If you last visited India before 2025, forget everything you knew about the arrival process. As of April 1, 2026, India permanently retired the paper disembarkation card that immigration officers used to hand out on the plane. In its place: a mandatory digital e-Arrival Card that every foreign visitor, including Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders, now has to file before they even board their flight.
That’s just one of three major rule changes that landed in 2026. This guide walks through all of them, what they actually cost, who they apply to, and — more importantly — who can safely skip half of this page because it doesn’t apply to their trip.
If you’re planning your first trip, start with our complete India Travel Guide covering visas, transportation, costs, weather, and itinerary planning.
| Rule | Effective Date | Who It Affects | Where to Comply |
|---|---|---|---|
| e-Arrival Card (mandatory, paper form discontinued) | April 1, 2026 (introduced Oct 1, 2025) | All foreign nationals, including OCI cardholders | Official Bureau of Immigration portal or Su-Swagatam app |
| FRRO registration before day 180 (no grace period) | June 1, 2026 | Foreign nationals staying beyond 180 days | e-FRRO portal |
| e-Visa reciprocal pricing | Early 2026 | All e-Visa applicants (fee varies by nationality) | Indian Visa Online e-Visa application |
The e-Arrival Card: Now Mandatory for Every Foreign Visitor
The e-Arrival Card requirement has been in effect since October 1, 2025, and it applies to all foreign nationals arriving in India — including OCI cardholders, who had been exempt from arrival-card requirements since 2017. That exemption no longer exists. You must complete and submit the card within 72 hours before your scheduled arrival in India.
As of April 1, 2026, the transition period ended completely. Airlines no longer distribute paper disembarkation forms, and immigration counters no longer accept them. If you show up with only a paper form, you’ll be dealing with a manual workaround at best, or held up at the border at worst.
Not every traveler has the same requirements. Check who needs the India e-Arrival Card before completing your arrival formalities.
Where to File It (and Where Not To)
File only through the official Bureau of Immigration website (indianvisaonline.gov.in) or the Su-Swagatam mobile app. The service is completely free. A number of third-party sites have popped up charging travelers a “processing fee” for what the government provides at no cost — treat any site asking for payment as a red flag.
What Happens If You Skip It
Failing to submit your e-Arrival Card before boarding can mean denied boarding at your departure airport, or a lengthy hold at Indian immigration on arrival while staff sort out a manual entry. Neither is how you want to start a trip.
Source: Bureau of Immigration, Government of India — official e-Arrival Card portal.
FRRO Registration: The 180-Day Rule Just Got Stricter
In June 2026, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued a Gazette notification under the Immigration and Foreigners (Amendment) Rules, 2026, closing a loophole that used to give long-stay foreign nationals some breathing room.
Previously, if you entered India on a visa valid for 180 days or less and wanted to stay longer, you had a 14-day grace period after that 180-day mark to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or Foreigners Registration Office (FRO). As of the June 2026 amendment, that grace period is gone. Registration now has to be completed before you hit day 180, not after.
Who This Actually Affects
If you’re a typical tourist on a 30-day or 90-day e-Visa, this section doesn’t apply to you — skip ahead. This rule is aimed at long-stay visitors: work visa holders, students, researchers, and business travelers extending well past a standard tourist stay.
Practical Timeline
Immigration advisors are recommending foreign nationals start their FRRO registration 30–45 days before hitting the 180-day mark, rather than waiting until the deadline is close. Processing depends on documentation accuracy, and there’s no official fast-track option — leave yourself margin.
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs Gazette notification, June 1, 2026, under the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025.
e-Visa Changes: Reciprocal Pricing and New Entry Points
Alongside the arrival card and FRRO changes, India shifted its e-Visa fee structure to a “reciprocal pricing” model in early 2026 — meaning what you pay for an e-Visa now depends more directly on your country of citizenship, mirroring how India’s own citizens are charged for visas to enter that country. India also expanded its e-Visa framework to cover an expanded list of entry points, plus new e-Visa categories including Transit, Mountaineering, Film, and Investment travel.
The takeaway: don’t assume the e-Visa fee you paid on a previous trip, or that a friend from a different country paid, still applies. Check current pricing for your specific nationality before booking.x
What Compliance Actually Costs
| Requirement | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| e-Arrival Card | Free | Government portal only — never pay a third-party site |
| e-Visa | Varies by nationality | Reciprocal pricing model as of 2026 |
| FRRO registration | Free | Time cost only — plan for advance registration |
| Visa extension via e-FRRO | Roughly $100–200 USD | 3–4 working days processing on average |
Best Time to Visit India
Most of India is most comfortable to visit from October through March, when temperatures and humidity drop across the north and center of the country — before the pre-monsoon heat builds from April onward and monsoon season arrives from roughly June through September in most regions.
That seasonal pattern has a practical side effect worth planning around: peak season (December–February) means higher volumes at immigration counters and FRRO offices alike. If your trip includes a long-stay component that requires FRRO registration, avoid scheduling it for the last week of December.
Pros & Cons of India's New Digital-First Travel System
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Faster immigration lines once you’re through the QR check | No smartphone or no internet access before arrival becomes a real problem |
| Less paperwork to carry and lose | Stricter enforcement means far less room for last-minute error |
| QR-based tracking reduces manual data entry errors | Third-party scam sites are actively exploiting traveler confusion |
| FRRO deadlines are now predictable and self-managed | Long-stay visitors lose the safety net of the old grace period |
Common Mistakes Travelers Are Making Right Now
- Filing the e-Arrival Card too early or too late. The window is 72 hours before arrival — filing days ahead of that window or scrambling at the gate both cause problems.
- Paying a third-party site for a free service. The e-Arrival Card costs nothing through official channels.
- Confusing the e-Arrival Card with the ATITHI customs declaration. These are two separate systems. The e-Arrival Card is an immigration declaration; ATITHI is a customs declaration for dutiable goods, currency, or drones. Most travelers only need the e-Arrival Card, but if you’re carrying dutiable items, you need both.
- Assuming OCI cardholders are still exempt. That exemption ended in October 2025 — OCI holders now file the e-Arrival Card like everyone else.
Pro Travel Tips for Navigating India's Current Rules
- Screenshot your QR confirmation the moment you get it — don’t rely on having signal at the airport.
- File your e-Arrival Card within the 72-hour window, not earlier — submissions outside that window aren’t the intended process.
- Set your FRRO deadline reminder for the day you land, not the week before it’s due.
- Bookmark the official government portal directly and avoid clicking sponsored search results for “India e-Visa” or “India arrival card.”
Who Should Do What
- Short-term tourist (30 days or less): File your e-Arrival Card within 72 hours of arrival. Nothing else on this page applies to you.
- Long-stay visa holder (work, study, extended business): File your e-Arrival Card, and start planning your FRRO registration 30–45 days before you hit the 180-day mark.
- OCI cardholder: The e-Arrival Card now applies to you too — there’s no exemption anymore, regardless of how long you’ve been traveling to India on your OCI card.
