India’s e-Arrival Card is free and takes 10 minutes to complete on official government portals. Private services charging $20–$80 for the same form offer no added value — they submit your data to the same portal you can access yourself for free. Understanding this difference can save you money, protect your passport data, and ensure your application is actually processed correctly.
Understanding the India e-Arrival Card: The Basics
Mandatory since April 1, 2026, the India e-Arrival Card must be completed by all foreign nationals and OCI cardholders within 72 hours before their scheduled arrival in India. The card replaced the paper disembarkation form that airlines distributed on flights since the 1960s.
The form collects: full name, passport number and expiry date, nationality, date of birth, purpose of visit, accommodation address in India, and a brief health declaration. After submission, you receive a QR code which immigration officers scan on arrival.
The e-Arrival Card is not a visa. It does not replace your Indian visa or eVisa. It is a mandatory digital arrival declaration — and it is completely free. Learn how to use your India e-Arrival Card QR code at the airport.
Official Government Portals: Free, Fast, and Secure
The only legitimate India e-Arrival Card submission channels are operated by India’s Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs:
- indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival — the official Indian Visa Online portal
- Su-Swagatam mobile app — the official Indian immigration app (iOS and Android)
Key facts about the official portals:
- Cost: ₹0 / $0 / £0 — completely free
- Processing time: Instant confirmation with QR code
- Availability: 24/7, accessible from any country
- Security: Government-grade SSL encryption, DPDPA 2025 data protection
- Support: Bureau of Immigration helpline and Indian embassy assistance
The Fragomen immigration law firm confirmed in March 2026: “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.”
For country-specific guidance, see our guides for US citizens and business travellers.
What Private Third-Party Services Actually Do
Private e-Arrival Card services operate as form-filling intermediaries. Here is what they actually do — and what they do not do:
What they do:
- Collect your information via their own website
- Log into the official Indian government portal
- Fill in the same form you would fill in yourself
- Forward the QR code confirmation to you
What they do NOT do:
- Speed up the process (there is no faster lane)
- Have a direct government relationship
- Provide any guarantee the official portal does not already provide
- Add any value that justifies their fee
These services charge between $20 and $80 for a form that takes under 10 minutes and costs nothing. In exchange, you get a middleman who handles your passport data — a significant security risk.
Official vs Private India Arrival Card Services: Comparison
| Feature | Official Portal | Private Third-Party Service |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $20–$80 service fee |
| Processing Speed | Instant QR code | 1–24 hours (no faster than official) |
| Data Security | Government SSL + DPDPA 2025 protection | Unknown — unregulated third party |
| Official Government Backing | ✅ Yes — Bureau of Immigration | ❌ No |
| Expedited Processing | Instant — no expediting needed | Cannot expedite (no government access) |
| Error Responsibility | You control corrections directly | Errors by third party may not be corrected in time |
| Refund if Denied | N/A (free) | Typically non-refundable |
| Support Channel | Bureau of Immigration / Indian embassy | Private customer service (variable quality) |
Why Paying $30–$80 for a Free Form Is a Red Flag
Let’s run the numbers. The India e-Arrival Card takes most travellers 8–12 minutes to complete. It requires no legal expertise, no visa knowledge, and no specialist understanding of Indian immigration law. The form has a clean user interface and clear instructions in English.
A service charging $30 for this is effectively billing you at $150–$225 per hour for data entry. A service charging $80 is billing you at over $400 per hour.
The question to ask: what exactly are you getting for that fee? The answer, in most cases, is nothing that the official portal does not already provide instantly and for free. There is no priority queue. There is no direct government relationship. There is no insurance on your application.
Several unofficial sites compound the problem by listing misleading testimonials, fake “success rate” statistics, and fabricated government affiliation claims. The Indian Bureau of Immigration and multiple Indian consulates have issued warnings specifically about these services.
If you encounter issues with the official portal, our portal troubleshooting guide walks you through common problems and solutions.
When a Third-Party Service Might Be Legitimate
Not every third-party service is a scam. There are narrow circumstances where a legitimate service provider may assist with the e-Arrival Card:
- Licensed corporate relocation agencies that bundle e-Arrival Card filing with full visa and travel compliance management for business travellers
- Accredited immigration law firms that include the card as part of broader India entry preparation
- Travel agents with IATA accreditation who include the service as part of a full trip management package
In these cases, the fee is justified by the broader service bundle — not by the e-Arrival Card alone. No legitimate provider should charge more than a nominal fee (<$10) for the card in isolation.
Signs a third-party service may be legitimate:
- Clearly displays its business registration and physical address
- Does not claim to be an official Indian government portal
- Explicitly states the official portal is free and explains their added value
- Is recommended by a licensed travel agent or your company’s HR department
For answers to common e-Arrival Card questions, visit our FAQ page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the India e-Arrival Card free to apply for?
Yes. The India e-Arrival Card is completely free on the official Indian government portal: indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival. The Su-Swagatam mobile app is also free. No payment of any kind is required at any stage of the official application process.
What is the difference between the official portal and a private service?
The official portal is run by India’s Bureau of Immigration, is free, and processes applications instantly. Private services charge $20–$80 to fill in the same form on your behalf. They cannot process applications faster than the official portal and offer no security guarantees the government does not already provide.
Can private services actually speed up my India e-Arrival Card?
No. There is no expedited processing option for the India e-Arrival Card. The official portal generates a QR code instantly after submission. Private services cannot access a faster queue because no such queue exists.
Are there any risks to using a private India arrival card service?
Yes. You are sharing your passport number, date of birth, travel itinerary, and accommodation details with an unregulated third party. Their data security practices are unknown and unverified. They are not covered by India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2025, which only governs official government data handling.
What if a private service makes an error on my form?
If a third-party service submits incorrect information on your e-Arrival Card, you may face immigration complications on arrival. You will need to correct the error yourself on the official portal — the private service cannot fix it directly. See our error correction guide for how to update your card.
How do I know if a website is the official India e-Arrival Card portal?
The official portal URL is indianvisaonline.gov.in — note the .gov.in domain, which is reserved for Indian government websites. The Su-Swagatam app is only available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store under the official Indian government developer account. Any other URL offering India arrival card services is third-party.
Is the e-arrival-card-india.com website the official government portal?
No. e-arrival-card-india.com is an assistance portal, not the official Indian government website. The official free portal is indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival. Always verify you are on a .gov.in domain for the official government service.
To understand what the India e-Arrival Card actually is and why it was introduced, read What Is the India e-Arrival Card. Ready to apply? Follow our step-by-step application guide.
