Photo: Shutterstock So you arrive at the airport with a valid passport, a confirmed ticket, and an eVisa. But before the airline allows you to board, a particular question arises: how can the carrier confirm that the digital visa is genuine and valid?
The issue is becoming more important and critical to fix amid the increasing number of countries that have chosen to move away from traditional visa stickers and introduce electronic travel authorizations. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), more than 100 countries now issue eVisas, yet there is still no single standard method that airlines can use to actually verify them.
Passengers can present either an email, a PDF file, or a QR code for check-in. In other cases, airline staff may need to check a government website or connect directly to a national database. On the other hand, some systems continue to require manual verification of supporting documents.
For check-in agents, explains IATA Director Airports, Infrastructure & Customer Experience Harry Grewal, that can create a complicated process, particularly when a journey involves several countries and transit points with their own entry requirements.
The consequences of getting the check wrong can also be significant. IATA says fines and removal costs can average around $9,000 per passenger when airlines carry travelers who do not meet the entry requirements.
IATA's Control Authorities Working Group has now published new best practices for issuing and verifying non-physical authorizations to travel. The guidance builds on work by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and focuses on greater standardization.
One of the key tools is Interactive Advance Passenger Information, or iAPI. During check-in, passenger information is sent electronically to the destination government's system, which can return a response in real time. This can allow authorities to assess whether the traveler meets the requirements for the journey.
IATA says airlines report documentation compliance rates up to 20 times higher in countries with comprehensive iAPI systems compared with those relying on manual checks. However, fewer than 30 countries currently operate iAPI systems.
The second tool is the ICAO Digital Travel Authorization, or DTA. It provides standardized, digitally signed proof that an electronic authorization has been issued. This could give airlines a consistent way to authenticate travel authorizations rather than dealing with different formats from each country.
ICAO has also endorsed the DTA and strengthened the connection between digital travel authorizations and iAPI, with the DTA potentially serving as an interim solution where iAPI is not yet available.
For airlines, the challenge is no longer simply making visas digital. The next step is ensuring that those digital documents can be reliably checked at airports around the world.
If an airline cannot check your digital eVisa at the airport because your passport is not correctly linked to your online account, the digital system is down, or something else, you will likely not be allowed to board and get on the plane.
You may, therefore, risk losing your flight if the airline staff does not allow you to pass the gate and have your luggage removed (causing extra departure delays).
You will also have to leave the airport area, fix the error in your online immigration profile, and buy a ticket for a later date.