e-Arrival Card: New Entry Requirements for Passengers Travelling to India
e-Arrival Card india
India has operationalized a digital-first arrival protocol to streamline passenger throughput and elevate compliance standards at its international gateways. Effective 01 October 2025, all foreign nationals must complete the Digital Disembarkation (DE) / e-Arrival Card prior to entry.
1. Policy Overview
In alignment with global border-modernization benchmarks, India has sunset the paper-based arrival card and fully migrated to a structured online capture system. This mandate enhances data readiness for immigration, health, and safety stakeholders while ensuring faster downstream processing at airports.
2. Mandatory Requirement
Who Must Comply
- Required: All foreign travelers (tourist, business, medical, employment, conference, etc.).
- Exempt: Indian citizens—no action required.
Non-Compliance Impact
- Potential processing delays,
- Denial of entry, subject to immigration discretion.
3. Submission Timeline
- Must be completed within 72 hours prior to boarding the flight to India.
- Early submission is strongly recommended to ensure operational continuity.
4. Official Submission Channels
To mitigate risk exposure to fraudulent intermediaries, only the following platforms are authorized:
- Official Portal: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival
- Mobile Application: Indian Visa Su-Swagatam
A strict advisory is in place: avoid agents, intermediaries, or third-party websites.
5. Information Required
Travelers are expected to have the following data ready for a frictionless filing experience:
- Passport details and visa/e-visa credentials
- Flight information (airline, PNR, and seat number if available)
- Stay address in India (hotel, host, or medical facility)
- Basic health and travel history inputs
6. Strategic Rationale
This procedural enhancement serves critical national objectives:
- Accelerated immigration throughput, enabling predictable queue management
- Stronger governance on health, safety, and security compliance
- Digital-by-default operational efficiency across airports
Mandatory from 1 October 2025: No DE Card, No Entry.
Quick checklist – (documents/data to have before you start)
- Passport (bio page) — passport number, nationality, expiry date.
- Visa/e-visa details (visa grant number or sticker info) if applicable.
- Flight details — airline name, flight number, PNR, date/time.
- Indian address where you’ll stay (hotel name & full address, or host’s name & address).
- Basic health / travel history info (any recent infections, countries visited in last 14–30 days, as prompted).
- Mobile phone or email to receive confirmation/QR code.
Steps-by-steps: Listings — e-Arrival Card (simple, actionable)
- Open official site/app
- Go to the e-Arrival portal or open the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app.
- Start new form
- Tap “New e-Arrival Card.”
- Enter full name
- Type your name exactly as in the passport.
- Add DOB & gender
- Enter date of birth and gender.
- Provide contact
- Add email and mobile (with country code).
- Fill passport details
- Passport number, issuing country, issue date, expiry date.
- Add visa info
- Enter visa type and visa reference/grant number (if applicable).
- Enter flight details
- Airline, flight number, arrival date/time, PNR (if available).
- Provide stay address
- Hotel or host full address (street, city, PIN).
- Select purpose of visit
- Choose tourism, business, medical, study, employment, transit, or other.
- Answer health & travel questions
- Yes/no responses for health and recent travel history.
- Add dependents (optional)
- Add accompanying travellers if the form allows.
- Review all entries
- Verify every item matches passport/visa exactly.
- Submit form
- Click Submit and wait for confirmation.
- Save confirmation
- Download or screenshot the reference number / QR code.
- Present at immigration
- Show passport, visa and e-Arrival QR/confirmation on arrival.
FAQ – New Travel Rule for India (Effective 01 Oct 2025)
What is the Digital Disembarkation (DE) Card?
The DE Card is an online arrival form for all foreign travellers. It replaces the physical arrival card previously filled at Indian airports.
Who needs to fill the DE Card?
All foreign travellers—tourist, business, medical, and other categories—must complete it. Indian citizens are exempt.
When should the DE Card be filled?
It must be completed within 72 hours before your flight to India to avoid delays or possible denial at immigration.
Where can I fill the DE Card?
You can complete it on the official site indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or through the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam mobile app.
What details are required to complete the DE Card?
You’ll need passport details, visa/e-visa information, flight details, your stay address in India, and basic health/travel history.
Why is the DE Card important?
It enables faster immigration clearance and helps authorities manage health, safety, and security checks more effectively.
What happens if I don’t submit the DE Card?
From 01 Oct 2025, travellers without a completed DE Card may be denied entry into India.
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