MHA designates Vizhinjam, Hazira and Pipavav as new immigration checkposts
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has designated three additional seaports, Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, Hazira Port in Gujarat and Pipavav Port in Gujarat, as official immigration checkposts by amending its earlier notification under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
According to a statement from the Press Relations Officer of Vizhinjam Port, the latest Gazette notification (S.O. 5306(E)) adds the three ports to the list of Category II entry points.
The notification, issued on November 20, formally recognises these as Category II seaports for the entry and exit of international passengers.
In September, the MHA had notified 37 airports, 34 sea and river ports, and 37 international land crossing points as designated immigration posts. Six railway stations along the India–Pakistan and India–Bangladesh borders were also included.
The previous notification covered airports in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Calicut, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Goa (Dabolim), Delhi, Gaya, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur and Kolkata, among others. Additional airports such as Nagpur, Patna, Port Blair, Pune, Srinagar, Surat, Trichy, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Kannur, Madurai and Manohar International Airport in Goa were also included.
The notified seaports included Alang, Bedi Bunder, Bhavnagar, Mandvi, Mundra, Porbandar and Mumbai in Gujarat and Maharashtra; Calicut, Kollam and Cochin in Kerala; Chennai, Kamarajar, Nagapattinam and Karimganj; as well as Port Blair, Agatti and Minicoy in Lakshadweep, and several others.
Designated landports span Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Mizoram and West Bengal, with key points such as Agartala, Sonauli, Raxaul, Moreh, Zokhawthar, Gede and Petrapole. Railway immigration points include Munabao in Rajasthan, Attari in Punjab and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal.
The government has also enabled e-visa facilities at more than 31 airports and six seaports.
ANI inputs