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I recently traveled from Toronto, Canada to India and wanted to compare experiences regarding the digital e-Arrival Card requirement.
I am an OCI cardholder living in Ontario and flew from Toronto Pearson Airport to Delhi last month. Before departure, I completed the online e-Arrival Card form and received the QR code confirmation. Since there was quite a bit of discussion online about whether it would be checked, I kept both a printed copy and a digital version on my phone.
At the airline check-in counter, nobody asked for the e-Arrival Card. After arriving at Delhi Airport, immigration was surprisingly quick. The officer checked my Canadian passport and OCI card but never asked for the QR code or arrival confirmation. I was through immigration in less than 15 minutes.
This left me wondering whether the digital e-Arrival Card is actually being verified for every traveler or if the information is already available electronically to immigration officers.
Has anyone recently traveled from Canada to India through Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, or Chennai? Were you asked to show the QR code? Did airline staff verify it before boarding?
My experience was completely different.
I traveled from Calgary to Delhi on an Entry Visa instead of OCI. I completed the e-Arrival Card about two days before departure.
Nobody asked for it at any point during my journey. Check-in staff didn't mention it, and immigration only reviewed my passport and visa. I actually asked an airport employee about it afterward, and he said many checks happen electronically now.
That said, I wouldn't assume it can be skipped. Travel requirements can change quickly, and individual airports may handle verification differently.
I flew from Vancouver to Mumbai in May and had a slightly different experience.
The airline staff did not scan my e-Arrival Card QR code, but they did ask whether I had completed all India entry formalities. I showed the confirmation email just to be safe.
After landing in Mumbai, there was an airport representative before the immigration area asking some passengers if they had completed the digital arrival form. I showed the QR code on my phone, and that was enough. The immigration officer himself never requested it.
Based on my experience, the form seems important even if it is not always checked directly. I still recommend saving the QR code offline because airport Wi-Fi can be unreliable after landing.
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I traveled from Toronto to Bengaluru with my family in early June. We had two OCI cardholders and one Canadian citizen traveling on an Indian visa.
We completed separate e-Arrival Cards for everyone. At Toronto Pearson, the airline agent briefly checked that we had the confirmation emails available but didn't scan anything.
In Bengaluru, one passenger ahead of us was asked to show a QR code because there appeared to be an issue locating their information in the system. They eventually cleared immigration, but it delayed them by about 20 minutes.
That experience convinced me it's worth carrying both printed and digital copies. Even if most travelers are never asked, having documentation available avoids unnecessary stress.