The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has refreshed its India travel guidance—current as of 24 July—to include two important entry-rule reminders. First, the advisory references India’s transition from physical Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) booklets to a new electronic e-OCI card, effective 30 June 2026. Second, it highlights the reinstated Self-Declaration Form that all international arrivals must complete within 24 hours before landing, part of India’s Ebola screening measures at ports of entry. While the underlying policy changes were announced earlier, many UK corporates had not updated mobility check-lists. Employees travelling on legacy OCI booklets risk being turned away at Indian immigration if the booklet has not been digitally re-validated. The e-OCI card—delivered as a scannable QR code—must be printed or saved offline for inspection. The Self-Declaration requires passport, itinerary and recent travel history and is uploaded to India’s Air Suvidha portal. Airlines can deny boarding without the form, and carriers report a spike in last-minute airport completions causing check-in delays. Mobility managers should integrate the form’s URL into travel approval workflows and verify completion during pre-trip briefings. The FCDO continues to advise against all travel within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border and non-essential travel to Manipur due to ongoing unrest. Companies with operations in those regions should maintain enhanced duty-of-care protocols and track employees via traveller-tracking tools.
Source: UK FCDO
