Do Children Need a Separate Digital e-Arrival Card for India?

I would be particularly careful about the children's passport numbers and dates of birth.

My family had a similar issue where one child's passport had been renewed after the original travel booking. We made sure that the information submitted for the arrival formalities matched the passport actually being used for travel.

The current government portal says foreign nationals and OCI cardholders can submit the e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arrival. It also directs travellers to the official government websites or the official Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app.

I don't think it is worth relying on an old blog post for the exact family/minor procedure. If the official form gives you a separate traveller entry for each child, complete it for each child.

And remember that a child travelling on a foreign passport needs the appropriate visa or other entry permission independently of the e-Arrival Card. The e-Arrival Card itself does not replace a visa.

I travelled with my 5-year-old daughter recently and had the same question.

My understanding is that the important thing is that each traveller's arrival information needs to be properly submitted, particularly where the child has a separate passport.

I wouldn't assume that because the child is travelling with a parent, the parent's e-Arrival Card automatically covers the child. The official India Visa Online portal describes the e-Arrival Card as something that foreign nationals and OCI cardholders complete before arrival.

One thing that confused me initially was seeing "e-Arrival Card" and "e-Visa" used together on travel websites. They are not the same.

The e-Visa is the immigration permission for eligible foreign nationals travelling under the e-Visa scheme. The e-Arrival Card is an arrival-information submission.

So if your children are foreign nationals travelling on their own passports, make sure their visa status is valid and then complete the required arrival information according to the official portal's instructions.

I would check the official form within the 72-hour window because the online process can change.

We travelled to India recently with our two children, although our situation was slightly different because both children have OCI cards rather than e-Visas.

The important thing I learned is that the e-Arrival Card is not a visa. It is an arrival-information requirement. The official India Visa Online website currently says that foreign nationals and OCI cardholders can complete and submit the e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arrival in India.

Because my children each had their own passports, I treated their travel details separately rather than assuming that my submission covered the whole family.

I would definitely check the official form when it opens for your travel date and see how it handles minors. If the system asks for an individual traveller's passport information, use the child's passport details exactly as they appear there.

Also, don't use an unofficial website that charges a fee. The government portal specifically warns that it does not authorize agents or intermediaries to charge for the e-Arrival Card.

I think the safest interpretation is that a child who is travelling on their own foreign passport and OCI card should have their own arrival information submitted.

The reason I say that is the government's e-Arrival information specifically applies to foreigners and OCI cardholders, and children with separate foreign passports are individually documented travellers.

Also, don't confuse this with the e-Visa process. The official e-Visa FAQ explicitly says a minor child requires a separate e-Visa application when an e-Visa is needed. That's a visa rule, though, and shouldn't automatically be treated as the exact rule for e-Arrival Cards.

For your family, I'd therefore enter each child's own passport and OCI details if the e-Arrival system asks for individual traveller information.

If the portal gives you a different family/dependent option, follow the instructions displayed there rather than relying on an older forum post.

The Indian Visa Online site is currently managed by the Bureau of Immigration/Ministry of Home Affairs, so that's the source I'd use if there is any disagreement between older travel advice and what the current portal says. 

I travelled with my 4-year-old daughter to India last month. She has a US passport and OCI card.

We submitted her details separately. I don't remember seeing an option that allowed me to simply add her to my own e-Arrival Card and treat that as her arrival declaration.

One thing that helped was having everyone's passport details ready before starting. Since children have their own passports, I entered their information from their own documents rather than using mine.

The official government website currently says foreign nationals and OCI cardholders must complete and submit the e-Arrival Card. It doesn't state that minors are automatically exempt.

I'd also make sure you do it within the permitted timeframe. The current government site says it can be completed online within 72 hours before arrival in India.

I wouldn't wait until you're at the airport if you can avoid it. Complete it online before travelling and keep the confirmation/reference available with your travel documents.