India e-Arrival Card for U.S. Travelers

India e-Arrival Card at a Glance

Here are the essentials:

• Who needs it: Foreign nationals entering India, including OCI and eOCI cardholders.

• When to submit it: Within 72 hours before your planned arrival in India.

• What it costs: The government form is free when you complete it yourself.

• What it does: It provides your arrival and contact information to Indian immigration.

• What it does not do: It does not replace a visa, eVisa, ETA, passport, or OCI card.

• What you need: Passport information, arrival details, travel purpose, recent travel history, an address in India, and contact details.

• Where to submit it: Through the official Indian government portal, the official Su-Swagatam app, or with help from a private service such as My E Visa.

What Is the India e-Arrival Card?

The India e-Arrival Card is the digital version of the arrival information previously collected on a paper disembarkation card. It allows travelers to provide key passport, trip, and contact details before reaching Indian immigration.

It is important to understand what the card does, and what it does not do.

Document	Purpose	Does It Give You Permission to Travel?
India e-Arrival Card	Provides arrival information to immigration	No
India eVisa and ETA	Provides electronic travel authorization after approval	Yes, subject to its terms and final immigration checks
Regular Indian visa	Provides travel authorization for the approved purpose	Yes, subject to its terms and final immigration checks
OCI card	Serves as a travel and status document for eligible cardholders	Subject to the card’s validity and applicable rules

Submitting an e-Arrival Card does not mean your visa has been approved. It also does not guarantee that an airline will allow you to board or that Indian immigration will admit you.

Who Needs to Complete an India e-Arrival Card?

Foreign nationals entering India are required to provide e-Arrival Card information. This includes:

• U.S. citizens traveling on a U.S. passport

• U.S. residents traveling on a non-U.S. passport

• OCI and eOCI cardholders

• Adults and children entering India

Each traveler’s information must be included, including the details of children and infants. The government form currently includes an option to add a family or group member, but every traveler’s passport information should still be checked separately.

Travelers who remain entirely within an international transit area may be treated differently from travelers who pass through immigration. If you must collect baggage, recheck it, change airports, take a domestic flight, or leave the international transit area, you may be entering India and should confirm your document requirements with the airline.

When Should You Submit the India e-Arrival Card?

You can complete the India e-Arrival Card only within 72 hours before your planned arrival.

This timing can be easy to misjudge. The relevant point is when you expect to arrive in India—not simply when your flight leaves the United States. Long flights, overnight journeys, international date changes, and connecting flights can make the calculation less obvious.

What Information Do You Need?

Having the required information ready can help you avoid interruptions and errors.

Prepare:

• Personal and Passport Information
• Arrival and Travel Information
• Your Address in India
• Contact Information

You may need to provide:

• Your planned date of arrival in India

• The purpose of your trip

• Countries visited during the period requested on the form

The current government form asks about countries visited in the previous six days. Review your complete itinerary, including stopovers, before answering.

When e-Arrival Card Assistance May Be Worth It

You can complete the e-Arrival Card yourself for free on the official Indian government website or through the official Su-Swagatam app.

However, doing it yourself may not be the most convenient option when you are managing an international itinerary, working within a 72-hour filing window, or dealing with a website that is not cooperating.

You Do Not Want to Fill Out Another Form

By the time you reach the e-Arrival Card stage, you may already have entered the same passport, contact, and travel information in several places.

My E Visa helps organize and enter the required information for you. We also check the details you provide for obvious omissions or inconsistencies before submission.

You remain responsible for providing complete and accurate information, but you do not have to work through every field without assistance.

You Keep Running Into Website Problems

Government websites can sometimes be difficult to use because of loading errors, browser compatibility, expired sessions, captchas, or temporary submission problems.

My E Visa cannot control or repair the Indian government system. We can, however, handle the filing process, retry when necessary, and explain what is happening through real human support.

You Do Not Want to Calculate the Filing Window

The 72-hour rule sounds simple until a trip involves time-zone changes, overnight flights, and connections.

The e-Arrival Card is especially easy to overlook when you apply for an India eVisa well before your trip. Your eVisa may be handled weeks before departure, but the e-Arrival Card cannot be submitted until the final 72-hour window. That leaves you with another form and another deadline shortly before you fly.

We use the planned arrival information you provide to manage the submission timing. Once the filing window is open, we process the e-Arrival Card and send the completed confirmation to you by email before departure.

If your flight changes, tell us as soon as possible. One flight-related amendment is included at no additional service charge.

One Set of Details for Your India eVisa and e-Arrival Card

When you apply for an India eVisa through My E Visa, you can add e-Arrival Card assistance during the same application process.

How Our e-Arrival Card Service Works

1. Provide Your Information

Complete the My E Visa form with your passport, contact, and travel details. If you are also applying for an India eVisa, you do not need to start over with an entirely separate set of traveler information.

2. We Check the Details

Our team reviews the information provided and contacts you if something required for the submission is missing or unclear.

3. We Submit Within the Filing Window

We complete the e-Arrival Card process once your planned arrival is within the permitted 72-hour period.

4. Check Your Email Before Departure

We send your completed e-Arrival Card confirmation by email before you depart. Review it promptly and keep it with your other travel documents.

If your scheduled flight changes after submission, contact us with the new details. One flight-related amendment is included free of charge.

Tell Us If Your Flight Changes

A new flight may mean a different arrival date or entry point. If your plans change after submission, contact My E Visa as soon as possible. Our service includes free flight-related amendment.

Common India e-Arrival Card Problems

The Government Website Is Not Working

Temporary loading failures, captcha problems, expired sessions, and unsuccessful submissions can happen. Avoid repeatedly entering payment information because the official e-Arrival Card itself is free.

If you are using the official portal, try again later and confirm that you are on an Indian government website. If you prefer assistance, My E Visa can handle the filing process as a private service.

