No more printout hassles! Major change regarding boarding passes at Indian airports starting today..

A significant change regarding airport procedures for passengers traveling abroad from India has come into effect today, September 1st. International passengers will no longer be required to have their boarding passes stamped during immigration clearance. This eliminates an extra step in the departure process and makes the experience at the immigration counter somewhat easier for travelers.

The Bureau of Immigration has introduced this change to enhance passenger convenience and expedite the immigration process. Under the new rule, passengers can present the electronic boarding pass on their phones or use a printed copy; however, immigration officers will no longer stamp the boarding pass.

**No Need for Boarding Pass Stamping**
Until now, international passengers were required to show their boarding passes during immigration clearance. In many instances, immigration officers would stamp the boarding pass—a practice considered part of the departure procedure.

However, this system has been discontinued as of September 1st. According to an internal communication from Delhi FRRO Deepak Yadav, stamping the boarding pass is no longer necessary. The Bureau of Immigration has informed airport operators, the CISF, and other relevant stakeholders about this change. This move eliminates an additional procedural step that often caused inconvenience to passengers—particularly when the stamp on the boarding pass was unclear or difficult to read.

**E-Boarding Passes Accepted During Immigration at Indian Airports**
Under the new regulations, international passengers can present the e-boarding pass stored on their mobile phones at the immigration counter. This means that passengers using digital boarding passes will not need to carry a printed copy solely for the purpose of getting an immigration stamp. Passengers who prefer paper boarding passes may continue to carry them as before.

**What Is the Impact on Passengers Traveling Abroad?**
This change applies to international passengers traveling from India to foreign destinations. No major changes have been made to the rest of the immigration clearance process. Passengers will still need to present the necessary documents and their boarding pass at the immigration counter, but they will not have to go through the additional step of getting them stamped. In other words, once immigration clearance is complete, passengers heading towards the departure gate will not need to check whether their boarding pass bears the immigration stamp.

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