India e-Arrival Card FAQ 2026: 40 Most Common Questions Answered

The India e-Arrival Card is a mandatory digital arrival declaration for all foreign nationals entering India. It replaced the paper disembarkation card that was handed out on flights since the 1960s. From April 1, 2026, all foreign passport holders and OCI cardholders must complete it online before arriving in India. The form is free and submitted at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival.

No. The e-Arrival Card and Indian visa are two completely separate documents. The visa grants permission to enter India. The e-Arrival Card is a digital arrival declaration – it tells immigration who you are and where you are staying. You need both: a valid visa and a completed e-Arrival Card. The e-Arrival Card is free; the visa has a cost.

The e-Arrival Card became fully mandatory from April 1, 2026 (00:01 IST). It was introduced as an optional digital alternative to the paper disembarkation card from October 1, 2025. From April 1, 2026, paper cards were completely abolished at all Indian airports.

Yes – the e-Arrival Card is a free government service. Submit it at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or via the Su-Swagatam mobile app. There is no fee. Any third-party website charging money to submit the form is not an official government channel and should be avoided.

The official portal is indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival, operated by the Bureau of Immigration under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs. The Su-Swagatam mobile app is the official companion application. All other websites are unofficial.

No. Indian citizens holding valid Indian passports are exempt from the e-Arrival Card requirement. Only foreign passport holders and OCI cardholders are required to complete it.

Yes. Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders must complete the e-Arrival Card before arriving in India, even though they do not require a separate Indian visa. The OCI card does not exempt holders from this digital arrival declaration requirement. See our dedicated OCI e-Arrival Card guide.

It depends on which passport the NRI uses. If an NRI travels on an Indian passport, they are exempt. If they travel on a foreign passport (e.g., US, UK, Canadian), they must complete the e-Arrival Card. Most NRIs who have taken foreign citizenship will need to complete it. See our NRI guide for details.

Yes. Every foreign national, including infants and children, needs a completed e-Arrival Card. Parents must submit a separate e-Arrival Card for each child traveling on a foreign passport. Children on Indian passports are exempt. See our family travel guide for how to handle children’s e-Arrival Cards.

Yes. All foreign nationals, including those on business visas or business e-Visas, must complete the e-Arrival Card. Business travelers benefit from faster immigration processing – pilot data showed clearance times under 3 minutes with the QR code. Our business traveler guide covers specific tips.

No. All foreign passport holders, regardless of nationality, must complete the e-Arrival Card. The only exemption is Indian citizens holding Indian passports. Every other nationality – including all countries with visa-free access, eVisa, or regular visa arrangements – must complete the form.

Go to indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival within 72 hours before your arrival in India. Enter your passport details, flight information, address in India, etc. Submit the form. You receive a QR code by email immediately after submission. Show this QR code to immigration officers on arrival. Full instructions are in our how to apply guide.

You need: full name as in your passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, gender, flight number, scheduled arrival date, and airport in India, purpose of visit, duration of stay, and address in India (hotel name or contact person). Have your passport and flight booking ready before starting.

Yes. The official website indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival works on mobile browsers. The Su-Swagatam app is also available for Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store). Most travelers prefer the app for its save-and-resume feature.

No – printing is not required. After submitting, you receive a QR code by email. You can show this QR code from your phone screen at immigration. If you prefer, you can print it, but a digital display is fully accepted at all Indian airports.

Yes. You can complete the e-Arrival Card on behalf of a family member, fellow traveler, or client, as long as you enter their accurate passport and travel details. Each traveler needs their own separate submission. Parents can complete forms for their minor children.

The e-Arrival Card can only be submitted within 72 hours (3 days) before your scheduled arrival in India. The system will reject submissions made earlier than 72 hours before your landing time. There is no minimum lead time – you can submit it very close to departure, but ideally do so 24-48 hours before to have the QR code ready. Full details at our 72-hour rule page.

If a significant delay changes your arrival date or flight details, you may need to submit a new e-Arrival Card with the updated information. The system checks your QR code against your actual arrival details. In most cases of minor delays (same day), the original QR code remains valid. For major delays or flight changes, resubmit with the correct details.

Most travelers fill it out 24-48 hours before their departure from their home country. The key deadline is 72 hours before landing in India – not before departure. If you have a connecting flight, the 72-hour window refers to your final arrival in India, not when you board your first flight.

After submitting the e-Arrival Card form, you receive a unique QR code by email. This QR code is your digital arrival card. Immigration officers at Indian airports scan it to retrieve your submitted details from the system – your personal information, purpose of visit, and accommodation address appear on their screen. You do not need to bring printed documents – the QR code on your phone screen is sufficient.

If you cannot find your QR code email, check your spam folder first. If it is genuinely lost, you can resubmit the e-Arrival Card form with the same details to receive a new QR code. Alternatively, at most Indian airports there are assistance kiosks where staff can help retrieve your submission using your passport number. See our portal troubleshooting guide.

Printing is optional, not required. The QR code displayed on your phone screen is fully accepted at all major Indian international airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. However, if you have battery or connectivity concerns, a printed copy provides a useful backup.

