India e-Arrival Card: The Free Online Arrival Form Explained

What is the India e-Arrival Card?

For years, foreign travellers filled in a paper disembarkation card on the plane or in the immigration hall. India moved this arrival form online: the e-Arrival Card became available on 1 October 2025, and from 1 April 2026 it is mandatory. Paper cards are no longer accepted at immigration.

The card gives the Bureau of Immigration your basic details before you land. It is part of the India immigration process, but it is not a visa, it is not an application, and nobody "approves" it. It simply records who is arriving, from where and where they will stay.

Who has to fill in the arrival form for India?

• All foreign nationals entering India, whatever the purpose of the trip and whether they hold an e-Visa or a regular visa.
• OCI cardholders. An early exemption for Overseas Citizens of India was withdrawn, so OCI holders now file the card too.
• Not Indian citizens. Travellers on an Indian passport do not fill it in.
• Airside transit passengers who stay in the international transit area and do not pass through immigration are reported to be exempt. Confirm this with your airline or on boi.gov.in before you rely on it.

If you travel as a family or a group, check on boi.gov.in how cards for each traveller, including children, should be submitted.

When should I submit the e-Arrival Card?

Within 72 hours before your arrival in India. Filing earlier than that is not the rule, so don't do it when you book your trip. A simple habit: file it the day before you fly, once your flight details are fixed. If your trip has several entries, such as a second entry on a double-entry e-Visa, plan on filing a new card before each arrival.

Where do I fill in the e-Arrival Card for free?

These are the only channels you need. Some third-party websites copy the look of government pages and charge a fee to "process" the e-Arrival Card. You get nothing extra for that payment, and you hand your passport details to a site you don't know. Type the address yourself rather than clicking an ad.

What information does the immigration form ask for?

Have these ready before you start:

• Passport details, exactly as printed in the passport you are travelling on.
• Nationality.
• Contact details, such as your email address and phone number.
• Address in India, for example your hotel or your host's address.
• Flight details for your arrival.
• Recent travel history.

Use the same passport you used for your visa. If the passport on your e-Arrival Card, your e-Visa and the one you hand to the officer don't match, expect questions at the counter.

How do I fill it in, step by step?

1. Open one of the official channels above: the Indian Visa Online portal, boi.gov.in or the Su-Swagatam app.
2. Choose the e-Arrival Card option.
3. Enter your passport details and nationality, copying them from the passport itself.
4. Add your contact details, your address in India, your flight details and your recent travel history.
5. Check every entry, then submit.
6. Save the confirmation as a screenshot or PDF on your phone, and keep a printed copy if you like a paper backup.

Is the e-Arrival Card the same as an India visa?

No. Filing the card does not give you permission to enter India. You still need a valid e-Visa or regular visa, and an OCI card for OCI holders. If you haven't sorted your visa yet, start with the e-Tourist visa guide or read the difference between an e-Visa and a regular visa. Already applied? You can check your India e-Visa status on the government portal before you file the arrival card.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Paying a third-party website for a form that is free on official channels.
• Filing too early, outside the 72-hour window before arrival.
• Using a different passport from the one on your visa.
• Leaving the address in India blank or vague. Give a real hotel or host address.
• Not saving the confirmation, then having no signal or battery when you land.
• Assuming OCI holders are still exempt. They are not.

Rules have changed more than once since the launch, and some sources still describe the old transition period. Where details differ, check boi.gov.in shortly before you travel.

What happens at the airport?

At immigration you hand over your passport and visa, have your biometrics taken and get your passport stamped. Keep your e-Arrival Card confirmation ready in case an officer or airline staff ask for it. For the full sequence, from documents to customs, see our India airport arrival guide.

Next step

File the e-Arrival Card yourself, for free, within 72 hours of landing. If you still need the visa itself, you can apply directly on the official Indian Visa Online portal and pay only the government fee, or apply through us if you would like your documents checked before submission. Either way, apply for an e-Visa at least 4 days before you arrive.

Related: How to recognise the official India e-Visa website