India e-Arrival Card and Air Suvidha explained

The two forms at a glance

	e-Arrival Card	Air Suvidha 2.0 self-declaration
What it is	Online immigration arrival form. It replaced the paper disembarkation card	Online health self-declaration, brought back for the Ebola outbreak
Who fills it	Foreign passport holders, including Australians and OCI cardholders. Indian citizens on Indian passports are exempt	All international arrivals, including Indian citizens. Check it still applies before you fly
When	Within the 72 hours before arrival	Within 24 hours before arrival in India. The government asks passengers to file it before boarding, for example at web check-in
Where	indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival, boi.gov.in or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app	The official Air Suvidha portal, airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in
Cost	Free	Free
What you show	The confirmation (with QR code) at check-in or immigration if asked	The acknowledgement at the health desk or immigration if asked

What is the India e-Arrival Card?

The e-Arrival Card is India's digital version of the paper arrival card that used to be handed out on the plane. It became mandatory for foreign nationals arriving in India from 1 October 2025, with a transition period for paper forms. Paper forms were only a stop-gap during the changeover, so plan to file online before you fly.

It is not a visa. You still need an Indian visa or an OCI card to enter India. See our e-Visa and OCI guide.

Who needs to fill it in

• Australian passport holders travelling on an e-Visa, a regular visa or any other visa.
• OCI cardholders on a foreign passport. Some early notices said OCI holders were exempt, but later notices say OCI holders must file it too. We couldn't confirm this on the official e-Arrival site, so to be safe, file one. It's free.
• Children. Fill in a separate card for each traveller, including children, unless the official site tells you otherwise.

Indian citizens on Indian passports, such as parents flying home after a visit to Australia, don't need the e-Arrival Card.

What it asks for

• Passport details: name as printed, passport number, nationality, issue country and expiry date
• Visa or OCI details
• Flight number, arrival date and arrival airport
• Your first address in India and the purpose of your visit
• Countries you have visited recently
• Email address and phone number

Have your e-ticket and passport open when you fill it in, and type your name exactly as it appears in your passport.

When to fill it in

Within the 72 hours before you land, not earlier. For most trips from Australia, the easiest time is the day before you fly or at web check-in. If you are flying via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or the Gulf, count the 72 hours back from your arrival in India, not your departure from Australia.

Air Suvidha: then and now

When	What happened
August 2020	Air Suvidha launched as a COVID-19 self-declaration portal for international arrivals
22 November 2022	The Ministry of Civil Aviation discontinued the Air Suvidha self-declaration, along with the testing and vaccination requirements
25 June 2026	Air Suvidha 2.0 launched after the WHO declared the Ebola (Bundibugyo virus) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. It covers 21 days of travel history, exposure and symptoms
October 2026	As of 20 October 2026, we found no official notice withdrawing Air Suvidha 2.0. Check the official portal before you fly. We also check it for your itinerary when we issue tickets

Airline notices in July 2026, including Cathay Pacific's, said all passengers arriving in India, Indian and foreign, must file the Air Suvidha 2.0 form before boarding. Travellers who have been in or through Ebola-affected countries face extra checks.

Avoid fake websites

Both forms are free on the official government sites. Some websites charge a "processing fee" for the e-Arrival Card or Air Suvidha. You don't need them. Use indianvisaonline.gov.in, boi.gov.in, the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app, or the official Air Suvidha portal.

A simple checklist for your India trip

1. Indian visa or OCI card sorted (foreign passport holders).
2. e-Arrival Card filed within 72 hours of landing (foreign passport holders).
3. Air Suvidha 2.0 checked and, if still required, filed before boarding (everyone).
4. A screenshot or printout of each confirmation, especially for older travellers who may not use a phone at the airport.

When we issue your tickets, we remind you about the forms that apply to your passport and route. Routes: Adelaide to Delhi, Adelaide to Amritsar, Melbourne to Delhi, Sydney to Mumbai and Brisbane to Hyderabad.

Talk to a real person about flights to India

Fares and schedules change every day, so we don't publish prices on this page. For live fares, call or WhatsApp the Travel Care team on 0421 882 733. We're a family-run agency at 222 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville, booking flights since 2010, and we speak English, Hindi and Punjabi. Seen a cheaper fare somewhere else? Send us the screenshot and we'll see what we can do.

Last checked: 20 October 2026 by the Travel Care team.