Ministry of Home Affairs officials said the aim is to make international travel seamless.
Aiming to cut the time taken for completing the immigration process from a minimum of 30 minutes to mere seconds, the Centre has introduced a fast-track programme at the Delhi airport, which will be expanded to 20 other cities soon.
Under the Fast Track Immigration Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on June 22, biometrics are being used to grant pre-verified flyers a seamless experience for immigration both during departure and arrival.
Work has begun to expand the programme to seven major airports - Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad - and it will be available in 21 airports across the country soon.
"India is becoming an international destination and this programme is being introduced to make travel experience seamless and effortless for all. Eligible passengers will be allowed to utilise automated gates (e-gates) and bypass regular immigration queues for a seamless journey," a senior MHA official told NDTV.
"This programme will soon start in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, and then in other cities. Under it, the immigration process of pre-verified Indian nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders is done within seconds. The aim is to facilitate international mobility with a faster, smoother and more secure immigration clearance," the official added.
According to him, FTI-TTP has already been a success at the Delhi airport and 18,400 individuals (Indian passport and OCI card holders) have registered for it.
How It Works
The FTI-TTP is being implemented through an online portal and the Bureau of Immigration is the nodal agency for fast-track immigration of various categories of travellers under this programme.
After necessary verification, passengers are added to a White List of 'Trusted Travellers' fed for implementation through e-gates. Biometrics of the 'Trusted Traveller' passing through the gates are captured at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office office or at airports.
When registered passengers reach the e-gates, they scan the boarding pass issued by the airlines to get the details of their flight. The passport is also scanned and the biometrics of the passenger are authenticated.
Once the identity of the passenger is established and biometric authentication is done, the e-gate opens automatically and immigration clearance will be deemed to have been granted.
How To Apply
Eligible individuals will need to apply online at www.ftittp.mha.gov.in and provide the required details, which will be verified by the Bureau of Immigration. After their applications are approved, they will receive a message to schedule an appointment for providing their biometrics at international airports or the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office.
The FTI registration will be valid for a maximum of five years or until the validity of the passport, whichever comes first. Officials said providing biometrics is compulsory and applicants must ensure a minimum passport validity of at least six months while applying for the FTI-TTP.
The programme, which will also minimise human intervention in the immigration process, will be implemented in two phases, said an official. Indian citizens and OCI cardholders will be covered in the first phase and foreigners will be included in the next.
The Union home ministry has also shared a helpdesk email ID: india.ftittp-boi@mha.gov.in