Flying from New York to India – When Did I Submit e-Arrival Card?

I travelled from Newark to Delhi recently and submitted my e-Arrival Card roughly 48 hours before departure.

One thing I learned is that many travellers confuse the e-Arrival Card with visa requirements. As an OCI cardholder, I still travelled using my OCI card and US passport, but I completed the arrival registration separately.

The airline representative did ask whether I had completed all required travel declarations. Having the confirmation available made the conversation much easier.

In my case, there were no delays at either departure or arrival.

My experience was different. I flew from New York to Bengaluru via Doha in May 2026 and completed the e-Arrival Card the night before my flight.

I received the confirmation email within a few minutes. Nobody at JFK specifically asked to see it, but I kept it accessible on my phone.

When I landed in India, immigration processing was smooth. I can't say whether the system had already linked my information electronically, but I wasn't asked to provide any additional paperwork.

Every airport seems to handle things a little differently, so I would still complete it before leaving for the airport.

I travelled from JFK to Mumbai in April 2026 on an OCI card and completed my e-Arrival Card about 72 hours before departure.

The confirmation was generated almost immediately after submission. I saved both a PDF copy and a screenshot on my phone just in case.

At JFK, the airline agent asked for my passport and OCI card first. They also asked whether I had completed the arrival form. Once I showed the confirmation, the check-in process moved along normally.

Based on my experience, I would not wait until the last minute. Technical issues can happen, and it's one less thing to worry about on travel day.