Personal or Travel Information Was Entered Incorrectly

Errors may involve a name, passport number, nationality, date format, arrival date, address, or contact detail.

Compare the submission with both your passport and confirmed itinerary. Do not assume immigration officers will correct an error when you arrive.

My E Visa customers should contact our support team promptly. One free amendment is included when a flight change affects the submitted arrival details.

Your Flight or Arrival Date Changed

Check whether the new schedule changes the date on which you enter India. A delay of a few hours may not change the arrival date, while a cancellation or rebooking may result in a different date, airport, or route.

Send the updated flight information to My E Visa as soon as you have it.

You Did Not Receive a Confirmation

First, check your spam or junk folder and confirm that the email address provided was correct.

If you applied through My E Visa, contact our support team so a real person can check the status. Do not submit multiple versions without first confirming whether the original submission was completed.

A Website Is Charging an Unclear Government Fee

The Indian government does not charge travelers to submit the official e-Arrival Card. A private company may charge for optional assistance, but it should make clear that the payment is a service fee rather than a government e-Arrival Card fee.

My E Visa clearly separates its private assistance service from the free government form.

You Mistook the e-Arrival Card for a Visa

An e-Arrival Card does not give you permission to travel to India. Before departure, confirm that you also have the correct visa, a GRANTED India eVisa ETA, or a valid OCI document.

Avoid These e-Arrival Card Mistakes

Before you travel, avoid:

• Trying to submit the form before the 72-hour window opens

• Calculating the window from your departure instead of your arrival in India

• Entering several personal or travel details without comparing them with your passport and itinerary

• Reversing the day and month in a date

• Providing an incomplete hotel or accommodation address

• Forgetting to include recent travel requested by the form

• Leaving a child or other family member’s details unchecked

• Failing to save the submission confirmation

• Assuming the e-Arrival Card replaces an Indian visa

• Paying an unclear fee on a website that appears to be an official government portal

India e-Arrival Card FAQs

What is the India e-Arrival Card?

It is an electronic arrival-information form for foreign travelers entering India. It collects passport, travel, address, and contact information for immigration processing.

Do U.S. citizens need an e-Arrival Card for India?

Yes. U.S. citizens entering India as foreign nationals are required to provide e-Arrival Card information before arrival.

Do OCI cardholders need to complete it?

Yes. The Government of India states that OCI and eOCI cardholders are included in the e-Arrival Card requirement.

Is the India e-Arrival Card mandatory?

Yes. The electronic arrival-card requirement took effect on October 1, 2025, for foreign nationals entering India, including OCI cardholders.

When can I submit the India e-Arrival Card?

You can submit it within 72 hours before your planned arrival in India. It cannot normally be completed weeks or months in advance.

Is the 72-hour window based on departure or arrival?

It is based on your planned arrival in India. International time differences and overnight flights mean your departure date may be different from your arrival date.

Is the official India e-Arrival Card free?

Yes. There is no government fee when you complete it directly through the official Indian government website or app.

My E Visa charges a separate fee for optional private assistance, including form preparation, information review, submission handling, and human support.

Is the e-Arrival Card the same as an India eVisa?

No. An India eVisa is a form of travel authorization. The e-Arrival Card provides arrival information to immigration. You may need both documents.

Can I submit the card before my India eVisa is approved?

The two processes are separate, but the e-Arrival Card does not give you permission to travel. Do not begin your journey until your India eVisa status shows GRANTED or you hold another valid document that permits travel.

What information do I need?

Prepare your passport details, planned arrival date, travel purpose, recently visited countries, address in India, email address, telephone number, and emergency contact information.

Do children need e-Arrival Card information?

Yes. The required arrival information must cover children and infants as well as adults. Check each traveler’s passport details separately.

What happens if my flight changes?

Review whether the change affects your arrival date, entry point, or other submitted information. My E Visa customers can request one free flight-related amendment.

Can I correct an error after submitting?

Correction options may depend on the type of error and the status of the submission. If My E Visa handled your card, contact our human support team promptly instead of submitting another version without checking.

What should I do if the government website is not working?

Confirm that you are using the official website, then retry later if the problem appears temporary. If you do not want to manage repeated technical issues yourself, you can use My E Visa’s private assistance service.

Do I need to print the confirmation?

Keep an electronic copy that you can access without an internet connection. A paper copy is also a practical backup, especially if your phone battery, mobile service, or airport Wi-Fi is unreliable.

Can My E Visa handle my eVisa and e-Arrival Card together?

Yes. When applying for an India eVisa through My E Visa, you can add e-Arrival Card assistance. You provide your core traveler information and documents once, and we handle each process at the appropriate time.

When will My E Visa send my e-Arrival Card?

We send the completed e-Arrival Card confirmation to your email before departure.

Does submitting the card guarantee entry into India?

No. The e-Arrival Card does not guarantee boarding or admission. Indian immigration authorities make the final entry decision.

Get Your India Travel Documents Ready With Less Repetition

Preparing for India should not mean entering the same passport and travel information over and over again.

My E Visa helps travelers complete electronic visa and arrival-card requirements with fewer repetitive steps. Our team understands common form requirements, checks the information provided, and offers access to real human support when questions arise.

Our German parent company brings 15 years of visa-processing experience. We cannot influence government decisions or guarantee entry, but we can make the application process clearer and easier to manage.

Apply for your India eVisa early and add e-Arrival Card assistance at the same time. Fill out your information once, upload your documents once, and receive your completed travel documents by email.

 

Apply for an India eVisa and Add Arrival Card

Information last reviewed: September 10, 2026

Official sources:

• Government of India e-Arrival Card

• Government of India Visa Portal

• Consulate General of India, San Francisco — Digitization of the Disembarkation Card