A Mandatory Digital Declaration for Foreign Passport Holders, NRIs / Indian Citizens / OCI Cardholders Exempt
The Government of India has announced a significant procedural change for international arrivals. Effective October 1, 2025, foreign nationals entering India will be required to complete a mandatory e-Arrival Card prior to travel. This will replace the traditional paper-based disembarkation form that has been in use for several decades. This initiative, launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), aims to streamline the immigration process, reduce congestion at airports, and align with global best practices.
The e-Arrival Card is a digitised disembarkation form designed to collect key personal, travel, and contact information from incoming foreign travelers. Once submitted online, this information will be made available to immigration authorities at the port of entry, thereby replacing the need for a physical form filled out upon arrival. This transition follows similar models adopted by countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore and is part of India’s broader efforts to modernise immigration systems.
The e-Arrival Card must be completed by all foreign nationals, including those travelling on e-Visas, sticker visas, business and employment, tourism, study, medical, or conference visas. Indian citizens / OCI cardholders who travel to India using a foreign passport are exempt to submit the e-Arrival Card. Indian citizens living outside India and travelling on Indian passports are not required to complete it. While OCI cardholders enjoy visa-free entry, they continue to be treated as foreign nationals under Indian immigration laws but are exempt from this procedural requirement.
The official portal for submission is available at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival. Starting October 1, 2025, the submission of the e-Arrival Card will become a mandatory pre-travel compliance step for all eligible travelers.
To complete the process, travelers must visit the portal, fill in their personal, passport, travel, and contact information, and submit the form within 72 hours prior to the scheduled arrival date. Upon submission, a confirmation receipt is generated, which should be retained in digital or printed format and may be requested by immigration officers during entry.
The form requires the traveler’s full name (as per passport), nationality, passport number, flight number, date of arrival, purpose of visit (such as tourism, business, study, employment, medical, AYUSH, or conference), countries visited in the past six days, address in India, email ID, phone number, and emergency contact details. There is no requirement to upload documents. The entire process is data-entry based.
This development is expected to significantly reduce wait times at immigration counters, particularly at high-traffic international airports such as those in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. For foreign passport holders, timely submission of the e-Arrival Card is essential to avoid any disruption or delays during entry.
From a policy perspective, the introduction of the e-Arrival Card is part of India’s broader push to digitise border control systems, enhance operational efficiency, and align immigration practices with international standards.
In summary, from October 1, 2025, all foreign nationals entering India will be required to submit the e-Arrival Card online prior to travel. The form must be submitted within 72 hours before arrival and replaces the paper-based disembarkation card previously filled out on the flight. Indian citizens / OCI are exempt. The official portal is https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival.
Travelers are advised to familiarise themselves with the new requirement and ensure timely compliance to facilitate a smooth entry process.
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