India Tourist Visa

Citizens from 167 countries are eligible to apply for e-Tourist Visa online. The sole purpose of the visit must be tourism, recreation, medical treatment, short-term study, or visiting friends or family.

Who cannot apply for India e-Tourist Visa

The following categories are not eligible for e-Tourist Visa and must apply through an Indian Mission:
• Pakistani nationals or persons of Pakistani origin (including those whose parents or grandparents — paternal or maternal — were born in or permanently resident in Pakistan)
• Holders of diplomatic or official passports, laissez-passer or other international travel documents (non-passport)
• Individuals endorsed on a parent's or spouse's passport
• Nationals of countries not on the eligible list
• Stateless persons

Passport requirements for India e-Tourist Visa

• Minimum 6 months validity from the date of arrival in India
• At least two blank pages available for immigration stamps
• Traveler must carry the same passport used during the application — the ETA is linked to that specific passport document
• If you receive a new passport after ETA is granted, you may still enter on the new passport, but you must carry both the old and new passport at travel

Financial Requirements
The traveler must have a return or onward journey ticket and sufficient funds to cover their stay in India. Immigration officers may ask for evidence of this on arrival.

Each traveler — including minor children — requires a separate e-Visa. There are no family or group e-Visas. The child's passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended arrival date.

Three India e-Tourist Visa options are available — 30 day, 1 year, and 5 year. The visa is non-extendable and non-convertible — once granted, it cannot be changed to any other visa type or extended beyond its validity.

Choose based on how long you plan to stay and whether you may exit and re-enter India during your trip.

India 30-Day e-Tourist Visa

Validity: 30 days from the date of first arrival in India
Entries: Double entry within the validity period
Apply window: Minimum 4 days before arrival; maximum 120 days in advance
Processing time: 24–72 hours; up to 5–7 days in some cases
Fee: Country-specific — check the fee in Official Links and Resources

The 30-day clock starts from your first entry into India, not from the date the ETA is granted on email. If you are granted the ETA on Nov 10 and arrive on Nov 20, your visa is valid until Dec 20.

India 1-Year e-Tourist Visa

Validity: 365 days from the date of ETA grant
Entries: Multiple
Maximum continuous stay per visit: 90 days (180 days for Canada, Japan, UK, and USA)
Maximum total stay per calendar year: 180 days
Apply window: Minimum 4 days before arrival; maximum 120 days in advance
Processing time: 3–5 days; up to 7–10 days in some cases
Fee: Country-specific — check the fee in Official Links and Resources

The 1-year validity begins from the date the ETA is granted — not from the first arrival. If the ETA is granted on April 1, it expires on March 31 of the following year, regardless of when you first enter India.

India 5-Year e-Tourist Visa

Validity: 5 years from the date of ETA grant
Entries: Multiple
Maximum continuous stay per visit: 90 days (180 days for Canada, Japan, UK, and USA)
Maximum total stay per calendar year: 180 days
Processing time: 5–7 days; up to 10–15 days in some cases
Fee: Country-specific — check the fee in Official Links and Resources

Rules That Apply to All Three Types
• e-Tourist visa is non-extendable and non-convertible. It cannot be extended or changed to any other visa category.
• Processing fee is non-refundable regardless of grant or rejection.
• ETA status must show GRANTED. Check status at the official portal before travel. Do not travel if status is still pending.
• ETA is linked to your passport. It cannot be transferred to a new passport. If you get a new passport after ETA grant, carry both passports.
• Not valid for Protected, Restricted, or Cantonment Areas. Separate permits required for those zones.

Apply only through the official Government of India e-Visa portal: indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/

Any third-party website charging additional fees for the same service is not official. There is no express or premium service to get an e-Tourist Visa faster.

Apply at least 7–10 days before travel to allow buffer time. Do not rely on the minimum 4-day window.

The entire process — form filling and payment — takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 1 — Complete the online application form

Fill all fields accurately such as passport details, travel details, contact information, previous India visa details. If you do not remember previous visa details, write "NA" or "Not Available" in the relevant field. Double-check before submitting as name, nationality, passport number, and date of birth must exactly match your passport.

⚠ Pakistani grandparent question — check before submitting
On the application form, the question about Pakistani grandparent nationality defaults to YES. If you exit and re-enter the form at any point, check that this field has not reset to YES before submitting.

If the application ID is generated, do not close the browser before completing payment — the Application ID is valid for 7 days only. If you do not complete payment within 7 days, the application is lost and you must start again.

Step 2 — Upload required documents

Two documents are mandatory for e-Tourist Visa:
• Passport bio page (PDF, 10 KB–300 KB) — must clearly show name, DOB, nationality, passport number, expiry date
• Photograph (JPEG, 10 KB–1 MB) — see in sidebar for photo specifications

Applications are liable to rejection if uploaded documents or photographs do not meet specifications.

