Arrival cards and online forms Indians must fill before flying in 2026

In short: Several popular destinations that need no visa for Indians still require a free online arrival form, and some refuse boarding or entry without it. The deadlines differ: Singapore 3 days, Malaysia 3 days, Indonesia from 3 days before, the Maldives 96 hours. This guide lists the official deadline and website for each, and the countries where the "form" is really an approval you must get first.

The forms, destination by destination

• Singapore: SG Arrival Card. All travellers must submit it with the electronic health declaration before arriving, within 3 days before you arrive (counting the day of arrival). It is free. Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) offers it on its website and in the MyICA app. Travellers who only transit without clearing immigration are exempt. This is separate from the visa, which Indians need.
• Malaysia: Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC). The High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi says Indian visitors must submit the MDAC 3 days before the arrival date. Indians are currently visa-free for up to 30 days, but only until 31 December 2026. The official MDAC site is imigresen-online.imi.gov.my.
• Maldives: Traveller Declaration on IMUGA. All foreigners, including children and minors, must submit an individual declaration within 96 hours before arrival. It is completely free. Maldives Immigration warns about third-party websites that charge a fee, so use only imuga.immigration.gov.mv.
• Indonesia: All Indonesia. Indonesian Immigration says the platform combines immigration, customs, health and quarantine declarations, and that the declaration can be filled from three days before arrival. You still need a visa on arrival or e-VOA (Rp 500,000 for 30 days) for Bali.
• Thailand: Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). Thailand's immigration department runs an online arrival card at tdac.immigration.go.th. The official pages we could open did not show the filing deadline, so check the site before you fly.

When the "form" is actually an approval

• Sri Lanka. The Electronic Travel Authorization on eta.gov.lk must be approved before arrival. It is free for Indian nationals since 25 May 2026.
• Kenya. An approved Electronic Travel Authorisation is needed before the journey. The standard eTA costs US$30, and Kenya recommends applying at least two weeks ahead.
• Cabo Verde. The 30-day tourist visa granted on arrival requires pre-registration on the online EASE platform and payment of the fee (India's MEA visa list).
• Togo. Indians must register on voyage.gouv.tg, preferably five days before arrival. Visas on arrival are suspended there until further notice.
• Zimbabwe. Visa on arrival, but the official portal lets you pre-fill your entry declaration online.

Common mistakes

1. Filing too early. Windows such as "within 3 days" or "within 96 hours" mean an earlier submission may be rejected. Set a reminder for the day you can file.
2. Filing on the wrong site. Search results are full of look-alike sites that charge for free forms. Type the official address yourself.
3. One form for the whole family. The Maldives needs one declaration per traveller, children included. Check the same for the other forms.
4. Forgetting to save it. Take a screenshot or printout of each approval before you leave home.

What we do not know

• Thailand's TDAC deadline, because the official page did not load text for us.
• Whether Malaysia will keep its visa exemption after 31 December 2026.

How we checked this

We read the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (Singapore), Maldives Immigration's IMUGA site, the High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi, Indonesian Immigration, Sri Lanka's ETA site, Kenya's eTA site, the Cabo Verde EASE site and Togo's travel portal on 10 and 11 November 2026. Confirm each deadline on the official site before you fly. Our visa guide lists each country's sources and dates.