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Digital disembarkation card
Looks like the little slips of paper to fill out at the airport with your passport and arrival flight details are being done away with. Instead, passengers will have to fill out this form (called "e-arrival"):
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/ News articles report this is in effect from October 1. E.g., https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../124200355.cms Edit 1: Seems like it can be filled out up to 72 hours in advance. The form does not ask for the incoming flight number. Edit 2: Different news articles vary in suggesting that OCI holders do or do not need to fill out this form. |
What about at departure, where Indian citizens had to fill out a form? Is that still in effect?
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Originally Posted by Bandicoot
(Post 37350015)
Looks like the little slips of paper to fill out at the airport with your passport and arrival flight details are being done away with. Instead, passengers will have to fill out this form (called "e-arrival"):
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/ |
Originally Posted by SeeBuyFly
(Post 37350107)
What about at departure, where Indian citizens had to fill out a form? Is that still in effect?
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First thing I checked was to see if it required a seat number( I had flashbacks of filling our Air Suvidha's during Covid). Glad its not there.
They should have got rid of these form's completely, It may make immigration faster but check-in slower. They already have all this information. I hope they get rid of the the boarding pass on arrival requirement too |
It appears it can be submitted 72 hours in advance, and the form does not ask for any details of your flight. So it shouldn't really affect check-in at all. Haven't seen anything to indicate that airlines will be required to check for this.
Between passenger manifest info from the airlines, and the info submitted when applying for a visa, almost everything they ask for in this form should already be available to the immigration authorities. Perhaps the only missing piece is the declaration of "which countries have you visited in the last X days". Also, conceivably your local address could be different from what you had proposed in your visa application. Guess they want these things on file, for whatever reason. |
I am US citizen with OCI.. do I need to fill in? I read somewhere OCI card holders don't have it but website doesn't say anything
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Unclear! Different news articles are saying different things and meanwhile there is nothing official on this matter on the government web sites.
I sent an e-mail asking about this to the contact address listed on the E-visa web site, but no response yet. I'm flying to India shortly. I'm going to fill the online form in anyway, it's unlikely they'd object to someone filling it in if they don't have to (OCI), and it's better than facing any undue delays at immigration because I didn't fill it out when I was supposed to. As always, the rule of thumb with paperwork in India is, "the more the merrier". |
OCI and Indian passport holder are exe
https://eoilima.gov.in/docs/e-Arrival%20Card.pdf Beginning October 1, 2025, India has replaced the physical arrival (disembarkation) card for foreign travelers with a digital e-Arrival card. All foreign nationals entering India must complete the online form within 72 hours of their arrival. What you need to know about the new system Who must fill it out? All foreign travelers, including those with an e-Visa, tourist visa, business visa, or student visa. Indian passport holders and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders are exempt from this requirement. How to apply: The e-Arrival card can be completed through the following official platforms: o Indian Visa Online portal: indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/ o Bureau of Immigration website: boi.gov.in/boi/ o Indian Visa "Su-Swagatam" mobile app When to apply: You can submit the form up to 72 hours before your flight. Required information: The digital form requires the same information as the previous paper version, including: o Passport and visa details o Date of arrival and flight details o Purpose of visit o Your address in India o Contact information, including email and phone number o Emergency contact information At the airport: After submitting the form online, you will receive a digital confirmation, possibly including a QR code or reference number. While you should save this confirmation on your phone or print it, your information will be pre-loaded into the immigration system, which should speed up the clearance process. Transition period For the initial six months, a transition period is in place where physical arrival cards will still be accepted, though travelers are strongly encouraged to use the new online system for a faster and more efficient experience |
People on my flight today had the new form all printed out with a qr code while boarding and deplaning. The FAs still handed out the paper forms and the desks with the forms were still in DEL.
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
(Post 37354458)
PS The above GoI link provided by Oliver2002 says OCI holders are exempt. But it also provides a GoI link https://boi.gov.in/boi/ and that web site has a running "What;'s New" text strip (one line of text moves from right to left...don't know the right term for that), and that says OCI holders need to fill out the form. And incidentally, OCI holders are foreigners, so it makes no sense to say that all foreign travelers must fill out the form and then say OCI holders are exempt, as stated on https://eoilima.gov.in/docs/e-Arrival%20Card.pdf https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...93a35a5a97.png |
Have any OCI card holders had to fill out the new e-Arrival card while using the e-Gates?
