With just six weeks left before paper disembarkation cards are phased out, Indian embassies worldwide have begun publishing reminders on the new mandatory e-Arrival Card. The Embassy of India in Belgrade is among the latest to issue a public notice (16 February) detailing submission links and urging foreign travellers—including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) holders—to complete the form online up to 72 hours before landing.
The digital card, introduced on 1 October 2025, feeds arrival data directly into the Bureau of Immigration’s Advance Passenger Information System, reducing booth processing time by an average of 40 seconds per passenger according to pilot statistics at Delhi and Bengaluru airports.
![Indian Missions Abroad Step Up Outreach on Mandatory e-Arrival Card as 31 March Deadline Nears]()
Airlines are obligated to verify completion at check-in, and carriers risk fines of ₹50,000 per non-compliant passenger from 1 April 2026. Travel managers moving assignees into India should therefore include the e-Arrival confirmation in duty-of-care checklists alongside FRRO registration papers.
Foreign travellers who forget may still be allowed to board, but they will be diverted to manual counters on arrival, potentially adding 30–45 minutes and missing onward domestic connections.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has hinted that once digital compliance stabilises, the e-Arrival portal will integrate with the planned Trusted Traveller e-Gate programme, paving the way for fully automated entry for pre-vetted frequent visitors.
The digital card, introduced on 1 October 2025, feeds arrival data directly into the Bureau of Immigration’s Advance Passenger Information System, reducing booth processing time by an average of 40 seconds per passenger according to pilot statistics at Delhi and Bengaluru airports.
Airlines are obligated to verify completion at check-in, and carriers risk fines of ₹50,000 per non-compliant passenger from 1 April 2026. Travel managers moving assignees into India should therefore include the e-Arrival confirmation in duty-of-care checklists alongside FRRO registration papers.
Foreign travellers who forget may still be allowed to board, but they will be diverted to manual counters on arrival, potentially adding 30–45 minutes and missing onward domestic connections.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has hinted that once digital compliance stabilises, the e-Arrival portal will integrate with the planned Trusted Traveller e-Gate programme, paving the way for fully automated entry for pre-vetted frequent visitors.
