Is the India e-Arrival Card Portal Down Right Now?
The official India e-Arrival Card portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival went live as a mandatory system. It has experienced periods of high traffic and intermittent errors – especially during peak booking seasons and within 72 hours before popular flight times.
Before spending time troubleshooting your own device, check whether the portal is experiencing a site-wide outage. You can do this by searching “indianvisaonline.gov.in down” on Twitter/X or checking downdetector.com. If multiple users are reporting errors at the same time, it is a server-side issue – not something you can fix locally.
Your fastest alternative when the web portal is down: Su-Swagatam app (available on iOS App Store and Google Play). It runs on a separate server and often works when the website is unavailable.
Common Error Messages and What They Mean
Page Not Found or 404 Error
A 404 error on indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival usually means the specific page URL has changed or the server is returning a generic error under load. This is a server-side issue.
Fix: Try accessing the portal through the home page: indianvisaonline.gov.in – then navigate to the e-Arrival Card section manually. If the 404 persists for more than 30 minutes, switch to the Su-Swagatam app.
Form Crashes on Country or District Field
Traveler reports on Facebook groups and Reddit confirm that the district and country dropdown fields frequently cause the form to freeze or crash – particularly in Safari and Firefox browsers.
Fix: Use Google Chrome as your browser. If the district field does not show your city or crashes when you try to select it, leave it blank or enter the nearest major city. The district field is not always mandatory.
Cannot Click Submit – Page Freezes
One of the most widely reported bugs: the Submit button becomes unresponsive after filling the form. Clicking repeatedly does nothing and the page hangs.
Fix: Instead of clicking the Submit button, position your cursor in the last field of the form and press Enter/Return on your keyboard. This keyboard shortcut bypasses the frozen button and submits the form correctly. This workaround was confirmed by multiple travelers in the Indian travel Facebook groups in April 2026.
Session Expired During Form Filling
The portal has a session timeout – if you take too long filling the form (typically over 20-30 minutes), the session expires and your data is lost.
Fix: Before starting the form, prepare all information in a separate document – passport details, flight number, India address, visa number, countries visited list. Then fill the form quickly without pausing. If your session expires, you must start over from scratch.
Document Upload Fails
The passport photo upload tool sometimes fails with no error message – the progress bar stops or the page refreshes without confirming upload.
Fix: Reduce your image file size to under 2MB (JPEG format preferred). Use Chrome browser. If upload continues to fail on the web portal, use the Su-Swagatam app instead – its upload function tends to be more stable.
Su-Swagatam App vs Web Portal: Which to Use When
The Su-Swagatam app is the official mobile companion to the India e-Arrival Card system. It is free, available on both iOS and Android, and runs on infrastructure separate from the web portal. This means when the website is slow or down, the app often continues to work.
| Feature | Web Portal | Su-Swagatam App |
|---|---|---|
| Access | indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival | iOS App Store / Google Play |
| Works when portal down | N/A | Usually yes (separate server) |
| Add Member (family) | Yes | Yes |
| QR code delivery | PDF download | In-app + email |
| Upload stability | Variable | More stable |
| Best for | Desktop users | Mobile users & portal outages |
Recommendation: Download Su-Swagatam before your trip as a backup. Even if you plan to use the web portal, having the app ready saves critical time if the portal fails close to your departure.
