Digital Travel Credentials move identity verification beyond the border

By Frank Schmalz is Director of Strategic Portfolio Management at Veridos 

Global travel is not just growing, it is outpacing the infrastructure designed to support it.

With passenger volumes projected to nearly triple by 2045, the systems used to verify identity at borders are approaching a structural limit. Built for a different era, today’s processes are increasingly misaligned with modern expectations of speed, scale, and security.

Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs), standardized by the International Civil Aviation Organization, represent a necessary evolution. The question is no longer if they will shape the future of travel, but how they will be implemented, and whether that implementation strengthens the foundations of trust that global mobility depends on.

The scale of what’s at stake

The pressure on border systems is structural.

Global passenger volumes are expected to approach 9.5 billion by 2045, placing unprecedented strain on infrastructure that was never designed to operate at that scale. Even with Automated Border Control (ABC) gates, the underlying model remains largely sequential and checkpoint based.

At approximately 15 to 17 seconds per traveler under ideal conditions, today’s processes already create bottlenecks. On a global scale, this is not simply an efficiency issue; it is a capacity constraint.

DTCs address this by fundamentally shifting when and where identity verification occurs, moving key steps earlier in the travel journey.

What are Digital Travel Credentials and what are they not?

DTCs are often described as digital passports. That framing misses the point.

They are a secure framework for transmitting verified identity data ahead of travel, built on the same cryptographic foundations as ePassports and defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization in three different types.

Their real value lies in decoupling identity verification from the physical border

•       Type 1 enables pre-travel data sharing
•       Type 2 supports full digital verification with a secure physical component
•       Type 3 introduces a standalone digital credential with its own lifecycle

DTCs are not designed as a tool for tracking individuals, nor do they inherently centralize traveler data. They are designed to enhance verification while preserving sovereign control over identity issuance.

Where the technology stands: Maturity varies by type

DTC Type 1 is no longer theoretical; it is moving into early operational deployment.

Pilots have demonstrated that travelers can create a digital credential from their ePassport, share it in advance, and complete key verification steps before arriving at the border. Depending on jurisdictional and regulatory requirements, biometric verification may be implemented as one-to-one or, where explicitly mandated by law, one-to-many matching.

This represents a fundamental shift: border processing becomes faster and more scalable because fewer steps remain at the border itself.

Type 2 builds on this foundation but requires a fully integrated digital border ecosystem, including online verification, digital visas, Entry/Exit systems, and secure device connectivity (e.g., NFC or Bluetooth). These are achievable, but require coordinated investment.

Type 3 is technically aligned with Type 2, but introduces a standalone credential with its own lifecycle. The key questions here are less technical and more related to governance and deployment models.

The sovereignty and security questions that must be answered

This is where the DTC discussion becomes decisive.

ePassports operate within highly controlled environments, with chips certified against rigorous standards such as Common Criteria. That level of assurance underpins global trust.

Extending this into mobile environments introduces new challenges. Smartphones are not sovereign infrastructure, raising valid concerns around control, security, and long-term governance.

Approaches such as Secure Application for Mobile (SAM-SD) on an embedded SIM offer a promising path by establishing a state-controlled secure domain on the device. However, the broader issue remains: digital convenience cannot come at the expense of security or sovereignty¹¹.

Privacy and accessibility also play important roles. Pre-sharing data enables efficiency gains, but requires clear governance to prevent misuse. At the same time, digital systems must remain inclusive for travelers without access to smartphones or compatible infrastructure.

How deployment will actually unfold

DTC adoption will be gradual, regional, and shaped by policy decisions.

Europe is advancing integration through digital identity frameworks, while North America is progressing through targeted pilots. Industry projections suggest a phased rollout, with Type 1 scaling in the near term and more advanced models following over time.

Physical passports will remain central throughout this transition. The future is not digital versus physical; it is a period of coexistence.

Strategies moving ahead

The identity ecosystem is at an inflection point.

The technology is proven. The direction is clear. What matters now is execution.

DTCs must be implemented in a way that:

•       Preserves sovereign control over identity
•       Meets the highest security standards
•       Integrates across global systems
•       Maintains trust while improving efficiency

The physical passport has served as the foundation of global travel for decades. It will continue to do so.

Digital Travel Credentials are not a replacement. They are a complementary evolution enhancing efficiency, security, and user experience while protecting the trust and investment embedded in existing systems.

The opportunity is not simply to digitize travel documents, but to modernize global travel infrastructure in a way that is secure, scalable, and inclusive, meeting increasing passenger volumes.

About the author

Frank Schmalz is Director of Strategic Portfolio Management at Veridos and an expert on digital travel. Veridos supplies governments and authorities with tailor-made complete solutions for secure identification.

Article Topics

border security  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  digital sovereignty  |  digital travel  |  digital travel credentials  |  ICAO  |  mobile app  |  travel documents  |  Veridos