Finland To Trial Mobile App For Passengers To Travel Paper-Free

Finland will be the first EU country to trial a mobile app, with digital copies of travel documents. The app would allow passengers to travel paper-free. Read on to find out more about this hassle-saving app and about some countries that have already dabbled with the idea.

Finland to test mobile app for travel documents

Finland is keen to test out a mobile app, to hold digital copies of travel documents in place of the traditional paper passports. One big advantage of the technology is that travelers could send information to border authorities before they even get on the plane.

The Helsinki Times quotes a report in the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on the subject. Reportedly. the European Commission reached out to Finland at the end of 2021. It asked if the country would be willing to participate in a pilot project.

Mikko Väisänen, an inspector with the Finnish Border Guard told the newspaper:

We are currently preparing a funding application for the Commission. The application must be submitted by the end of August. After that, it will be decided whether the project will be realized or not.

It turns out the European Commission has asked some EU member states to run a trial on digital travel documents. After running the trial the data gathered from the tests will reveal the viability of crossing borders with only a mobile phone app across the EU.

About Finland’s digital passport trial

Currently, it is unknown whether Finland’s trial will go ahead. However, the digital passport could first be tested on flights from Finland to Croatia. In the trial, some passengers will be requested to volunteer to download the app to their phones. Those passengers would then be able to send their travel documentation direct to border authorities, prior to travel.

Obviously, some travelers might be concerned about privacy issues. According to Väisänen, the information would be checked in advance and deleted following the trip.

Meanwhile, Finland isn’t ready to start the trial yet. At the earliest, the first volunteers will probably be flying from Finland to Croatia in the spring of 2023.

Would digital passports resolve airport delays?

Initially, passengers volunteering in the trial would still need to carry their paper passports and go through the normal checks by border agents. However, eventually, the aim is for travelers to only carry documentation on their phones. Using this method, they could be identified at a security check or boarding a plane using a photo of their face.

The European Commission hopes that digital passports will make passing through border checks smoother and faster. In fact, reducing each individual traveler’s check by even a few minutes could eventually cut down on passengers’ waiting time.

Which countries are already using digital travel documents?

Last year, Ukraine became the first country in the world to give digital passports the same legal status as physical, paper passports. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine issued a phone app named Dila to allow users to reveal electronic versions of their documents. Moreover, users can also generate QR codes with the same power as a physical passport.

So far, Ukrainians have used their digital passports for a number of situations. For instance, they have been able to confirm their identity at the post office or open a bank account for several years. However, digital passports were recognized in 2021 when entering the country by rail or plane.

Meanwhile, South Korea and Poland also use digital documentation on smartphones in a similar way. Moreover, pilot projects are likely to soon be underway in the US and the UK. This option would certainly make renewing a passport a lot easier if it will even need to be renewed.