Fast-Track Immigration in India: Everything You Need To Know!

The Ministry of Home Affairs is developing a new initiative to make air travel hassle-free, significantly speeding up the immigration process. The government has created an immigration pathway for International travelers to make the immigration check easy. The passengers will have to go through automated gates to complete the immigration without manual intervention. The procedure is currently available at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

There is a detailed procedure to speed up the immigration process at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Indian passport holders can utilize the e-gates to bypass the regular immigration process and avoid the crowded queue lines.

For the same, the eligible individuals must apply online for the Trusted Traveller Programme service at www.ftittp.mha.gov.in.

The registration process for FTI-TTP may take up to one month. Applicants must ensure their passports are valid for at least six months at the time of application. The Bureau of Immigration (BoI) will then process the application.

The applicants must submit their biometrics (fingerprints and facial images) and other required information as specified in the application form. Registration under FTI-TTP will be completed once eligibility is confirmed and the necessary verifications are completed.

This is being introduced only to reduce airport congestion by offering expedited immigration clearance for both arriving and departing pre-verified travelers. Currently, RGIA is equipped with 08 electronic gates – 04 for arrivals and 04 for departures – to facilitate a seamless experience. The number of counters may increase whenever there is a requirement for the same.

The process to Register with FTI-TTP:

1. Apply through the government website – http://ftittp.mha.gov.in, and provide the required details.
2. The Bureau of Immigration will verify the details.
3. After verification, the approved passenger will receive an email or SMS to proceed to the next step – biometric enrolment at either the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or a dedicated counter at RGIA, to enroll their biometric details such as fingerprints and facial image. The TTP registration will be valid until the validity of the passport or five years, whichever is earlier, and will be renewed thereafter.

Documents Required:

1. Upload a passport-size photograph. The applicant’s face (including ears) should take up 3/4 of the area in the image with a white background. It should be no more than six months old.
2. A scanned copy of a Passport with at least six months of validity.
3. For OCI cardholders, a scanned copy of the OCI card – both the first page (with biographic details) and the last page (family and address details), separately, is required.

Process of Immigration at RGIA for both Arrivals and Departures:

1. At departure, a registered passenger must visit the check-in counter to obtain the boarding pass after Visa verification.
2. After receiving the boarding pass, the passenger will proceed to the dedicated TTP e-gates installed at the Immigration area.
3. The passenger will scan their passport and boarding pass at the first e-gate. The first e-gate will allow passage to the next e-gate if both are verified.
4. At the next e-gate, the passenger’s face will be scanned. If verified, the passenger’s emigration process is completed.

FTI TTP is currently available at the airports in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad, along with New Delhi.