International passengers flying out of India will no longer have to get their boarding passes stamped at immigration counters from September 1. The Bureau of Immigration (BOI), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has decided to end the practice at all international airports in the country, ANI reports.
Passengers will still be able to use both digital and printed boarding passes. The main change is that immigration officers will no longer stamp either type of boarding pass.
Under the new system, travellers can simply show their e-boarding passes on their smartphones while going through immigration. Those carrying printed boarding passes can also continue to use them.
“The matter has been examined by the Bureau of Immigration, and it has now been decided to do away with the mandatory requirement of physical boarding passes and the stamping of boarding passes at Immigration counters, at all international airports in the country,” an internal communication said.
Why is the rule being changed?
The decision follows concerns that the old system was causing unnecessary trouble for passengers and slowing down the immigration process.
Officials said physical stamping had also led to problems when boarding passes were not stamped properly. Ink could sometimes smear or cover important parts of the boarding pass, including barcodes. This could then create problems when the boarding pass was scanned at the boarding gate.
The move is expected to reduce such errors, cut paperwork and help passengers move through immigration more smoothly. The Bureau of Immigration has informed international airport operators, airlines and security personnel about the change.
Can passengers still carry a physical boarding pass?
Yes. Passengers who prefer a printed boarding pass will still be allowed to carry and show it at immigration after September 1.
However, it will no longer be stamped. “Passengers may produce their e-boarding passes at the Immigration counters for clearance. It may, however, be clarified that physical boarding passes will continue to be accepted at the Immigration counters however, these will not be stamped,” the communication said.
This means passengers do not have to worry if they have already printed their boarding pass or prefer using paper instead of their phone.
What happens at international airports?
The new rule will apply across all international departure points in India.
Airport authorities, airlines and other aviation staff have been asked to brief their employees about the change before September 1. The aim is to make sure staff and passengers are clear about the new process, and there is no confusion when the rule comes into effect.
The move also brings immigration procedures closer to the digital systems already being used at Indian airports. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), for example, stopped stamping physical boarding passes during security checks several years ago.
Another step towards paperless travel
The government is also working on a separate pilot project that could eventually reduce the need for physical entry and exit stamps on passports for Indian passport holders.
Under the proposed system, travel records would be maintained electronically instead of through ink stamps on passport pages. This could make immigration checks faster, reduce paperwork and lower the chances of errors during the process.
The move could also help frequent travellers by saving blank passport pages that are currently used for immigration stamps.
For now, the September 1 change is limited to boarding passes at immigration counters. International travellers will still be able to use either an e-boarding pass on their phone or a printed boarding pass, but neither will need an immigration stamp.