Canada to India Travel – Digital e-Arrival Card Experience

Interesting to hear this. I travelled to India recently as well and was expecting the e-Arrival Card to be checked more than it actually was. I had the confirmation saved on my phone just in case, but the process at the airport was fairly straightforward, and the immigration officer mainly checked my passport and OCI details.

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.

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.