Published on : 04 Apr 2026
Breaking: India has permanently abolished its paper disembarkation card as of April 1, 2026. Every foreign national — including visitors from the US, UK, Canada and Australia — must now complete the India e-Arrival Card online before flying to India. Paper forms are no longer accepted at any airport. The rule is live. The form is free. And missing it risks delays at immigration, diversion to manual kiosks, and potentially missing onward domestic connections. Here is everything you need to know and exactly how to complete it in under 10 minutes.
Published: April 4, 2026 Effective Date: April 1, 2026 — LIVE NOW Who Must File: All foreign nationals + OCI cardholders Who Is Exempt: Indian passport holders only Deadline to Submit: Within 72 hours before scheduled arrival in India Cost: Free — use official portals only Apply at: indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or Su-Swagatam app
The e-Arrival Card can be completed up to 72 hours before arrival through the official Indian Visa Online website or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam mobile app, requiring details like passport information, contact details, purpose of visit and address in India.
It is not a visa. It does not replace your Indian visa or eVisa. It is a digital declaration of arrival details — the online replacement for the paper disembarkation card that airlines handed out on flights to India since the 1960s. The move is the first major rollout under the forthcoming IVFRT 3.0 modernisation programme and replaces the paper disembarkation card that has been in use, largely unchanged, since the 1960s.
Think of it as your quick digital check-in before landing in India. No more scribbling on paper forms mid-flight. You fill it online from your phone or computer. Submit it up to 72 hours before your flight arrives — no earlier, no later. After you send it, you get a QR code. Show that code to immigration officers when you arrive. They scan it, and you’re through faster.
The Government of India aims to modernise and digitise border processes through this initiative. By shifting to an online system, authorities expect faster immigration clearance, reduced paperwork, fewer errors from handwritten forms, and improved passenger flow at busy airports. Early pilots suggested potential reductions in processing times of up to 40%.
For business travellers the change promises faster clearance: Bureau of Immigration pilot data from Delhi and Bengaluru airports show that average processing times fell from 5–6 minutes to under three minutes when the digital card was trialled in February.
India is following a global trend. Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines all have equivalent digital arrival systems. India is now joining them — with full mandatory enforcement from April 1, 2026.
Must complete it:
✅ All US passport holders visiting India ✅ All UK passport holders visiting India ✅ All Canadian passport holders visiting India ✅ All Australian passport holders visiting India ✅ All foreign nationals regardless of visa type (tourist, business, student, medical, transit) ✅ OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders — this includes the entire Indian diaspora in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
Exempt:
❌ Indian passport holders only
Important note on OCI holders: When India’s e-Arrival Card system launched on October 1, 2025, OCI cardholders were initially announced as exempt. That exemption lasted three days. On October 4, 2025, the Bureau of Immigration revised the policy: OCI cardholders are required to complete the e-Arrival Card, just like all other foreign nationals.
If you hold an OCI card and assumed you were exempt — you are not. You must file.
The online form must be completed within 72 hours before arrival and collects passport, visa, flight, purpose of visit, address in India, contact information, emergency contact, and recent travel history.
Here is the full list of what you need ready before you start:
Personal details:
Travel details:
Stay details:
Visa details:
Health declaration:
What you do NOT need to upload: ✅ No document scans ✅ No photographs ✅ No biometric data ✅ No payment
The form takes 5–10 minutes to complete.
There are two official channels. Use only these. Do not use third-party websites — many charge fees for a service that is completely free on the official portal.
Both options are free. Both generate the same QR code. Use whichever is easier for you.
Family group filing: Good news for groups: One person can submit for a family of up to five. Enter details for everyone together. This means families of up to five do not need to file separately — one person can complete the form for the whole group.
The timing of your submission changes what happens next.
If you complete the form more than 72 hours before your arrival, the procedure is simplified — no QR code is needed at immigration. Your confirmation reference number is sufficient. To avoid any complications, it is recommended to complete the India e-Arrival Card 2 to 3 days before departure.
What to show: Your confirmation reference number (save a screenshot)
If submitted within 72 hours of arrival, a QR code is generated. Timing matters: submitted within 72 hours of arrival, travellers must show the QR code generated after submission.
What to show: The QR code on your phone or printed on paper
Recommended approach for all travelers: File 2–3 days before your India departure and save your confirmation. This gives you the cleanest, lowest-stress experience at immigration.
Failure to complete the form will not automatically lead to denial of boarding in the first week, but travellers will be diverted to staffed kiosks on arrival to complete the form and risk missing onward domestic connections. Airlines warn that queues could quickly build during peak arrival banks, especially at Mumbai, where 45% of inbound passengers are non-Indian nationals.
From the airline side: Airlines have strong financial incentive to verify compliance at check-in and boarding. Travelers who cannot show confirmation of submission may face delays or denial of boarding. Complete the form before heading to the airport.
The practical risk is real: If you are flying Air India, Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines or any airline into India and cannot show your e-Arrival Card confirmation at check-in or the gate, you may be pulled aside, causing you to miss your boarding window. For passengers with tight connections onto domestic Indian flights — to Goa, Jaipur, Kerala, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad — a manual kiosk diversion at Delhi or Mumbai could mean missing that connection entirely.