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OCI are exempt from the arrival card.
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Assuming OCIs now have to file this. Some official indian sources such as CGI San Francisco
are also stating the following on their website he Disembarkation Card can now be filled and submitted online through:
However after successful account registration, when I finally try to login, the app gives me an error message: "Please update to the latest version of the app".There is no latest version of the app as this is the only latest version of the app. Quite pathetic. |
Thanks, oliver2002 for the official bulletin stating that OCIs need not submit the form.
My own experience - landing at BOM a few days ago: FAs still handed out the paper forms on the flight, most people filled those out or grabbed them from the desks in the hallway before immigration. The hallways still have the big signs about filling the form being mandatory, btw. In the immigration hall itself, there were smaller notices, some mounted on the tape barricades that guide you down the lanes to immigration, with a QR code and saying it's faster / more efficient to use the online form. Essentially they don't seem to care currently at BOM whether you use the paper form or the online one. In my own case, I had the digital file (PDF) from the online submission available on my phone, but the officer processed me without asking for it. After he stamped my passport I asked him if he needed to see the PDF, and he just shook his head, which left me uncertain whether he meant that it wasn't needed because he had all the information from the online submission anyway, or that OCIs did not need to fill it out in the first place. Nothing in the notices at the airport said anything about OCIs being exempt, btw. |
Originally Posted by oliver2002
(Post 37360277)
OCI are exempt from the arrival card.
” Lastest UpdatesForeigners and OCI Card holders can complete and submit the e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before their arrival in India at boi.gov.in or indianvisaonline.gov.in or via official 'Indian Visa Su-Swagatam' Mobile App.”It’s possible that OCIs who have FTI-TTP are exempt, but that’s not mentioned anywhere. |
Classic babu bureaucracy. Half baked and contradictory guidelines rolled out without giving out the full details.
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Even apart from the OCI confusion, none of this makes sense. If you have entered the data, why do you need to then print out (or even show on the phone) a confirmation? Everything should be visible on their screen based on the passport.
Indeed, there is nothing in the form fields that cannot be determined automatically without requiring form entry. They already do it for Indians. They just need the airlines to tell them that we are coming. Even fast-track domestic security involves unnecessary steps. In the US, the airlines submit their booked passenger data to TSA, and so the fast track process (Precheck) is simple and painless. But who am I kidding? I needed "Misc Services" at the local Indian Consulate, and I had to submit a notarized paper copy of my OCI---the same OCI that they had issued, but I had to prove to them that they had issued it. It is as though computer databases haven't been invented yet. |
The data collected on the arrival card is to capture the information the FRROs need to keep track of the foreigners in their area. Since OCI don't have to register with the FRRO the card is waived.
Other countries do the same. In Germany every person staying at a hotel also provides this info which is filed with the local police similar to FORM c in India. The US wants to know where you are staying too. |
Originally Posted by oliver2002
(Post 37362577)
Since OCI don't have to register with the FRRO the card is waived.
But my experience, and that of all OCIs I know, is that we had to fill out the paper form every single time - the immigration officer specifically asked for it, looked at it, and put it away in the pile of those forms. Of course, it may be too much to expect much logic here with the babus. I will note that the digital form has less information than the paper form - no mention of the incoming flight. Except for the address you declare, everything else can be deduced by the immigration system from your visa information and the airline passenger manifest. Even for the address, most other countries will use information submitted in your visa application for where you plan to stay as the starting point to track you down if they need to. People don't stay in one place when visiting a country anyway, and there's no cross-check that the address in the form is valid in any way either. So it seems rather pointless. Oh, well. <shrug> |
Originally Posted by oliver2002
(Post 37362577)
The data collected on the arrival card is to capture the information the FRROs need to keep track of the foreigners in their area. Since OCI don't have to register with the FRRO the card is waived.
Other countries do the same. In Germany every person staying at a hotel also provides this info which is filed with the local police similar to FORM c in India. The US wants to know where you are staying too. PS If someone has to register with the FRRO, clearly the arrival card is not needed since the person will provide the info to the FRRO. Will the FRRO get the info from the arrival card? Of course not. And the address field is absurd, honest people enter their first hotel name/address (from which they will soon move on), while others just enter some random address. |
Su-swagatam app updated
The su-swagatam app has been updated. The older login window doesnt show up anymore. Instead user is asked to opt between e-arrival card or FtI-TTP website login. opting for the e-arrival card presents the e-arrival form with option to add more members.
