Archive: New Delhi International Airport. Photo: Shutterstock India has abolished the requirement for passengers departing the country on international flights to sign boarding passes. The change, which took effect on September 1, allows passengers to present a digital boarding pass on their phone instead of a printed and signed document.
India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu posted the announcement on his official X account. The announcement was also displayed on the official page of the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry, which centralizes announcements from the ministry and its officials.
"Starting today, flying international from India will be more seamless! Kudos to the Bureau of Immigration for digitizing the process by doing away with the mandatory stamping of boarding passes for international departures. Now, we just need to present e-boarding pass on our mobile phones and fly!"
According to Naidoo, the change will also save the paper used to print more than 120,000 international boarding passes every day.
This is a significant relief for tourists visiting India: until now, they were required to present and sign their boarding pass before boarding an international flight. Eliminating this manual step is expected to simplify airport procedures, reduce reliance on printed documents, and shorten the journey to the boarding gate.
However, the change only relates to the signing requirement. Passengers are still required to go through security and immigration procedures and present a passport, visa, and additional documents depending on the destination and the authorities' requirements.
The move joins the steps being promoted by India to make its airports more digital and streamline international passenger traffic.