How Far in Advance Should You Fill Out Your Digital Arrival Card? (By Country)

Why Timing Isn't the Same Everywhere

Unlike a visa, which you can usually apply for weeks or months ahead, most digital arrival cards have a specific submission window and both submitting too early and too late can cause problems. Too early, and the system may reject it outright or ask you to resubmit closer to your date. Too late, and you risk arriving without a completed declaration, which means doing it under pressure at the airport instead.

This is one of the most common mistakes we see, see 7 Common Mistakes for the full list, so it's worth checking the exact window for your destination before you sit down to fill anything out.

The General Rule Across Most Countries

Most digital arrival cards follow a similar pattern: submission opens a set number of days before arrival, and closes once you've landed and gone through immigration. The most common window across the destinations we work with is 72 hours (3 days) before arrival, but this isn't universal, a few countries work differently, and getting this wrong is an easy, avoidable mistake.

Country-by-Country Submission Windows

Indonesia (IDAC)
Submission opens 3 days before arrival. Submitting earlier than that is typically not accepted. See the Indonesia IDAC Guide for the full process.

Thailand (TDAC)
Same 3-day window, submission opens 3 days before arrival and must be completed before reaching immigration. Full details in the Thailand TDAC Guide.

Vietnam (PAI)
Different from most of its neighbors, the PAI can generally be completed earlier, as soon as your flight and accommodation are confirmed, rather than being limited to a short pre-arrival window. See the Vietnam PAI Guide for specifics.

Japan (Visit Japan Web)
The most flexible of the group. You can create your account and register your passport details weeks in advance, then complete the arrival-specific fields (flight, customs) closer to departure. Details in the Japan VJW Guide.

India (eArrival Card)
The eArrival card itself follows a shorter pre-arrival window, but don't confuse this with your eVisa, which should be handled well in advance since approval can take several days. See India eArrival vs eVisa for how the two timelines interact.

What Happens If You Submit Too Early

Depending on the country, submitting outside the accepted window can mean:

• The system rejecting the submission outright and asking you to try again later

• A submission that goes through but isn't recognized as valid on arrival

• Having to resubmit anyway once you're within the correct window, effectively doubling the work

There's no advantage to submitting early beyond the accepted window, it doesn't reserve your spot or speed anything up.

What Happens If You Submit Too Late

This is the riskier side. If you land without a completed declaration:

• You'll typically need to complete it on the spot at the airport, often with slower WiFi and less patience than you'd have at home

• Some airports have staff or kiosks to help, but this adds time you don't have if you're also making a connection

• In destinations with stricter enforcement, an incomplete declaration can mean extra questioning, see Turned Away at the Border for what that looks like in practice

A Simple Way to Never Get the Timing Wrong

Before you fly, check two things: your destination's specific window, and your exact arrival date and time. Set a reminder for the start of that window rather than trying to remember it the week of your trip, most missed or mistimed submissions come down to simply forgetting, not confusion about the rule itself.

If you'd rather not track this yourself, this is exactly the kind of detail an assistance service can handle for you: tracking the correct window and prompting you to submit yourself exactly when it opens, so you never need to calculate it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 3-day window the same for every country?
No, most destinations use a 3-day window, but some, like Vietnam, allow earlier submission, and others, like Japan, let you register early and finish arrival details later.

What if my flight is delayed and it pushes me outside the window?
In most cases, a short delay of a few hours won't affect your window, since it's based on days rather than exact hours. If a delay pushes your arrival by a full day or more, it's worth checking whether your submission still applies.

Can I submit my arrival card for multiple destinations on a multi-country trip?
Yes, but each destination needs its own separate submission within its own window, they're not linked, even on a single itinerary. See Southeast Asia Trip Planning if you're covering several countries in one trip.

What's the safest way to make sure I never miss the window?
Set a reminder a few days before departure, or use an assistance service that tracks the submission window for you and tells you exactly when to submit it yourself.