The e-arrival card link clearly mentions (foreigner and oci card holders only) so looks like oci card holders do need to fill out e-arrival. |
Originally Posted by oakland
(Post 37417232)
The su-swagatam app has been updated. The older login window doesnt show up anymore. Instead user is asked to opt between e-arrival card or FtI-TTP website login. opting for the e-arrival card presents the e-arrival form with option to add more members.
The e-arrival card link clearly mentions (foreigner and oci card holders only) so looks like oci card holders do need to fill out e-arrival. |
Yes seems every website has got on the same page after a week or so of initial confusion. * At least very recently they were still accepting the paper forms - there may be a grace period of a few months before the digital form becomes mandatory. * Contrary to many news articles, I believe there is NO need to print out the form again and show it. Even the QR code from the online submission may not be necessary. I (as an OCI) did not have a print-out nor was I asked for the QR code generated from the online submission, when I last entered. Of course, obligatory disclaimer: YMMV. |
I arrived in DEL on 19th October. I had filled out the digital card ahead of time, and brought the printout with me (which I probably didn't need, but I have found that it's always good to have lots of paperwork along when traveling in India).
Paper forms were still available at DEL, and Air India handed out paper forms on the flight. Thanks to the electronic data I had submitted to GOI which included my email address I received an email from PM Modi on October 20th wishing me a Happy Diwali. It does seem like Indian immigration is asking more questions, both when I enter and leave the country (on a tourist visa). |
OCI here. Arrived last week at DEL after filling out the online form. Filled the form twice because of a small error the first time. No questions were asked by the immigration officer. I had a printout of the arrival card and the officer said no need. There were also paper forms and a lot of people were filling them.
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I filled a dummy one just to check the process. Provided a valid email address but never received the email. Have you guys received emails?
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Originally Posted by MNSWEEps
(Post 37444267)
I filled a dummy one just to check the process. Provided a valid email address but never received the email. Have you guys received emails?
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Originally Posted by xobile
(Post 37445565)
No email just the final page with the pdf and QR code you can save
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Originally Posted by MNSWEEps
(Post 37446077)
Thing is I will have to fill in the form using my phone as I won't have access to a computer.. hopefully all goes fine
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Originally Posted by aesoprocky
(Post 37446092)
They updated the Su-Swagatam app, it works surprisingly well now. No need to show any QR code or printout at DEL the last two times for me.
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Originally Posted by MNSWEEps
(Post 37446077)
Thing is I will have to fill in the form using my phone as I won't have access to a computer.. hopefully all goes fine
For extra caution, if you are worried about your phone dying at an inconvenient time, just ensure it's saved in a cloud-backed up location so you can still get to it via a different device if needed. |
Any update?
Just curious if anyone who’s flown in the last week can give an update on the e-arrival card. Are physical cards really eliminated, are you asked about them at check in, what happens if you don’t have it filled out and have no phone or service or WiFi at arrival, etc?
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Airlines no longer hand out the forms inflight. Checkin/gate agents don't really ask about it. When you land in e.g. DEL there are large signs where the desks with the forms used to be asking you to go to the provided wifi and scan the QR code to ill the form online.
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I was in DEL a few weeks ago and filled out the e-arrival card online using the app. The officer asked about the arrival card, but I told him that I filled it out online and he shook his head and let me through without even showing it. I'm an OCI and didn't realize I was exempt until reading this thread. It looks like the immigration officers are also confused about the new rules as well.
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Originally Posted by sgopal2
(Post 37698076)
I was in DEL a few weeks ago and filled out the e-arrival card online using the app. The officer asked about the arrival card, but I told him that I filled it out online and he shook his head and let me through without even showing it. I'm an OCI and didn't realize I was exempt until reading this thread. It looks like the immigration officers are also confused about the new rules as well.
OCIs are NOT exempt from the e-arrival card. All non-Indian citizens need to fill it out. Once it is filled out online it is linked to your passport number so once they scan that they know you filled it out. |
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