International passengers departing from India will soon see a major change at immigration counters, with the government moving away from the traditional practice of stamping boarding passes.
From September 1, 2026, passengers travelling internationally from Indian airports will be able to use e-boarding passes at immigration counters. Immigration officials will no longer be required to stamp boarding passes as part of the departure process.
The Bureau of Immigration has directed the relevant authorities to implement the new procedure across international airports in the country.
The move is aimed at making the immigration process simpler and more digital. Travellers who use electronic boarding passes will be able to present them at immigration instead of relying on a physical paper copy. Passengers carrying physical boarding passes will still be able to present them, but immigration officials will no longer stamp them.
The change is part of India’s broader effort to modernise airport and immigration procedures and reduce dependence on paper-based documentation.
For frequent international travellers, the change could mean fewer steps at the airport and a smoother departure experience. It also aligns immigration procedures more closely with the growing use of airline mobile applications, digital boarding passes and automated airport systems.
The new system is expected to be particularly useful at India’s busiest international airports, where large numbers of passengers pass through immigration counters every day.
However, travellers should continue to follow the document requirements communicated by their airline and airport, particularly regarding passports, visas and other travel documents.
The removal of boarding-pass stamping is therefore a relatively small procedural change, but it represents another step towards India’s transition to a more digital and paper-light international travel system.
