India Ends Boarding Pass Stamping for International Flights From Sept 1

Starting September 1, international passengers departing from India will no longer need to have their boarding passes stamped at immigration counters, as the Bureau of Immigration moves to accept electronic boarding passes on smartphones at all international airports. The decision, communicated through an internal directive, aims to streamline the immigration process and eliminate issues caused by physical stamping.

The Bureau of Immigration, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, issued the directive after determining that the mandatory requirement of producing a physical boarding pass and getting it stamped was causing inconvenience to passengers. Officials also cited instances where improper or incorrect stamping made boarding passes difficult to read, leading to errors. The directive was communicated to key stakeholders, including international airport operators and the Central Industrial Security Force.

Under the new procedure, passengers traveling abroad can present an eboarding pass on their smartphones for immigration clearance. Physical boarding passes will continue to be accepted, but immigration officials will no longer stamp them. The requirement for stamped physical...