Overview
- The Bureau of Immigration announced on Monday that from September 1 international travellers may present e‑boarding passes at immigration counters and officers will stop stamping boarding passes.
- The policy applies at all Indian international airports and allows Fast Track Immigration–Trusted Traveller Programme users to use e‑boarding passes at e‑gates while passengers who prefer paper will still be accepted without a stamp.
- BoI has told airport operators, the Central Industrial Security Force and airlines to brief staff before the start date, and a senior security official said the change should remove the CISF pre‑boarding stamping step.
- Local commentators have warned the move could disadvantage travellers without smartphones or with dead devices and will shift the record‑keeping burden onto airline and government digital systems.
- The decision follows wider airport digitisation trends and will require practical changes to security and verification workflows, so officials and passengers should watch for new signage, staff help desks and backup paper or database checks.