India e-Arrival Card 2026: Who Needs It, and How to Submit (Free)

The e-Arrival Card is a short online declaration that replaces the paper disembarkation card airlines used to hand out mid-flight. Introduced under the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025, it became mandatory for OCI cardholders in October 2025 and for all other foreign nationals on 1 April 2026, when the paper form was discontinued. It records who is arriving and where they will stay; it is not a visa and does not grant entry on its own.

Yes. The e-Arrival Card is free. Submit it only at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or the official Su-Swagatam app. Any site charging a fee for it is a third party; the government never charges for this form.

Submit within the 72 hours before your scheduled arrival. The system will reject submissions made more than 72 hours ahead, so do not do it a week early. The sweet spot is 24 to 48 hours before your flight, when your plans are fixed but you are not up against the airport WiFi. Airlines may ask to see it at check-in, so do not leave it until you land.

• More than 72 hours out — too early; the system may reject it.
• 24 to 48 hours out — the sweet spot; your plans are fixed and you are not relying on airport WiFi.
• At the airport or after landing — too late; airlines may ask to see it at check-in.

There are three official ways, all free: the Bureau of Immigration portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival, the Bureau of Immigration's own site at boi.gov.in, or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app (Android and iOS, published by the National Informatics Centre). The app and the web portal submit to the same government system and produce the same QR code.

Almost every foreign visitor does. You must submit one if you are a foreign national or an OCI cardholder entering India for any purpose, whether on an e-Visa, a regular visa, a visa on arrival, or visa-exemption. You are exempt only if you hold a standard Indian passport, or if you are transiting and stay entirely airside without clearing immigration. If you leave the airside area, you must submit it.

You do not need a separate submission for each person. One form can cover a family or group of up to five: use the "Add Member" option to enter everyone's details together, and the cards download as a single file. For groups larger than five, submit in batches.

The e-Arrival Card is a separate step from your visa, and it does not replace one. You still need a valid India e-Visa or regular visa (or an OCI card) to travel, plus the e-Arrival Card as a second document. It is also not the old COVID-era Air Suvidha health form, which no longer applies to normal arrivals. Think of the order as: visa first, then e-Arrival Card within 72 hours of landing.

This is the mistake we see most. When you submit, the system generates your QR code once. If you close the browser or app without downloading or screenshotting it, you cannot retrieve it, and submitting again creates a duplicate record. Save the QR code, and a backup screenshot, before you go anywhere.

• Paying a third-party site — the card is free on the official portal and app; anyone charging for it is reselling a free service.
• Submitting too early — more than 72 hours before arrival and the system may reject it.
• Losing the QR code — closing the page before saving it means it cannot be retrieved.
• A mismatch with your passport or visa — enter everything exactly as printed.

• Official portal: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival
• Details verified against Government of India Bureau of Immigration 2026 advisories; always confirm the current rule before you fly.