Step 3 — Pay the visa fee

Two payment gateways are available — SBI ePay and Axis Bank Payment Gateway. Both accept international Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards.
• Bank transaction charge is 3% of the applicable e-Visa fee (for card payments via both SBI ePay and Axis Bank)
• PayPal charges 4% of the applicable e-Visa fee (via SBI ePay only)
• All charges are inclusive of applicable taxes.
• Fees are non-refundable regardless of grant or rejection.

Fee is country-specific. Check the country-wise fee table in Official Links and Resources before applying.

Step 4 — Receive confirmation email

Immediately after submission and payment, you receive a confirmation email at the address provided. This confirms the application has been received — it is not the visa. After submission, the government may email you separately to re-upload a document or photograph if it does not meet specifications. Check inbox including spam for any such request and act on it promptly.

Step 5 — Track your application status

Check status at the official portal using your application reference number and passport number. Status options: Pending / Granted / Rejected. You will also be notified by email when a decision is made.

Step 6 — Download, print, and carry the ETA

Once status shows GRANTED, download the ETA from the portal. Print it. Carry the printed ETA when traveling — present it at the immigration counter on arrival.

Navigating the e-Visa Portal — known issues and fixes

The Indian e-Visa portal can occasionally behave inconsistently. Follow these steps to avoid common issues.
• Fill the application form in Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer compatibility mode enabled.
• Fill all mandatory fields only. Avoid optional fields where possible.
• After completing the form, copy and save your 12 character Application ID. Do not proceed to payment in Internet Explorer mode.
• Switch to Chrome or Firefox for payment. Go to "Verify Payment/Pay e-Visa fee" option and enter your Application ID to continue.
• If the portal crashes or is unavailable, wait a few minutes and retry. Receipt download may occasionally fail — confirmation is sent by email.

Mandatory for all foreign nationals entering India. The paper disembarkation card given during flights is gone. Every foreign national — including US, UK, Canada, Australia, and all other nationalities — must complete the India e-Arrival Card online before arrival.

After submission, a QR code is generated. This QR code must be presented at immigration on arrival. The e-Arrival Card is separate from your visa. Both are required.

Where to file: indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/
When to file: Within 72 hours before your scheduled arrival — not earlier
Cost: Free

Failure to complete the e-Arrival Card before arrival may cause delays at immigration.

The e-Tourist Visa is valid for entry through 33 designated airports, 33 seaports, and 4 land ports only. Entry through any other point is not permitted on an e-Visa.

33 Designated Entry Airports
Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa (Dabolim), Goa (Mopa), Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kannur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Port Blair, Pune, Surat, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam.

33 Designated Seaports (Cruise Tourists)
Agatti, Alang, Bedi Bandar, Bhavnagar, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Cuddalore, Dhamra, Hazira, Kakinada, Kamarajar, Kandla, Kattupalli, Kollam, Kolkata, Krishnapatnam, Mandvi, Mormugao, Mumbai, Mundra, Nagapattinam, New Mangalore, Nhava Sheva, Paradeep, Pipavav, Port Blair, Porbandar, Tuticorin, Vallarpadam, Vishakapatnam, Vizhinjam, Vizhinjam International.

4 Designated Land Entry Ports
Raxaul, Rupaidiha, Darranga, Jogbani.

Exit Points
e-Visa holders may depart from any authorized Immigration Check Post in India — not restricted to the entry airports listed above. This includes a wider list of airports, land ICPs, seaports, and rail ICPs across the country.

If you overstay your India e-Tourist Visa, visit the nearest FRRO — Foreigners Regional Registration Office — immediately to regularize your record and avoid fines or penalties. Do not attempt to leave the country with an overstayed visa without first resolving the overstay.

The e-Tourist Visa cannot be extended. If you need more time in India, you must exit the country and re-enter on a new visa. Some travelers make a short trip to Nepal or Bhutan and return on a fresh e-Visa.

• Visible Identification Mark: Permanent, visible physical features such as moles, birthmarks, or scars. If none exist, enter NONE.
• Previous Indian Visa Details: If exact details are unavailable, enter approximate dates or "Unknown" where the form accepts it. Do not leave blank.
• Reference in India: First hotel or accommodation details are sufficient.
• Reference in Home Country: A contact in your home country — a family member or friend.
• Countries Visited in the Last 10 Years: Major travel history is sufficient.
• Place of Issue (Passport): The issuing authority on the passport, not necessarily a city name.
• Country of Birth (Dropdown): Select the country as it appears — for example, United Kingdom, not England or Scotland.
• Educational Qualification: Select the highest qualification held. Qualification acquired from College/University applies.

If you find a discrepancy in your name, nationality, passport number, date of birth, or photograph on the granted ETA, mail the e-Visa support center at least 24 hours before your journey date.