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Testing of the digital travel document DTC expands significantly at Helsinki Airport: 22 Finnair destinations now included

Publication date 26.1.2024 11.43
Press release
A passenger keeps his cell phone on the DTC reader.

Finnair customers can now test the Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) at Helsinki Airport border control on 22 Finnair routes instead of the previous three. The trial period will run until the end of March 2024.

The DTC can be used on the way to and/or from these Finnair destinations to Helsinki Airport:

  • Alanya
  • Changi
  • Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
  • Doha International Airport
  • Dubai International Airport
  • Dublin International Airport
  • Edinburgh
  • Haneda
  • Heathrow
  • Helsinki
  • Indira Gandhi International Airport
  • Hong Kong International Airport
  • John F. Kennedy 
  • Kansai International Airport
  • Los Angeles 
  • Narita
  • Pu Dong
  • Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
  • Incheon International Airport
  • Larnaca Airport
  • Manchester Airport
  • Miami.

Fast border control

Finnish citizens are the first in the world to be able to test a completely new type of digital travel document at border controls at Helsinki Airport since the end of August 2023. The Border Guard continues to invite citizens to participate as voluntary users in the piloting when travelling on Finnair flights to and/or from the above-mentioned destinations to Helsinki Airport. More than two hundred passengers using the Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) have already passed through border control. Experience has shown that the system works and the checks are fast. The average check time is less than 10 seconds.

Fast and smooth registration

The DTC users are involved in the development of the next generation of travel documents. The DTC is a digital version of the physical passport and is just as reliable. It allows you to cross borders smoothly and quickly without compromising security. DTC border checks are possible by registering as a voluntary digital travel document user with the police in Tikkurila or the police at Helsinki Airport. Registration takes a few minutes at the police service point. The voluntary users must be Finnish citizens of legal age and hold a valid Finnish passport. Instructions on how to participate in the pilot are available on the Border Guard's website: DTC − Border control faster and smoother | The Finnish Border Guard (raja.fi).

Feedback from the voluntary users in the pilot is of great importance to the Border Guard. The Border Guard will send a feedback survey to those participating in the pilot. Feedback can also be sent by e-mail to [email protected].

Pilot to develop digital document security

The Finnish Immigration Service is examining the digitisation and conversion of residence permits into 2D barcodes with biometric data as part of the DTC pilot. The residence permit is an essential travel document in the context of the passport and the aim is to support the DTC by also producing the accompanying documents in digital format.

In the context of the DTC pilot, the National Police Board is examining the management of chip errors in the enrolment, creation and use of the DTC. The DTC uses only the chip of the passport or ID card and not the physical document directly, thus emphasising error management.

The Border Guard is leading the project, with the participation of Finnair, the National Police Board, the Finnish Immigration Service and Finavia. In addition to the Finnish actors, the pilot project involves the Croatian Ministry of the Interior and the Croatian company AKD, which specialises in IT solutions for ID documents, among other things.

The Border Guard receives funding for the DTC pilot project from the EU Commission from the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI).

 
DTC Finnish Border Guard Raja – press release