What Happens If My QR Code Does Not Scan at Immigration?

I traveled from Australia to Chennai with my family. One of our phones froze while we were waiting in line, so we couldn't immediately open the QR code. Fortunately, we had printed copies of all the confirmations in our travel folder.

The officer looked at the printed confirmation while verifying our passports, and everything moved along normally. I can't say every airport would handle it the same way, but carrying a paper backup definitely reduced the stress for us.

My QR code wasn't scanned at all when I arrived in Bengaluru from the UK. I had the confirmation open on my phone, but the officer mainly checked my passport and e-Visa. They asked if I had completed the e-Arrival Card, and after I confirmed, they continued processing my entry.

Based on my experience, the QR code seems to be one way of verifying the information, but it isn't necessarily the only method. I still recommend saving the confirmation PDF offline because internet access can be unreliable after landing.

I actually had something similar happen at Mumbai Airport last month. The brightness on my phone was turned down, and the scanner couldn't read the QR code on the first attempt. The officer asked me to increase the screen brightness and zoom out slightly so the full QR code was visible.

After that, it scanned without any problems. The whole thing probably added less than a minute to the process. I also had the confirmation email ready just in case, but I didn't end up needing it.