International passengers flying out of India will no longer have to carry a physical boarding pass or get it stamped by immigration officials from September 1, in a move aimed at making airport clearance smoother.
The Bureau of Immigration has informed international airport operators and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) about the change, according to officials cited by Hindustan Times. The decision will apply to international airports across the country.
Physical boarding pass requirement scrapped
Under the existing system, passengers travelling abroad are required to show their boarding passes at immigration counters, where they are stamped by officials. This requirement will end from Tuesday, September 1.
An internal communication issued by Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) in Delhi Deepak Yadav said the Bureau of Immigration had reviewed the process after passengers faced difficulties while producing physical boarding passes.
The communication also pointed to instances where boarding passes were not read properly because of incorrect or improper stamping.
“The matter has been examined by the Bureau of Immigration and it has now been decided to do away with the mandatory requirement of physical boarding passes and the stamping of boarding passes at Immigration counters, at all international airports in the country,” the communication said.
E-boarding passes can be used
Passengers will instead be allowed to show their e-boarding passes at immigration counters for clearance. This means travellers who have their boarding pass on their mobile phones will not need to obtain a separate physical copy just for immigration.
However, passengers who prefer carrying a printed boarding pass will still be allowed to do so. The key change is that immigration officials will no longer stamp the physical document.
“Passengers may produce their e-boarding passes at the Immigration counters for clearance. It may, however, be clarified that physical boarding passes will continue to be accepted at the Immigration counters, however, these will not be stamped,” it added.
New process from September 1
The Bureau of Immigration has asked airport operators and other aviation stakeholders to inform their staff about the revised procedure ahead of its implementation.
The change is expected to remove one of the existing steps at immigration counters for international passengers and allow them to rely on electronic boarding passes during the clearance process.