Travellers with the United Airlines app for iOS or Android will be able to scan their passports to check in for international flights, the company has revealed.

Customers will be able to access the passport scanning feature when checking in for international flights in the 24 hours before they depart. After starting the apps check-in feature, travellers will have the option of verifying their existing passport data stored on Uniteds systems, or scanning their passport.

The app uses the phones camera to capture travellers passports, similar to a mobile banking deposit, before verifying it using credentials management service Jumio. Once the process is complete, customers can obtain a boarding pass. Any travellers who require additional travel documents such as visas will still have to check in at the airport as usual.

“We are focused on building the most useful travel app in the industry for our customers,” said Scott Wilson, vice president of merchandising and eCommerce at United. “The new passport scanning feature saves valuable time and provides customers with more options to control their travel experience.”

The passport scanning feature is still in final testing, and United will collect feedback from customers during its initial use with the goal of further improving the product and launching more customer-friendly features using the technology in the future.