a physical passport that supposedly equally reliable and will allow smooth and fast border crossings without compromising security.
Currently, the trial is only available to Finnish citizens and involves registering at a police station where a valid physical passport is required to make a digital version. It will also include signing a consent form and a photo being taken for facial recognition.
The DTC can be used on Finnair return flights between Helsinki and the UK until the end of February 2024.