Diaspora news portal NRI Affairs published an in-depth explainer on 8 October 2026 that untangles the paperwork maze facing passengers flying from the UAE to India. The article confirms that India’s revived e-Arrival card – which replaced the physical disembarkation form for foreign nationals – is now also required for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, contradicting several outdated embassy FAQs still circulating online. Separately, Air Suvidha 2.0, relaunched in June 2026 to screen travellers for Ebola and other haemorrhagic fevers, must be completed by *all* passengers, including Indian citizens, within 24 hours of arrival. The piece provides a side-by-side checklist differentiating immigration, health and customs declarations and warns families that each member may fall under a different rule set depending on passport type. From a mobility-management perspective the clarification is timely: travel agents report that nearly 15 % of UAE–India passengers were stopped at Delhi and Mumbai immigration counters last month for missing or incorrect e-Arrival confirmations. Companies moving project staff on short notice should incorporate the 72-hour e-Arrival window and 24-hour health-declaration window into their booking workflows to avoid denied boarding. The article also notes that electronic OCI cards are now accepted, reducing the need for physical booklet re-issuance, but advises travellers to carry digital and paper copies until airline check-in systems are fully updated. Mobility programmes should update intranet guidance and traveller-training decks accordingly.
Source: NRI Affairs
