Kolkata Airport Adds Self-Service Biometric Kiosks for e-Visa Arrivals

India's Bureau of Immigration has brought self-service biometric kiosks into operation at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI) in Kolkata, extending a rollout that began earlier at Delhi and Mumbai to speed up immigration processing for foreign travellers arriving on an e-Visa. The kiosks began operating in recent weeks, according to travel-industry reporting, as part of the Airports Authority of India's ongoing push to modernise immigration infrastructure at major gateways.

How the kiosks work

Each kiosk reads a passport's machine-readable zone and, where present, its electronic chip, then captures a facial photograph and all ten fingerprints before the traveller proceeds to an immigration counter. Four kiosks are reported to be in operation at Kolkata, built to specifications issued by the Airports Authority of India. Registering biometrics at the kiosk first is reported to cut the time spent at the immigration counter itself from roughly six to seven minutes per passenger to under a minute.

Who it affects

The kiosks are aimed specifically at foreign nationals arriving in India on an e-Visa, a group that has grown as India has steadily widened e-Visa eligibility and entry points over 2026. It follows earlier phases of the same biometric registration system at Delhi and Mumbai airports, and at Kolkata joins the city's existing Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme lanes, a separate scheme for eligible Indian and OCI passport holders.

Rollout schedules for further airports, and any changes to which traveller categories the kiosks cover, can shift with limited public notice. Travellers, and anyone receiving visitors arriving on an Indian e-Visa, should confirm current procedures with the Bureau of Immigration or the relevant airport operator before travel.

Traveller tips

• The kiosks are for arriving foreign e-Visa holders; Indian and OCI passport holders should continue to use their usual immigration lanes, including Fast Track Immigration counters where eligible.
• Registering at a kiosk still requires proceeding to a staffed counter afterwards; it is designed to shorten that final step, not replace it entirely.
• Keep passport and e-Visa approval documents easily accessible on arrival, since the kiosk reads the passport directly.
• Confirm the latest kiosk locations and any procedural changes with official Indian immigration or airport sources before relying on this for a tight connection.