This is welcome news for Indians travelling from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to India. Indian travelers can now avoid the cumbersome, long queues in Delhi by registering under the new Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Travellers’ Programme (FTI-TTP), launched last year at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

A prerequisite to avail of this facility is to have one’s biometrics registered ahead of the travel.

The pointer, therefore, for all non-resident Indians (NRIs) is to register their biometrics in Delhi on their next trip, in order to avoid the long queues. The registration has a validity of five years. In the event of the passport expiring within that duration, the registration also ceases to be.

The following checklist is vital:

# As of now the Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) is available only at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Terminal 3 is equipped with eight e-gates: four dedicated to arrivals and four to departures. This facility is likely to become available at other international airports soon.

# The traveler must be in the age group of 12 to 70 years.

# The traveler must be the holder of a valid Indian Passport or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.

# One needs to register on the official website www.ftittp.mha.gov.in and complete the application process with the required documents, which include passport copy and residence proof, among others. Once the registration process is over, the applicant will be scheduled for a biometric appointment. Biometric registration can be done at a dedicated counter at Delhi Airport or a Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Once that is completed, one is eligible to use the Trusted Traveller Programme for a smooth and hassle-free immigration clearance.

The process at the e-gates has also been designed to make travel easy and quick. At the first e-gate, one is required to scan the passport and the boarding pass, before moving on to the second e-gate where a facial scan is done. Once that is completed, the immigration process is deemed complete. To add to the comfort of travelers, this facility has been made available for both inbound and outgoing passengers.

So, on your next trip to Delhi, remember to register your biometrics to save on time. – Simran Sodhi is Executive Editor of nrifocus.com