On October 1, 2025, India introduced its digital arrival form called the e-Arrival Card. This digital form has replaced the old paper-based arrival card, which was usually filled out at the airport or during the flight.
Since April 1, 2026, completing the India e-Arrival Card is mandatory for all foreign visitors and OCI cardholders entering India.
If you are here and not sure whether you need a visa to India, refer to the India Visa Guide for a comprehensive overview of various Indian visa options for tourists, their eligibility and requirements.
Table of Contents
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Who needs to fill India e-Arrival Card?
The following must complete and submit the e-Arrival Card to enter India for any purpose.
- Foreign nationals
- OCI Card holders
NOTE: If you are a foreign tourist or visitor entering India on visa-exemption, India Visa on Arrival (VOA), Indian e-Visa or a regular Indian tourist visa, you MUST submit the e-Arrival Card.
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Who do not need to fill India e-Arrival Card
The following are not required to submit the e-Arrival Card.
- Indian citizens
- Foreign transit passengers remaining airside
NOTE: If you will be transiting in India and will remain airside, you DO NOT need to fill out the e-Arrival Card. If you have to leave the airside transit area for reasons such as different airline tickets, traveling on low-cost airlines, etc., then you will have to fill out your e-Arrival Card.
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When to fill India e-Arrival Card?
You must fill out the e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before you arrive in India. I recommend not waiting until the last minute, as the WiFi in the airport can be spotty.
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Where to fill India e-Arrival Card?
You can fill out your e-Arrival Card online on the official Indian government portal or using the “Indian Visa Su-Swagatam” mobile app. You can download the mobile app from Google Play or Apple App Store.
NOTE: I suggest filling out your e-Arrival Card on the official website instead of the mobile app. The mobile app is not reliable currently.
IMPORTANT: Scam websites are popping up on Google posing as official websites. There is only one official Indian government website for the India e-Arrival Card and this is the official website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/.
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Is completing the e-Arrival Card FREE?
Yes. Completing the e-Arrival Card is FREE. It’s not a visa. It’s a pre-arrival form and submitting it is completely free.
IMPORTANT: There are many scam websites, including reputed visa agents, that charge up to $160 USD for submitting the e-Arrival Card. Don’t fall for these scams. Submitting the India e-Arrival Card on the official government website or mobile app is FREE of charge.
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How to fill India e-Arrival Card?
Go to the official India e-Arrival Card webpage.
Fill out the following fields.
Section: Personal Details
- Full Name (as in passport) [Instruction: Enter given name followed by your surname. If you have a middle name, you can enter your first name followed by your middle name and then your surname.]
- Nationality/Region [Instruction: Enter your nationality as per your passport]
- Passport Number [Instruction: Enter your passport number]
- Purpose [Instruction: Select your purpose of travel from the options]
- [OPTIONS]
- Tourist
- Business
- Medical
- Ayush
- Conference
- Research
- Study
- Employment
- Official/Diplomatic
- Other
Section: Arrival Details
- Date of Arrival(DD/MM/YYYY) [Instruction: Select your date of arrival]
- Countries Visited in Last 6 Days [Instruction: If you have visited any countries in the last 6 days, enter them here. If you haven’t visited any countries, then just select the “No Country Visited” box.]
NOTE: On your way to India, if you have a layover or transit in another country, you do not need to enter that country in the above box.
Section: Address Details
- Address in India [Instruction: Enter your hotel address here]
- State [Instruction: Select the Indian state where your hotel is located]
- District [Instruction: Select the district of your hotel]
NOTE: The State and District can be a bit confusing for some. If you cannot locate the state and district in your hotel address, contact your hotel and ask for the state and district information.
Section: Contact Details
- Email ID [Instruction: Enter your email ID]
- Contact Number [Instruction: Enter your mobile phone number]
- Emergency Contact Number [Instruction: This information is not mandatory, but if you prefer, you can enter an emergency contact]
Section: Add member
If you have any family members traveling with you, you can add them by clicking on the “Add Member” button. For each family member, you would need the following information.
- Their full name as per their passport
- Their passport number, and
- Their nationality
After entering the required information, enter the captcha, check the box for “I declare that the information…” and click on the “Submit” button.
A pop-up will be displayed stating that your e-Arrival Card has been generated successfully.
Click on the “OK” button in the pop-up.
Your e-Arrival Card will be downloaded automatically as a PDF. If you have added any family members, all e-Arrival Cards will be downloaded as a single PDF.
If, for any reason, your e-Arrival Card is not downloaded automatically, you can follow the steps below to download it.
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How to download the completed India e-Arrival Card?
Go to the official India e-Arrival Card webpage.
On the left side of the page, under “Quick Fill From Existing Data“, enter the following.
- Passport Number [Instruction: Enter the passport number that you’ve used to fill out your e-Arrival Card]
- Nationality/Region [Instruction: Select your nationality as per your passport]
- Captcha [Instruction: Enter the captcha shown]
Click on the “Next->” button.
Your completed e-Arrival Card will be displayed on the right side. If you have completed multiple arrival cards from your previous trips, they will all be displayed here.
For the arrival card that you want to download, click on the download icon within “Actions”. This will download the PDF.
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How to update the submitted India e-Arrival Card?
You cannot update a submitted e-Arrival Card. But you can fill out a new one.
On the e-Arrival Card home page, use the “Quick Fill From Existing Data” form to pull your submitted arrival card.
You will see your submitted arrival card on the right side. Click on the view or eye icon within “Actions” to populate the form. Then make any necessary changes and resubmit it. A new e-Arrival Card PDF will be downloaded.
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Do you need to print India e-Arrival card?
Not necessary. Your arrival card is linked to your passport, so the immigration officers can see if you have completed your e-Arrival Card or not.
That said, the airline staff may ask for it at the time of check-in. In that case, you can simply show the downloaded PDF on your smartphone. There is no need to print it.
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Who do you contact in case of errors or questions?
You can contact the e-Arrival Card helpdesk at the following phone or email.
- Phone: +91 8278087808
- Email: indian-evisa@gov.in
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