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New immigration process: India launches e-arrival card for foreigners
The online form requires only basic details such as passport number, nationality, purpose of visit, address, and contact details
- PUBLISHED: Thu 2 Oct 2025, 1:36 PM
Foreign nationals can now breeze through Indian airports, as immigration is expected to become faster and smoother for visitors. A new system, replacing the traditional paper disembarkation card with a digital e-arrival card, has been activated as of October 1.
According to an Emirates airline advisory, the e-arrival card must be filled out on the India Bureau of Immigration website no earlier than 72 hours and no later than 24 hours before the flight. "There are no charges for submitting the card. Passengers who fail to complete the process in advance may face longer immigration clearance on arrival," stated the advisory.
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The online form requires only basic details such as passport number, nationality, purpose of visit, address in India, and contact details. No documents needed to be uploaded.
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Travel agents in the UAE, where India is one of the busiest destinations, have welcomed the step, saying that this move is a significant time-saver.
Bharath Aidasani, managing partner at Pluto Travels, said the online card will benefit the huge number of passengers travelling daily between the UAE and India.
“It will save a lot of time not to fill out the arrival card at the airport. These can be filled online 24 hours before departure, which will allow other nationalities travelling to India to get their immigration done faster. This online process will help many people travelling to India from the UAE," said Bharath.
Travelling for leisure, wellness
Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism, noted that passengers from the UAE travel to India for various reasons, including leisure and wellness, as well as business and start-up collaborations.
“Once they fill the form, the details will be there at the immigration counter even before they board the flight. Different nationalities travel to Mumbai and Delhi for business and tourism,” said Subair.
“People travel to Bengaluru for start-ups and collaborations with local companies. This online system was launched last year, and it will now come into effect across many airports,” he said.
From physical filling to digital
Mir Wasim Raja, manager at ITS, noted that the change is essentially a digital shift from paper to online.
“The process is simple. Enter personal details, arrival details, and contact details. No documents are required to be uploaded. Indian nationals and OCI cardholders are exempt,” Wasim added.
Push for faster immigration
With the rollout of the e-arrival card for foreigners, industry experts said that the authorities are working to make immigration at Indian airports more efficient.
What travellers need to remember:
The e-arrival card is now mandatory for all non-Indian nationals travelling to India.
It must be submitted online between 72 hours and 24 hours before the flight.
There is no fee for filling out the form.
Indian nationals and OCI cardholders are exempt.
Not filling in the form in advance will result in longer queues at immigration.
The initiative, introduced by the Indian Authorities, is aimed at cutting down long queues at immigration counters in busy Indian airports. Instead of filling out the arrival card at the airport after landing, travellers must now complete the process online before departure. Immigration officers will already have the information by the time passengers arrive.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.