AI-generated image made for this guide; not a photograph.
Quick answer: foreign passport holders, including OCI cardholders, must complete India’s e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arriving in India. It is free and it is not a visa. Travellers entering on an Indian passport do not file it. In a family with mixed passports, each person is judged by the passport they travel on.
Fill the free e-Arrival Card on the Government of India website | Bureau of Immigration guidance
This is general information based on Indian government and consulate notices and on the official form. Rules can change, so check the portal before you fly. This guide is independent and is not affiliated with the Government of India. Last checked: 7 November 2026.
Who has to file
The Bureau of Immigration says a foreigner must complete and submit the e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arrival in India, on the e-Arrival portal or in the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam mobile app. The Consulate General of India in Toronto states that all foreign nationals and OCI cardholders visiting India are required to fill it. India introduced the digital card in October 2025, and current government guidance explicitly includes OCI and e-OCI holders, so ignore any older notice that describes OCI holders as exempt.
The card is separate from the visa and does not give permission to enter. A US passport holder travelling on an Indian visa needs the visa and the e-Arrival Card. A US passport holder travelling with a valid OCI card also files the card but does not need a separate visitor visa.
Delhi airport’s page for Terminal 3 says foreign nationals and OCI cardholders must submit the form before immigration, and that Indian nationals do not need to fill it. The portal’s own nationality list does not include India.
A family travelling on different passports
Many NRI families do not share one passport. Use the passport each person travels on to decide.
| Traveller | Passport used to enter India | e-Arrival Card? |
|---|---|---|
| Parent with an Indian passport | Indian | No |
| Parent with a foreign passport and a valid OCI card | Foreign, with OCI | Yes. No separate visitor visa is needed |
| Child with a foreign passport and a valid OCI card | Foreign, with OCI | Yes, using the child’s own passport details |
| Relative with a foreign passport and an Indian visa | Foreign, with visa | Yes, in addition to the visa |
Example: a family flying from Toronto to Mumbai. One parent travels on an Indian passport. The other parent and their child travel on Canadian passports with valid OCI cards. The parent on the Indian passport does not file. The Canadian-passport parent and the child are the people who must be included, each with their own passport details. The official form has an Add Member button for adding other travellers. The official pages do not say how many confirmations the portal issues, so save every acknowledgement it gives you.
Timing: the 72 hour window
Count back from your arrival in India, not from departure from Canada, the UK or the US. If your flight is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai at 8 pm IST on Friday, the window opens at 8 pm IST on Tuesday. The form asks for your date of arrival.
Connecting through India
The useful question is whether you will clear Indian immigration. Delhi airport’s page lists transit passengers who leave the airport, for example to reach an onward flight from another terminal, among those who must submit the form. If you connect without passing through Indian immigration, ask your airline whether you stay airside or must collect and recheck baggage. Do not assume a layover exempts you.
What to have ready
The official form asks for:
- Your full name as in the passport, your nationality and your passport number.
- Your purpose of visit, chosen from a list.
- Your date of arrival.
- The countries you visited in the last six days, or a tick for no country visited.
- Your address in India, with state and district.
- Your email address and contact number. An emergency contact number is also on the form.
Keep your flight details and your OCI card or visa handy, but the form itself does not ask for a flight number or an OCI number. Copy names and passport numbers exactly as printed in the passport. Opening the official portal is the safe way to see the current questions.
What changed
India introduced the digital arrival card in October 2025, with the paper form allowed for a transition period, according to the Consulate General in Toronto and the US Embassy. Current government guidance explicitly includes OCI and e-OCI holders. Rely on the Bureau of Immigration page for the current rule.
Before you fly
- Check each traveller’s passport and decide who needs to be on the form.
- File inside the 72 hour window, counted from arrival in India, and save the acknowledgement.
- If you are on an Indian visa, see the Indian e-Visa guide for US citizens for the visa steps.
- If you hold or are applying for an OCI card, see the OCI application guide for the USA, the OCI application guide for the UK and the e-OCI card guide.
Moving back for good? See our returning to Navi Mumbai checklist. Travelling on an Indian passport that needs renewing? See our guide to Indian passport renewal in Canada.
The e-Arrival Card is immigration paperwork only. If you are carrying gold, customs declarations are separate. See our guide on how much gold you can bring from Dubai to India.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do OCI cardholders need to fill the e-Arrival Card?
Yes. The Consulate General of India in Toronto says all foreign nationals and OCI cardholders visiting India must fill it.
When should I fill the e-Arrival Card?
Within 72 hours before you arrive in India, on the official portal or in the Su-Swagatam app.
Do I count 72 hours from takeoff or landing?
Count back from your arrival in India. If you land in Mumbai at 8 pm IST on Friday, the window opens at 8 pm IST on Tuesday.
Can I add my child or spouse to the same form?
The official form has an Add Member button. Include each traveller who must file, using that person’s own passport details, and save the acknowledgement the portal gives you.
Does an Indian passport holder need it?
No. Delhi airport’s page says Indian nationals do not need to fill it.
Is the e-Arrival Card a visa?
No. The portal describes it as arrival information, not a visa, and the US Embassy says it is separate from the e-visa application.
Is there a fee?
The portal describes the service as free of cost.
Where do I fill it in?
On the e-Arrival portal run by the Government of India, the Bureau of Immigration website, or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app.
Sources
| Point | Source |
|---|---|
| Who must file, 72 hour window, portal and app | Bureau of Immigration, general guidelines |
| Form fields, Add Member, free of cost, not a visa | e-Arrival Card portal |
| Foreign nationals and OCI cardholders, 7 October 2025 notice | Consulate General of India, Toronto |
| Separate from the e-visa, paper form transition | US Embassy in India, 14 October 2025 |
| Indian nationals not required, transit passengers | Delhi airport, e-arrival form page |
Last checked 7 November 2026. This page will be updated if the rules change.
NaviMumbai.com is an independent information site and is not affiliated with any government body.
