Whether you're a US citizen visiting India for the first time, an OCI cardholder heading home to see family, or a green card holder traveling with parents, the paperwork and baggage rules have shifted enough in the last year that it's worth a fresh look before you fly. Here's what's current as of 2026.
The e-Arrival Card is now mandatory, and it's not the same as a visa
This is the single biggest change for 2026. As of April 1, 2026, every foreign national and every OCI cardholder entering India must complete a digital e-Arrival Card before departure. The paper form that used to get handed out on the flight, or filled out at the airport, has been fully phased out.
A few things to know:
- It must be submitted online through the official Indian visa portal or the Su-Swagatam mobile app, between 72 and 24 hours before your scheduled departure.
- There's no fee for the form itself.
- It generates a QR code, which you'll need at immigration. Keep a digital copy on your phone and a printed copy as backup, just in case.
- This applies even if you're an OCI cardholder. The e-Arrival Card is separate from your OCI status; OCI doesn't exempt you from it.
This is easy to miss if you're not actively reading airline or embassy updates, so build it into your pre-departure checklist the same way you'd think about checking in for your flight.
If you're a US citizen without an OCI card: the e-Visa
For US citizens visiting India for tourism, a casual visit to family or friends, short-term yoga or arts programs, business, or attending a conference, the e-Visa is generally the simplest path. A few practical points:
- Your passport needs at least six months of validity remaining from your arrival date, plus at least two blank pages for stamping (three if you're also visiting a neighboring country on the same trip).
- The e-Tourist Visa comes in 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year options. The 30-day version is valid from your first arrival date and allows double entry; the longer versions allow multiple entries with a maximum continuous stay of 180 days per visit.
- E-Visa fees have been revised in 2026 under a country-by-country pricing model, so it's worth checking the current fee for US applicants specifically on the official portal rather than relying on an old number.
- Apply only through indianvisaonline.gov.in — there are a number of look-alike sites charging unnecessary "service fees," and the Indian government has explicitly warned against unauthorized agents charging extra for visa or e-Visa facilitation.
- E-Visas are non-extendable and non-convertible, and they're not valid for land border crossings, only designated airports and seaports.
If you hold an OCI card
OCI cardholders don't need a visa to enter India and can stay indefinitely, but a couple of details trip people up:
- You need a valid OCI card alongside a valid foreign passport. You generally do not need to carry the older passport your OCI was originally issued against, even if your passport has since been renewed and the numbers don't match.
- The e-Arrival Card requirement above still applies to you. Don't skip it just because you're not on a visa.
- If your OCI card was issued against an old passport and you've since gotten a new one, it's worth re-registering your updated passport details with OCI services online before you travel, since immigration officers may ask about the mismatch even though current rules don't require the old document.
Packing and baggage: what's actually changed
Baggage rules on the USA-India corridor have gotten more fare-dependent than they used to be, which catches a lot of travelers off guard, especially anyone used to the old "two free bags, no questions asked" era.
Check your fare type before you pack, not after. On Air India's USA-India routes, the lowest "Value" economy fare now includes only one free checked bag (up to 23 kg). The "Classic" fare, typically only about $60 more each way, restores the second free checked bag. If you're flying home with gifts, groceries, or anything bulky, that $60 is almost always cheaper than paying for a second bag at the airport, which runs significantly higher.
Cabin baggage is being enforced more strictly. Economy passengers get one cabin bag up to 7 kg, sized within 55 x 40 x 20 cm, plus one personal item (laptop bag or handbag) up to 3 kg. Gate staff increasingly use digital scales, and an overweight cabin bag at the gate typically costs more than checking it would have at the counter.
A few specific items worth knowing about:
- Power banks must travel in your cabin bag, never checked. Most airlines are comfortable with standard 20,000 mAh units; very high-capacity power banks can draw extra scrutiny at the gate.
- Powder-like substances over 12 oz/350 ml in carry-on (think protein powder, spices, or homemade snacks ground fine) get extra screening on US-bound flights and may be turned away at the checkpoint if it can't be cleared. When in doubt, pack it in checked baggage instead.
- Liquids, gels, and pastes follow the standard 100 ml per container rule in carry-on, with the usual exceptions for baby food and prescription medication (carry the prescription with you).
Weigh your bags at home. A basic digital luggage scale costs very little and will save you the stress of repacking at the counter. If you're traveling with family, you can usually redistribute weight across everyone's allowance, as long as each individual bag stays within its own limit.
Pre-book any excess baggage online rather than paying at the airport. It's consistently cheaper to add extra weight or an additional bag through "Manage Booking" before you fly than to pay the walk-up rate at check-in.
Putting it together
Before you fly to India in 2026, the checklist looks like this: confirm your visa or OCI status is in order, submit your e-Arrival Card in the 72-hour window before departure, double-check your fare type against how much you're planning to check in, and weigh your bags before you leave the house. None of this is complicated once you know it's there, but it's exactly the kind of detail that's easy to miss if you're booking on your own and haven't flown this route in a year or two.
If you'd like a hand sorting through visa categories, e-Arrival timing, or which fare class actually makes sense for your baggage needs, our team at MJD Travels is happy to walk through it with you before you book.
Indian visa, e-Arrival, and baggage rules change frequently. Always confirm current requirements directly on the official Indian visa portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in), the OCI services portal, and your airline's website before traveling.