Do not leave this until the airport. File within 72 hours before your flight.
Strict enforcement begins at Delhi International Airport and is expected to extend to other major entry points like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and beyond.
Currently confirmed airports:
✅ New Delhi — Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) — fully enforcing from April 1 ✅ Mumbai — Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) — enforcing ✅ Bengaluru — Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) — enforcing (BLR Airport issued its own advisory on March 25, 2026) ✅ Chennai International Airport (MAA) ✅ Kolkata — Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) ✅ Hyderabad — Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) ✅ Kochi International Airport (COK) ✅ Ahmedabad — Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD)
The rule applies across all designated Indian entry points — airports, seaports and international land borders handling foreign nationals.
No. Absolutely not. The e-Arrival Card and your Indian visa are completely separate requirements.
| Document | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Indian Visa / eVisa | Permission to enter India — required before travel |
| e-Arrival Card | Declaration of arrival details — required before each flight |
You still need a valid Indian visa or eVisa to enter India. The e-Arrival Card does not grant entry — it is purely an arrival information declaration. You need both.
For US, UK, Canadian and Australian travelers: India’s eVisa is available for eligible nationalities at indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa. The eVisa application window is up to 120 days before travel. Allow 24–72 hours for processing.
Here is how the major carriers serving your home country are handling the e-Arrival Card requirement.
Air India is India’s national carrier and is actively notifying passengers. Check your Air India app for pre-departure reminders. The check-in process for Air India flights to India now includes e-Arrival Card verification.
Emirates operates extensive India routes from Dubai — a key connection point for UK, Australian and Canadian travelers. Emirates passengers are reminded to complete the e-Arrival Card before departure to avoid delays at Indian immigration. Emirates currently operates approximately 34 daily flights to India from the UAE.
BA operates London–Delhi and London–Mumbai. BA check-in staff are now verifying e-Arrival Card completion at Heathrow Terminal 5. File before you reach the airport.
Lufthansa serves Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru from Frankfurt. Passengers flying with Lufthansa are encouraged to submit the e-Arrival Card through the airline’s website or mobile app before departure.
Singapore Airlines operates multiple Indian routes from Changi. For Australian travelers connecting through Singapore, complete your e-Arrival Card before you board your Singapore-to-India sector.
Australian carriers do not fly direct to India. Most Australian travelers connect via Singapore, Dubai or Kuala Lumpur. File your e-Arrival Card before your first departure from Australia — it covers your entire journey to India.
Use only official websites and the Su-Swagatam app. Avoid third-party sites that charge extra fees.
The e-Arrival Card is completely free. There are no fees, no service charges, no processing costs. Any website asking you to pay for an e-Arrival Card application is a scam.
Official and free portals only:
If a website charges you for the e-Arrival Card — it is not official. Do not use it.
Use this checklist every time you fly to India:
☐ Indian visa or eVisa confirmed and valid for your travel dates ☐ Passport valid for at least 6 months from arrival date, with 2 blank pages ☐ Hotel or host address in India noted and ready ☐ Flight number and arrival details confirmed ☐ e-Arrival Card filed within 72 hours before arrival at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or Su-Swagatam app ☐ Confirmation reference number or QR code saved on phone ☐ Screenshot of QR code taken (in case of no internet at destination airport) ☐ Return or onward ticket available if requested
Tip: Set a calendar reminder 3 days before your India arrival to complete the e-Arrival Card. Do not wait until the night before.
Q: Is the e-Arrival Card the same as an Indian visa? A: No. They are completely separate. The e-Arrival Card is a free arrival declaration. Your Indian visa is still required for entry.
Q: Do OCI cardholders need to file? A: Yes. OCI cardholders were added to the requirement on October 4, 2025. All OCI holders must file the e-Arrival Card before every trip to India.
Q: What if I file more than 72 hours before arrival? A: Your confirmation reference number is sufficient — no QR code needed. Filing 2–3 days before your scheduled arrival is the recommended approach.
Q: Can one person file for a family? A: Yes. One submission covers up to five family members traveling together.
Q: Is the form available in languages other than English? A: The official portal is primarily in English. The Su-Swagatam app may offer additional language options.
Q: What if I forget and arrive without filing? A: You will be directed to a staffed kiosk at the airport to complete the form manually. This causes delays and risks missing domestic connections. Do not rely on this as a fallback.
Q: What does the QR code look like and where do I show it? A: After submission within 72 hours of arrival, a QR code is generated and emailed to you. Show it on your phone screen or a printout to the immigration officer at the e-Arrival counter.
India’s e-Arrival Card is live, mandatory and free. Paper disembarkation forms are gone as of April 1, 2026. If you are a US, UK, Canadian or Australian traveler — or an OCI cardholder anywhere in the world — flying to India after April 1, this is now a permanent part of your pre-departure checklist alongside your visa and passport.
The process takes under 10 minutes. The form is free. The risk of not doing it is real.
File at: indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or download the Su-Swagatam app — within 72 hours of your scheduled India arrival.
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