OCI cardholders must present three items at Indian immigration: (1) their foreign passport, (2) their OCI card, and (3) the e-Arrival Card QR code. All three are checked. The OCI card serves as the visa – no separate Indian visa is needed. But the e-Arrival Card is an additional mandatory requirement as of April 1, 2026.

Yes. The e-Arrival Card must be completed before every trip to India, including for OCI cardholders who travel frequently. It cannot be registered permanently – each visit requires a new submission within the 72-hour window before that specific arrival.

No. Any person holding a foreign passport – regardless of Indian origin, cultural ties, or previous Indian citizenship – must complete the e-Arrival Card. Only those currently holding a valid Indian passport are exempt. This includes PIO (Person of Indian Origin) cardholders on foreign passports – they must complete the form.

Yes. All US citizens must complete the India e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before landing in India. The US Embassy in India has confirmed this requirement and encourages early submission. The form is free at the official portal. US citizens also need an Indian e-Visa or regular visa – see our US citizens guide.

Yes. British citizens (UK passport holders) must complete the India e-Arrival Card before every trip to India. The UK is not in the EU, but the e-Arrival Card requirement applies equally. UK citizens also need an Indian visa or eVisa. Full details at our UK citizens page.

Yes. All Canadian citizens and Canadian residents traveling on foreign passports must complete the India e-Arrival Card. Canada’s official travel advisory at travel.gc.ca confirms this requirement. The form is free and must be submitted within 72 hours before landing. Visit our Canada citizens guide.

Yes. Australian citizens must complete the India e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before landing. The requirement applies to all foreign nationals without exception. Australian travelers also need an Indian eVisa or regular visa.

Yes. Citizens of all 27 EU member states must complete the India e-Arrival Card. There are no exceptions within the EU – German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, and all other EU citizens are equally required to submit the form. Visit our EU citizens guide.

The e-Arrival Card is required at all international airports in India. This includes: Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi (DEL), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai (BOM), Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR), Chennai International Airport (MAA), Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Hyderabad (HYD), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport Kolkata (CCU), and all other airports handling international arrivals.

Transit passengers who clear Indian immigration – even briefly – must have the e-Arrival Card. Passengers who remain in a sterile airside transit zone without going through immigration do not need it. Whether you need to clear immigration during transit depends on your airline, route, and airport layout. Check with your airline before travel. See our transit passengers guide.

Yes. The e-Arrival Card covers your international arrival at your first Indian airport (e.g., Delhi). Once you clear immigration there, you do not need another e-Arrival Card for domestic connections within India. The card is per international arrival, not per flight segment within India.

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) was one of the pilot airports for the e-Arrival Card. At Terminal 3 (international arrivals), immigration officers scan QR codes at dedicated counters. The process for foreign nationals: present passport, visa, and QR code – the system retrieves your details instantly. Our dedicated Delhi airport guide covers the full arrival process.

If you notice an error after submission, submit a new e-Arrival Card with the correct information before your flight. The system accepts multiple submissions – immigration will use the most recent valid one linked to your passport. For minor typos (e.g., one digit off in a phone number), the risk is low, but for critical errors like wrong passport number or arrival date, resubmit immediately. See our common mistakes guide.

If you arrive without a completed e-Arrival Card, immigration officers will direct you to manual kiosks or assistance counters where you can complete the form on the spot. This causes significant delays – especially during peak arrival hours. In rare cases, particularly problematic arrivals could face additional scrutiny. It is always better to complete the form before travel. See our denied boarding and immigration issues guide.

If the official portal is down, try the Su-Swagatam mobile app as an alternative. Both access the same system but through different interfaces. If both are unavailable, try again in a few hours – the systems typically recover quickly. Airport kiosks are available as a last resort on arrival. Our portal troubleshooting guide covers all common error scenarios.

Airlines may check for the e-Arrival Card at check-in. Some carriers conduct pre-departure document checks. Technically, airlines are not required to verify the e-Arrival Card (unlike visas), but some do as a passenger service. Do not rely on the airline catching the omission – always complete the form yourself before checking in.

Yes. Every person traveling on a foreign passport, including infants and babies on their own passports, needs a completed e-Arrival Card. Infants added to a parent’s passport (which is no longer standard in most countries) follow the passport holder’s entry requirements. For children with their own passports, parents complete the form on their behalf. See our family travel guide.

No. Each traveler needs a separate e-Arrival Card submission with their individual passport details. A family of four (two adults, two children with foreign passports) needs four separate submissions. You can complete all four forms on the same device, one after another, before your flight.

The e-Arrival Card must be completed before every trip to India. It is not a one-time registration. Each visit requires a new submission within the 72-hour window before that specific arrival. Frequent travelers to India, including OCI holders and business visitors, must submit a new form each time.

Su-Swagatam is the official Indian government mobile application for the e-Arrival Card. Available on Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store), it allows travelers to complete and submit the e-Arrival Card, save their passport details for faster future submissions, receive the QR code, and retrieve previous submissions using a passport number. It is the recommended method for frequent travelers. Full guide at our Su-Swagatam app page.