The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its ‘India Travel Advice’ page—“still current at 24 September 2026”—flagging two entry-rule changes that business travellers continue to overlook. First, India’s switch to the electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) card means physical OCI booklets are no longer issued; all fresh applications and re-issuances are digital, and cardholders must download and carry the QR-coded e-OCI on arrival. Second, in response to the Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak in central Africa, India now requires all international passengers to file a health Self-Declaration Form (SDF) online via the AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 portal within 72 hours before boarding. Travellers arriving without the e-OCI PDF or an SDF acknowledgment risk secondary immigration screening and, in some cases, quarantine referral to airport health officers. Airlines have been instructed to check for the SDF during web check-in, but compliance remains patchy; several UK-India passengers were reportedly delayed at Delhi’s Terminal-3 last week for completing the form on airport Wi-Fi. Corporate mobility managers should update pre-trip checklists: expatriate staff of Indian origin must save the e-OCI file offline or print a copy, and all inbound travellers—regardless of nationality—should complete the SDF even if not transiting Ebola-affected regions. The declaration captures travel history, vaccination status and contact details, speeding up risk triage at Indian ports of entry. The FCDO continues to advise against travel to parts of Jammu & Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border and areas of Manipur experiencing sporadic unrest. Nonetheless, the agency notes that India remains open for business, with e-visa and visa-on-arrival regimes functioning normally. For multinational firms, the takeaway is clear: digital documentation is now central to India’s border controls. Failure to align HR mobility processes with the e-OCI rollout and the health-declaration mandate can translate into missed meetings, hotel no-shows and reputational damage.
Source: UK FCDO Travel Advice – India
