Big change for foreign travellers: No paper disembarkation cards at Bengaluru airport from April 1

The Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru will discontinue physical disembarkation cards for foreign travellers from April 1, 2026, requiring travellers to complete a digital arrival process before clearing immigration.

"From April 1, 2026, physical disembarkation cards will be discontinued. All foreign nationals travelling to India are requested to complete the digitised e-Arrival Card within 72 hours prior to arrival via the Indian Visa website or the Su-Swagatam Mobile App for a smooth entry experience," the airport said on Thursday.

The move marks a shift to a fully digital system for recording arrival details of foreign nationals and Overseas Citizen of India card-holders, replacing the paper-based forms that were previously filled at immigration counters.

Physical disembarkation cards required travellers to provide details such as passport information, nationality, travel history over the past six days and their address in India. These forms had to be submitted at immigration before clearance.

The transition to digital filing began on October 1, 2025, when foreign nationals were allowed to submit the e-Arrival Card through the Indian Visa Online portal or the Su-Swagatam mobile application. Since then, the paper card had been optional.

The Bureau of Immigration and the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced the Su-Swagatam app alongside the e-Arrival Card system as the primary channel for submitting arrival information digitally.

Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw highlighted the importance of the change, saying, "This is crucial information all the foreign nationals must pay attention to for their smooth arrival and stay in #NammaBengaluru."