The centre has launched a fast-track program at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to reduce the airport’s immigration processing time to just a few seconds from thirty minutes earlier, NDTV reported, adding that there are plans to expand the programme to 20 other cities.
The Fast Track Immigration Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP), unveiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on June 22, uses biometrics to simplify and streamline the immigration process at both arrival and departure points.
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The other airports where the programme may get extended to include Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, and Ahmedabad.
How the FTI-TTP works
The FTI-TTP is implemented through an online portal with the Bureau of Immigration being the nodal agency.
The eligible passengers can then use automated gates (e-gates) and bypass regular immigration queues, the report quoted an unnamed senior MHA official as saying, who added that 18,400 individuals (Indian passport and OCI card holders) have already registered.
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Registered passengers scan the boarding pass issued by the airlines once reaching the e-gates to get flight details, with their passport also being scanned and biometrics authenticated.
How to apply for FTI-TTP
Eligible individuals can apply online at www.ftittp.mha.gov.in by providing the the required details which will later be verified by the Bureau of Immigration.
After approval, applicants will get a message to schedule an appointment for giving their biometrics at either international airports or the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office.
The FTI registration will be valid for either a maximum of five years or till the passport’s validity expires, whichever comes first, with a passport validity of minimum six years necessary before applying.
Indian citizens and OCI cardholders will be covered in the first phase and foreigners will be will be covered in the subsequent one.
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