International passengers departing from Indian airports will no longer be required to carry a physical boarding pass or have it stamped at immigration counters from September 1, following a decision by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) to simplify the immigration clearance process.
Under the new system, passengers travelling abroad can present their electronic boarding passes on smartphones at immigration counters. Physical boarding passes will continue to be accepted for those who prefer to carry them, but immigration officials will no longer stamp the documents.
The decision follows a directive issued by the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs to airport authorities across the country.
According to officials, the BOI reviewed the existing procedure and found that the mandatory use and stamping of physical boarding passes was causing inconvenience to international travellers. Incorrect or unclear immigration stamps on boarding passes had also occasionally created difficulties in reading and verifying travel documents.
Following the review, immigration authorities decided to discontinue the mandatory requirement for physical boarding passes and end the practice of stamping them at immigration counters at international airports.
The move is expected to make the immigration process faster, simpler and more digital-friendly, reducing paperwork for passengers travelling overseas.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for passenger security screening at airports, does not stamp boarding passes during international passenger screening. The practice of CISF stamping boarding passes for domestic and international passengers was discontinued several years ago.
Meanwhile, the government is also examining a pilot project to eliminate immigration entry and exit stamps for Indian passport holders. Officials said the system could eventually be expanded to airports across the country after an assessment of the pilot project.
The latest initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to increase the use of digital systems and streamline passenger processing at Indian airports.
Bengaluru Airport User Fee Revised
In a separate development, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has revised the User Development Fee (UDF) at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport for the five-year control period ending in March 2031.
Under the revised structure, the UDF has been fixed at ₹300 for domestic passengers and ₹997 for international passengers.
For the first time, AERA has implemented an incremental Average Revenue Requirement (ARR) framework. Under this system, costs incurred by the Bengaluru airport operator on major capital expenditure projects can be recovered from passengers only after the projects are completed.