New Delhi, September 2 (TNA) International passengers departing from Indian airports will no longer have to get their boarding passes stamped at immigration counters, following a new rule implemented nationwide from September 1. The Bureau of Immigration (BoI), under the Union Home Ministry, has discontinued the mandatory stamping procedure at all international airports.
Under the revised system, passengers can display an electronic boarding pass on their smartphone during immigration clearance. Printed boarding passes will continue to be accepted, but immigration officials will no longer stamp them.
The International Air Transport Association has welcomed the change, describing it as a significant step towards improving passenger facilitation at Indian airports.
The move is expected to remove an additional step in the departure process and make immigration clearance quicker and more convenient for international travellers. The BoI decided to end the practice after feedback indicated that physical boarding-pass stamping caused inconvenience and could result in incorrectly stamped documents.
The move is expected to remove an additional step in the departure process and make immigration clearance quicker and more convenient for international travellers. The BoI decided to end the practice after feedback indicated that physical boarding-pass stamping caused inconvenience and could result in incorrectly stamped documents.
The change applies only to passengers departing India on international flights. Travellers must still carry valid passports, visas where required, and comply with all immigration and airline check-in requirements. A physical boarding pass can still be used if a passenger prefers it or faces difficulty accessing the digital version.