Passengers flying out of India will no longer need their boarding passes stamped at immigration counters from September 1, as the country’s Bureau of Immigration moves to accept e-boarding passes shown on smartphones at all international airports.
Ada Derana reported the change, citing a Hindustan Times report that the decision was communicated through an internal directive issued by Deepak Yadav, an official at the Delhi Foreigners Regional Registration Office. The directive went to key stakeholders including international airport operators and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Officials speaking separately to the Press Trust of India confirmed that outbound travellers will be able to present an e-boarding pass on a smartphone for immigration clearance.
Why the change
The Bureau of Immigration, which sits under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, decided to end the practice after finding that physical stamping was inconveniencing passengers. Officials also cited cases where improper or incorrect stamping left boarding passes difficult to read.
Physical boarding passes will still be accepted after September 1 — immigration officers simply will not stamp them. The requirement to carry a stamped physical boarding pass through immigration counters has been withdrawn at all international airports in the country.
Airport operators and other aviation stakeholders have been asked to brief staff on the new procedure before it takes effect.
CISF stopped years ago
The CISF has not stamped boarding passes during passenger frisking for several years, security officials said. That practice was discontinued for both domestic and international passengers, with boarding passes used only for clearance at security checks. The immigration stamping procedure was separate, and is the one now being dropped.
The bureau is also planning to end immigration entry and exit stamping for Indian passport holders. Officials said a pilot project is under way, after which the measure is expected to be rolled out across Indian airports.
India is one of the busiest destinations and transit points for Sri Lankan travellers, and the change will apply to them alongside all other international passengers departing Indian airports.
