Amit Shah launches faster immigration clearance programme at 5 more airports, says will enhance travellers' convenience

New Delhi | The Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP), which accelerates the immigration process of pre-verified Indian nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders, has been launched aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "speed, scale and scope", Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.

Launching the FTI-TTP in five more airports -- Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Kozhikode and Amritsar, Shah said travellers will no longer experience long queues or manual checking, receiving immigration clearance in just 30 seconds without delays.

The special initiative was first rolled out at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here in July 2024 and two months later launched in seven more airports -- Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad.

Shah stated that the facility is now available at a total of 13 airports in the country simultaneously.

He said the facility will not only enhance the convenience of travellers but also provide an opportunity to introduce them to the changes taking place in the country.

"The next stage of enhancing travellers' convenience, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of speed, scale and scope, starts today with this programme," he said at a special programme held virtually.

The home minister said Prime Minister Modi has always emphasised that along with technological tools, efforts must be taken to act as a trust multiplier, and this initiative is a significant step in that direction.

Shah said with the FTI-TTP, seamless immigration facilities will be available at the designated airports and emphasised that merely providing convenience is not enough as action must be taken to ensure that the maximum number of travellers benefit from it.

"To achieve this, efforts should be made to enable registration at the time of issuing passports and OCI cards," he said, adding if this can be implemented, travellers don't need to return for fingerprinting or documentation and they can travel using their passports whenever they wish.

Shah said all technical possibilities should be explored to ensure that maximum number of people benefit from this programme.

"Indian citizens will certainly benefit, OCI card holders will benefit the most," he said.

Terming the FTI-TTP as a programme that enhances both convenience and national security, he said the Ministry of Home Affairs has planned to integrate this programme with the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Jewar airports.

"All those who have used this facility so far have praised it," he said.

About 3 lakh travellers have registered on this portal, of which 2.65 lakh have utilised it and efforts should be made to continuously increase this number, he added.

The home minister said under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, over the past 11 years, there has been significant increase in international passenger traffic.

He said in 2014, the number of travellers going abroad was 3.54 crore, which increased by approximately 73 per cent to 6.12 crore in 2024.

Similarly, the number of foreign travellers visiting India was 1.53 crore in 2014, which rose by about 31 per cent to approximately 2 crore in 2024.

Shah said combining both figures, the total number of passengers in 2014 was 5.07 crore, compared to 8.12 crore in 2024, representing those who either arrived from abroad or travelled overseas, indicating an overall increase of 60 per cent.

"Our goal should be to ensure that all Indian citizens and OCI card holders benefit from this facility," he said.

The FTI-TTP has been implemented through an online portal, https://ftittp.mha.gov.in. To enrol in this programme, applicants must register online on the portal by filling in their details and uploading the required documents.

The biometrics of registered applicants are collected at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or while passing through the airport.

Registered travellers need to scan their boarding pass, issued by the airline, at the e-Gate and then scan their passport.

The traveller's biometrics are verified at the e-Gates installed at arrival and departure points. Upon successful verification, the e-Gate automatically opens, and immigration clearance is granted.

The FTI-TTP, aimed at facilitating international mobility with faster, smoother, and secure immigration clearance, has been started for Indian nationals and OCI card holders on a gratis basis in the initial phase .

It is similar to the Global Entry Program offered by the US that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival in America at select airports, an official said.

The FTI-TTP will eventually be launched at 21 major airports in the country.