India to end boarding pass stamping at immigration from September 1

Starting September 1, the Bureau of Immigration (BOI), under India's Ministry of Home Affairs, will discontinue the mandatory practice of stamping boarding passes at immigration counters across all international airports in the country. This policy shift aims to streamline the departure process and reduce passenger inconvenience caused by long queues and errors resulting from improper or incorrect physical stamping.

Under the new regulations, travelers can present electronic boarding passes on their smartphones for immigration clearance. While physical boarding passes will still be accepted at immigration counters, officials will no longer apply a physical stamp to them. This move aligns with existing practices by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which stopped stamping boarding passes during security frisking several years ago.

Authorities have also indicated plans for a pilot project to eventually eliminate the stamping of immigration entry and exit for Indian passport holders, further digitizing the travel experience.