Starting 1st July, Indians flying abroad will no longer have to fill departure cards at airports. The move is aimed to cut down on immigration formalities and save time.

Three years ago, in March'14, the government discontinued the need for filling arrival/disembarkation cards by Indians.

However, embarkation cards will still have to be filled by those leaving the country via land, rail or sea.

Govt implements several measures to ease travel

This is the latest move in the government's attempts towards hassle-free travel. Last year, the customs department said only those carrying prohibited and taxable goods have to fill the 'Customs Declaration Form'; it was earlier mandatory for all passengers coming in.

The need for baggage stamping has also been done away with at several airports, and the program is being extended to more.

What about security concerns?

The departure card contained information about Indians flying abroad, like name, passport number, domestic address and more. In its order discontinuing its need at airports, the home ministry explained, "The same information (about the passengers) is available in the system from other sources."

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