Travel News
India Stops Stamping Boarding Passes at Immigration for International Departures
From 1 September 2026, India's Bureau of Immigration has stopped stamping boarding passes at departure immigration counters across the country's international airports, a change aimed at cutting queue times; passport stamping is unaffected.
By BigTravel.in Editorial Team · · 1 min read
India's Bureau of Immigration has ended the practice of manually stamping boarding passes at departure immigration counters, a change that took effect from 1 September 2026 and applies at international airports across the country. Travel outlets tracking the rollout report that the change removes one manual step from an already time-consuming departure process, with immigration officers previously stamping every boarding pass in addition to checking and stamping the passport itself.
What has actually changed
Only the boarding pass stamp has been dropped; passport stamping at immigration continues as before, so travellers will still see an exit stamp in their passport on departure. Both printed and electronic boarding passes shown on a phone are accepted at the counter, and passengers can use whichever format they prefer, since the change does not affect how the boarding pass itself is checked, only whether it is physically stamped afterwards.
Why it was introduced
The stamp was a manual action repeated at every counter for every departing passenger, and travel outlets reporting on the change describe it as intended to ease queues at peak international departure banks, when immigration counters see their heaviest traffic. It follows a broader pattern of India's aviation and immigration authorities trimming manual steps from the international departure process over the past couple of years.
Traveller tips
- Carry your passport as usual; the exit stamp in it is unaffected and still required for international departure.
- Both a printed boarding pass and an e-boarding pass on your phone remain acceptable at the immigration counter.
- This change covers departure immigration only; check-in, security screening and any airline-specific boarding requirements are unchanged.
- Always confirm current airport procedures with your airline or the airport's official channels ahead of travel, since implementation can vary slightly by airport.
Where this is
New Delhi, India
