Finland has announced that it will temporarily be suspending Digital Travel Digital Credentials (DTC) checks that take place at airports.
The authorities have revealed passengers who are departing and arriving at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport will not have to undergo any checks.
As per the Finnish Border Guard, the temporary suspension was brought into effect on the 20th of November.
In the words of the authorities, the measure is being implemented as a response to the current situation that has taken over the eastern border.
Finnish Border Guard
According to the Finnish Border Guard, this temporary suspension is part of a precautionary measure to control the traffic incoming at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
However, the authorities confirmed that only the DTC border checks were being halted, but all other normal check procedures will continue to take place as per the norm.
As a result, even if there is a malfunction of any kind in the DTC system, it will not have any impact on the travel plans of any incoming or departing passengers.
Consequently, all passengers will be able to continue with their journey by showing their passports at the border for the normal check procedures.
Where DTC registrations are concerned, the Finnish Border Guard explained that the process can easily be carried out per the norm.
The authorities added that the instructions for DTC registrations have not changed and will continue to take place at several police service points.
The launch
In August of the current year, Finland achieved the milestone of becoming the first country across the globe to test digital travel documents.
With the launch of the project, the citizens of the country were especially happy to be able to test their digital travel documents before traveling anywhere.
Meanwhile, the testing period for all the digital travel documents started around the last week of August and will go on until the end of February of next year.
Up until the DTC border checks were suspended, travel documents were being checked digitally by the citizens of Finland on various Finnair flights.
Most of these flights were landing in Edinburgh, London, as well as Manchester. Meanwhile, the document has been tested by people returning from these destinations to the country.
The DTC
As per the authorities in Finland, the DTC facilitates passengers to undergo border controls at a quicker pace and not have to wait in queues for prolonged periods of time.
They went on to explain that the inspection of DTC only takes a matter of seconds. This is one of the primary reasons why a greater number of people have been encouraged to test out documents, especially when the suspension is lifted.
The Finnish Border Guard also took to talk about the advantages of DTC, saying that the document ensures a streamlined experience for passengers.
Moreover, the authorities revealed that it is just as effective and reliable as a physical passport.
The Border Guard also highlighted that DTC enables fast and smooth border crossing without compromising the safety of the people using its services.
