Faster immigration process at Delhi airport

Indian nationals and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) can experience a faster immigration process at the Delhi airport and, in due course, at other major airports in India by implementing a biometrics-based system. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently inaugurated the Fast-Track Immigration – Trusted Traveler Programme’ (FTI-TTP) system at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The facility will be extended to the airports at Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, apart from 13 other airports in phases, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). In the future, it will be extended to foreign citizens as well. According to the MHA, this system will capture passenger biometrics that will be maintained in a database. This will be used to carry out real-time verification of travelers who can then pass through the automated gates with minimal human intervention. Calling it a visionary initiative, Shah said that this program is one of the key agendas set for Viksit Bharat in 2047 and reflects the Modi Government’s commitment to improve travel convenience and efficiency for all. This facility is free of cost, says the Home Minister.  

For international travelers, it is designed for faster, smoother, and safer immigration clearance. The program will run on e-gates or automated border gates which will minimize human intervention in the immigration clearance process. According to the MHA statement, the program will be implemented in two phases. OCI cardholders and Indian citizens will be covered in the first place and, foreign travelers will be covered in the second place.

The objective of this program is to make international travel easy and secure by developing world-class immigration facilities through an accelerated immigration pathway for international travelers screened through automated gates (e-gates). According to MHA, through an online portal, the FTI-TTP system will be implemented. The Bureau of Immigration will be the nodal agency for fast-tracking immigration of several categories of travelers under this program. To enroll in the scheme, applicants need to register on the portal and upload documents. After verification, a white list of travelers will be generated and sent to the automated gates.

The biometrics of the trusted traveler will be captured at the Foreigners Regional Registration office or at the time of passage through the airport. The TTP registration will be valid till the validity of the passport or five years, whichever is earlier, and will be renewed thereafter.Bottom of Form Under this process, as soon as registered passengers scan their boarding pass at the e-gates, The passport will also be scanned and the biometrics of the passenger will be authenticated. Once the identity is recognized, the gate will open automatically and immigration clearance will be considered to have been approved