For family travel with the Add Member feature: India e-Arrival Card for Families and Children
Step-by-Step Fix for the Most Common Portal Errors
Fix 1: Browser and Cache Issues
- Open Google Chrome (update to latest version first)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+Delete (Mac)
- Clear cookies and cached files for the past 24 hours
- Close all other tabs consuming bandwidth
- Navigate to indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival in a fresh tab
Fix 2: Form Submission Bug – Use the Enter Key
- Fill all form fields as normal
- On the final field before the Submit button, click inside it
- Press Enter or Return on your keyboard
- Wait 10-15 seconds for processing
- Do not click Submit or refresh the page
Fix 3: District Field Crash
- Switch to Chrome browser if using Safari or Firefox
- If the dropdown still crashes, type the city name manually
- If the field remains blank/unresponsive, skip it if not marked mandatory
- Enter the pin code of your India accommodation in the relevant field
Fix 4: Upload Errors
- Resize your passport image to under 2MB using your phone’s photo editor
- Save as JPEG (not PNG or PDF)
- Try uploading from Chrome on desktop
- If desktop upload fails, switch to the Su-Swagatam app for the upload step
What to Do at the Airport If the Portal Never Worked
If you genuinely could not complete the India e-Arrival Card before your flight due to portal technical failures, here are your options:
- At departure airport: Inform the airline check-in staff that the portal was inaccessible. Many airlines have procedures for technical failures and can note the issue. Try to submit via Su-Swagatam app while waiting at check-in.
- On arrival in India: Major Indian airports (Indira Gandhi International Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Mumbai, Kempegowda International Bangalore) have immigration assistance desks and eAC kiosks where officers can help travelers complete the form.
- Keep evidence: Take screenshots of portal error messages with timestamps. This documentation helps explain the situation to immigration officers and airline staff.
Note: Airport kiosk assistance is not guaranteed and depends on officer availability. Do not rely on it as your primary plan. Always attempt to complete your eAC well before the 72-hour window closes. See also: Common India e-Arrival Card mistakes to avoid
How to Contact Support for the India e-Arrival Card Portal
The Indian government provides limited direct support for eAC portal issues. Your primary contact options are:
- Email: support-indianevisa@gov.in (official e-Visa support – use for serious portal errors)
- Phone: +91-11-24300666 (Indian Visa and Immigration helpdesk, IST business hours)
- Indian Embassy or Consulate in your country – can confirm requirements and direct you to the correct support channel
Response times from government support can be slow (24-72 hours). For urgent issues within your 72-hour window, the Su-Swagatam app is your fastest alternative. For family or group travel questions: India e-Arrival Card for Families and Children Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the India e-Arrival Card website keep crashing?
The portal experiences high traffic since becoming mandatory on 1 April 2026. Common causes include server overload, browser compatibility issues (use Chrome), and bugs in the district dropdown field. The Su-Swagatam app is the recommended alternative when the site crashes.
What is the Su-Swagatam app and how does it help?
Su-Swagatam is the official Indian government mobile app for submitting the eAC. Available free on iOS and Android. It runs on separate infrastructure from the web portal and often works when the website is down.
The Submit button on the eAC form is not working. What should I do?
This is a known bug. Click inside the last input field and press Enter or Return on your keyboard. This keyboard shortcut submits the form and bypasses the frozen button.
What browser works best for the India e-Arrival Card portal?
Google Chrome is the most compatible browser. Safari and Firefox have been reported to cause crashes. Always use the latest version of Chrome and clear cache before starting.
Can I complete the e-Arrival Card at the Indian airport if the portal didn’t work?
Major Indian airports have eAC assistance desks and kiosks. However, this is not guaranteed and you may face delays. Always attempt to submit before arrival and keep screenshots of any error messages as evidence.
My eAC session expired while I was filling the form. Do I lose all data?
Yes, session expiry means you must start over. Prepare all required information in a separate document first, then fill the form quickly without pausing to avoid timeout.
Why is my passport photo upload failing on the eAC portal?
Ensure your image is under 2MB, saved as JPEG, and shows the full passport bio page clearly. If upload continues to fail, try uploading through the Su-Swagatam app.
Is there a phone number for India e-Arrival Card technical support?
The Indian Visa helpdesk: +91-11-24300666 (IST business hours). Email: support-indianevisa@gov.in. Response times are 24-72 hours, so for urgent issues use the Su-Swagatam app.
If you are concerned about website safety, read: Is It Safe to Apply for the India e-Arrival Card Online?
