NEW DELHI: Indians and foreign nationals who are Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) arriving at Delhi airport can now seamlessly enter the country through e-gates where their passports and boarding passes will be scanned. The biometrics of the passengers will then be digitally authenticated.

All arriving foreign travelers will be covered in the second phase of the ‘Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme’ (FTI-TTP), which was inaugurated by India’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, at Delhi airport yesterday.

Once the facility stabilizes at Delhi airport’s international arrival Terminal 3, it will be launched at seven major airports, namely, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Ahmedabad.

Eventually, 21 international airports in India will be covered by the scheme. Long queues at points of entry at these airports will then be eliminated.

‘The FTI-TTP will be implemented through an online portal and the Bureau of Immigration will be the nodal agency for fast-track immigration under
this programme,’ the Ministry of Home Affairs here said in a press release.

‘To enroll in the scheme, an applicant has to register online on the portal with details and required documents. After necessary verification, a White List of Trusted Travellers will be generated and fed for implementation through e-Gates,’ the press release said.

The registration will be valid till the expiry of the passport or five years whichever is earlier and will be renewed thereafter.

Source: Emirates News Agency