A traveller questioned the need to fill a self-declaration form after arriving at Mumbai airport. After an almost 18-hour journey from the Netherlands, he asked why passengers had to enter details such as their flight number, address and recent travel history before immigration.
Traveller questions airport form
The post was shared by X user Abhimanyu Kulkarni, who wrote, “Nothing reminds you that you’re back in India faster than landing at an Indian airport.”
Kulkarni said he started his journey from Eindhoven at 7 am, flew out of Amsterdam at 11:45 am and landed in Mumbai at 12:20 pm. After the long journey, he expected immigration to be the easiest part of his arrival.
Instead, he said Indian passengers were asked to fill out a Self Declaration Form through an online link before immigration. The form asked for details including their name, flight number, country of origin, address in India and whether they had travelled through an African country.
“Seriously… why?” he wrote.
Kulkarni questioned why passengers had to provide the information again when authorities already have access to passport and flight details.
“Why are Indian citizens entering the same information again?” he asked.
{{/usCountry}}“Why are Indian citizens entering the same information again?” he asked.
{{/usCountry}}He also raised concerns about senior citizens, families travelling with children and tired passengers having to open a link and complete the form while waiting for immigration.
“I honestly felt like a foreigner entering my own country,” he wrote.
The form is part of India’s health screening process for international passengers. AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 was launched in June 2026 after the Ebola outbreak and requires passengers to submit details about their recent travel and health.
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How did social media react?
The post received mixed responses, with some users questioning his concern while others supported his point of view.
“It’s not for immigration, it’s for the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa,” one person wrote, adding that the form takes about two minutes to complete.
Another commenter said, “Filling a form reminds you you’re back? I thought it’s the people cutting lines, pushing & lacking basic civic sense that should have reminded you already.”
A user claimed the requirement had been in place for several months and said passengers could also fill out a paper form at some airports.
Another traveller shared a different experience, saying they had received the form while boarding in London and found Mumbai’s immigration process faster than those at Amsterdam and London airports.
One commenter agreed with Kulkarni, writing, “Completely agree. Such a ridiculous rule.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)