How to fill in the India e-Arrival Card

What you need before you start

• Your passport and visa details. You still need a valid visa or OCI card to enter India.
• Your date of arrival and flight details.
• Your purpose of visit.
• Your address in India.
• Your email address and phone number.
• Details of an emergency contact.
• Embassy of India notices say the form asks for these and other details, the same details as on the paper form.

Step by step

Official notices do not publish the exact screens or field names of the form, so follow what you see on the official site.

1. 1Choose one of the official channels: the form at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/, the Bureau of Immigration website boi.gov.in, or the official "Indian Visa Su-Swagatam" app for iOS and Android.
2. 2Enter your passport and visa details, arrival date and flight, purpose of visit, address in India, contact details and emergency contact.
3. 3Check that all your information is accurate and up to date. Mistakes can cause delays at immigration clearance.
4. 4Submit the form. You receive a digital confirmation, which may include a QR code or reference number.
5. 5Save the confirmation on your phone or print it.
6. 6Show the confirmation at the airport when you arrive in India.

When to submit

Most official notices, including the UK government (FCDO) and the Embassies of India in Berne, Algiers and Paris, say you can submit up to 72 hours before you arrive in India.

The High Commission of India in Pretoria words it differently: "at least 72 hours prior to their travel". Official sources differ, so check the official site before you travel.

The UK government says to complete it before you reach immigration, and to do it in advance to avoid delays at the airport.

Cost

No official source we found lists a fee for the e-Arrival Card. The official "Indian Visa Su-Swagatam" app is a free download.

Any site that charges you for the e-Arrival Card is not the official one. Your visa (e-Visa or regular visa) is a separate requirement, unless you hold an OCI card.

Who doesn't need it

• Indian passport holders do not need it.
• Foreign nationals arriving in India must complete it. This includes e-Visa, tourist, business and student visa holders.
• OCI cardholders: official sources differ. The Embassies of India in Lima and Yerevan say OCI cardholders are exempt. The Embassy of India in Manila says it applies to "Foreigners and OCI card holders", and the Embassy of India in Paramaribo says all OCI cardholders travelling to India must submit one within 72 hours before landing. Check the official site before you travel.

Fake websites: how to spot them

Use only the official channels: indianvisaonline.gov.in (form at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/), boi.gov.in and the "Indian Visa Su-Swagatam" app. The Embassy of India in Paris says it does not recognise or endorse any third-party agents or websites.

• Government of India websites end in .gov.in. Check the address carefully before you enter any details.
• Download the app only from the official store links: on Google Play the package is org.nic.ivfrt.visitindia, and on the Apple App Store it is apps.apple.com/bt/app/su-swagatam/id1573902563.
• The Embassy of India in Hanoi warns that fraudulent e-Visa websites are modelled on the official Ministry of Home Affairs website and use similar names.
• Fake e-Visa sites named by the Embassy of India in Kuwait (17 November 2025): indianimmigration.org, idiasevisa.org, evisaentry.com, india-immi.org, ivisa.com and india-evisa.it.com. This warning is about e-Visa services, not the e-Arrival Card. The only official Indian e-Visa website is indianvisaonline.gov.in.
• If a site asks you to pay for the e-Arrival Card, it is not the official site.

Common mistakes

• Entering inaccurate or out-of-date information. This can cause delays at immigration clearance.
• Leaving it until you reach the airport instead of completing it in advance.
• Treating the e-Arrival Card as a visa. It is not a visa, and you still need a valid visa or OCI card.
• Using third-party websites or downloading the app from unofficial links.