According to several Indian media outlets, including Business Standard, which claims to have reviewed an official order dated September 22, 2025, from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, the government has decided to eliminate the paper disembarkation form that all foreign travelers are currently required to fill out upon arrival in the country.
This form, familiar to international travelers, has traditionally been distributed on board airplanes or made available at airports. It allows immigration officials to collect key personal details from passengers, such as the purpose of their visit and their address in India.
According to Business Standard, the government order outlines that, starting October 1, 2025, the paper form will be replaced by a digital arrival card called the “e-Arrival Card.” The goal? To streamline the immigration process and reduce delays at airport immigration counters, according to the ministry’s statement quoted by the outlet.
India could thus follow a trend already adopted by several tourist destinations, such as Indonesia, Thailand, and, in the coming days, Papua New Guinea, all of which have abandoned paper forms in favor of digital versions.
Introducing India’s digital arrival card
The Indian government has already launched a dedicated portal for the upcoming digital arrival card: indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival.
On this site, travelers can access an early version of the electronic form. It is clearly labeled as a beta version intended solely for testing purposes and is not currently mandatory.
The online form asks users to provide the following information, within five days prior to arrival in India:
- Full name
- Nationality
- Passport number
- Purpose of visit (tourism, business, medical, AYUSH, conference, research, study, or employment)
- Date of arrival in India
- Countries visited in last 6 days
- Address in India
- Email address
- Contact number
- Emergency contact number
A preview of India’s e-Arrival Card
So far, Indian authorities have not officially announced the potential rollout of the digital arrival card through their usual communication channels.
However, the team at VisasNews was able to test the beta version of the digital arrival card. Below is a sample of the card as it appears at the end of the submission process.
Note: The online questionnaire and the generated digital arrival card are currently part of a testing platform. The final version may differ slightly in terms of design or required fields. The system may also be integrated into India’s electronic visa platform (e-Visa) once it’s officially launched.
