No More Physical Boarding Pass Stamping At Immigration From Sept 1

International passengers departing from India will no longer have to present a physical boarding pass or get it stamped at immigration counters from September 1. The change will apply at all international airports in the country and is aimed at making the immigration process more convenient for travellers.

The Bureau of Immigration has communicated the change to airport operators, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other stakeholders, according to an internal communication reviewed by Hindustan Times. Airport and aviation personnel have also been asked to make passengers and staff aware of the revised procedure before it comes into effect.

Physical Boarding Pass Stamping To Be Discontinued

Under the existing system, passengers travelling internationally were required to present their boarding passes at immigration counters, where the document could be stamped by an immigration officer. This requirement will be discontinued from September, according to an internal communication by Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) in Delhi, Deepak Yadav.

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The existing requirement for passengers to present physical boarding passes was considered inconvenient during the immigration clearance process. Incorrect or unclear stamps had also led to difficulties in reading boarding-pass details during the immigration process. With the new system,  Hindustan Times reports, passengers will be able to complete immigration clearance without having to obtain such a stamp on their boarding pass.

E-boarding Passes Can Be Shown At Immigration

The revised process will allow passengers to present their e-boarding passes at immigration counters for clearance. This means travellers using digital boarding passes on their mobile phones will be able to use them during the immigration process.

However, passengers who prefer to carry a physical boarding pass will still be allowed to do so. The important change is that physical boarding passes will no longer be stamped at immigration counters.

This means travellers can choose to use either a digital or physical boarding pass during their journey. Both forms will continue to be accepted, but the stamping requirement will be removed.

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Change To Apply Across International Airports

According to HT, the new procedure is scheduled to come into effect from Tuesday, September 1, and will cover international airports across India. The move is expected to make the immigration clearance procedure simpler by reducing the need for an additional physical step at the counter. For passengers, the key change will be that an immigration stamp on the boarding pass will no longer be part of the mandatory process.