March is the last month when citizens of Finland get to test the digital travel document, known as Digital Travel Credentials (DTC), when flying to and from several international destinations.
Since the testing period for the DTC ends on March 31, 2024, the Finnish Border Guard has encouraged everyone flying internationally on a Finnair flight this month to test the document, experience quick and easy inspection, and provide feedback, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
The DTC can be tested when flying from and back to the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on 22 different Finnair routes.
Finns who will take a trip outside the Schengen Area this month and want to test the DTC can do so on the Finnair destinations listed below:
- Alanya (Türkiye)
- Changi (Singapore)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (US)
- Doha International Airport (Qatar)
- Dubai International Airport (UAE)
- Dublin International Airport (Ireland)
- Edinburgh (Scotland)
- Haneda (Japan)
- Heathrow (UK)
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (India)
- Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong)
- John F. Kennedy (US)
- Kansai International Airport (Japan)
- Los Angeles (US)
- Narita (Japan)
- Pu Dong (China)
- Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Thailand)
- Incheon International Airport (South Korea)
- Larnaca Airport (Cyprus)
- Manchester Airport (UK)
- Miami (US)
It is important that Finns who travel from Finland’s Helsinki Airport on Finnair flights to the destinations mentioned above and back to the country use the DTC so that the authorities gather enough information on its effectiveness.
As soon as it is proven that DTC makes the travel process easier, Finland will move forward to introducing the document to a larger extent.
82% of Finns Said They Would Use DTC Again
Citizens of Finland started testing DTC at Helsinki Airport in August 2023, and since then, hundreds of them have passed the border checks by using the document.
The feedback of Finns who have already used DTC to travel internationally has been very positive, with 65 per cent of them saying that the inspection of the document was swift and straightforward.
In addition, 82 per cent of Finns said that they would use the DTC again on future international flights.
Data show that, on average, DTC reduced the border check time to less than ten seconds.
DTC serves as a digital version of the physical passport and is just as reliable. Finnish citizens who are interested in testing the document out can sign up at the Tikkurila police station or the Helsinki Airport police station. Registering at either of these two locations takes only a few minutes.
To participate in the testing of the document, participants must provide that they hold a valid Finnish passport and are adults.
