Most foreign visitors heading to India for a holiday, a short business trip or medical treatment can apply for an India e-Visa online instead of visiting an embassy. The application is made only through the Government of India portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, at least four days before arrival, and the approval (called an Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA) is stamped into your passport when you land.
Who can use the India e-Visa
The e-Visa is open to citizens of a long list of countries, roughly 170 at the time of writing, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan and most of the European Union. The full list sits on the official portal and changes from time to time, so check your nationality there before you do anything else.
Some travellers cannot use the e-Visa at all, whatever their nationality. According to the official portal, these include:
- Holders of Pakistani passports, and people of Pakistani origin, including those whose parents or grandparents were born in or permanently lived in Pakistan
- Holders of diplomatic or official passports
- Holders of laissez-passer or other non-passport travel documents
- Anyone endorsed on a parent's or spouse's passport rather than holding their own
- People with a serving or retired defence, military, security or police background
Afghan nationals are directed to a separate application route on the portal.
The e-Visa types compared
The main options are below; the wording on your own ETA is what immigration officers follow.
- e-Tourist, 30 days: multiple entry, valid for 30 days from first arrival, cannot be extended or converted
- e-Tourist, 1 year: multiple entry, valid for 365 days from the date the ETA is granted
- e-Tourist, 5 years: multiple entry, valid for five years from the date the ETA is granted
- e-Business: for meetings, trade, conferences and similar activity, with a one-year multiple-entry option and shorter variants
- e-Medical: for treatment at a recognised hospital in India, with up to two e-Medical Attendant visas available for companions
On the 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist visas, your total time in India must not exceed 180 days in any calendar year. On the one-year e-Business visa, each continuous stay is capped at 180 days, and longer stays trigger registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office.
The official pages are not fully consistent on how long the e-Medical visa lasts, with one section giving 60 days from first arrival and another giving a longer period. If you are travelling for treatment, read the validity on your ETA carefully and speak to your hospital's international patient desk.
The e-Tourist visa covers sightseeing, visiting friends and family, short courses of under six months that do not lead to a formal qualification, and unpaid voluntary work of up to one month. It does not allow paid employment, journalism or NGO work.
When you need a regular visa instead
The e-Visa sits alongside India's traditional sticker visas, which are issued by Indian embassies and high commissions, often through an outsourced application centre such as VFS Global. You will need a regular visa if:
- Your nationality is not on the e-Visa list, or you fall into one of the excluded groups above
- You plan to work, report as a journalist, research, study long term or join an NGO
- You want to stay longer than the e-Visa allows, since e-Visas cannot be extended or converted in India
- You need to visit protected, restricted or cantonment areas, which the e-Visa does not cover without separate permits
- You must arrive through a border crossing that is not designated for e-Visa entry
Documents and photo checklist
The portal is strict about file formats and sizes. Prepare these before you begin:
- A passport valid for at least six months from the date you apply, with at least two blank pages
- A digital photo in JPEG format, between 10 KB and 1 MB, with equal height and width
- A photo showing your full face from the front, eyes open, no glasses, head centred from hair to chin, on a plain white or light background with no shadows or border
- A scan of your passport bio page in PDF format, between 10 KB and 300 KB
- Any category-specific documents in PDF, between 10 KB and 300 KB and in English, such as a business card or invitation letter for e-Business, or a hospital letter for e-Medical
- A return or onward ticket and evidence that you have enough money for your stay
- A valid email address and a card or PayPal account for payment
Children need their own passports and their own applications.
India e-Visa fees
As of October 2026, the fee depends on your nationality and the e-Visa you choose, and the 30-day e-Tourist fee has in the past varied by season. The official fee table is published as a document on indianvisaonline.gov.in, and it was last revised in 2026. Look up your country there rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere, and confirm the amount on the official fee page on the day you pay.
A few points apply to everyone:
- The fee is non-refundable, even if your application is refused or you cancel your trip
- The payment gateway adds a bank charge, listed on the portal as 3 per cent for cards and 4 per cent for PayPal
- There is no official express or emergency fee, and nothing further is payable at the airport
- Payment status can take up to two hours to update, so do not pay twice
How to apply for an India e-Visa, step by step
- Open the official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, typing the address yourself rather than following an advert or search result
- Choose the e-Visa option and complete the online form with details exactly as they appear in your passport
- Note your temporary application ID so you can return to the form later
- Upload your photo and passport bio page, plus any supporting documents for your category
- Review every field, then pay the fee online through the portal
- Track progress using the status page and watch your email, including the spam folder
- If officials ask you to re-upload a photo or document, respond quickly
- Once granted, download and print the ETA and carry it with your passport
Timing: when to apply
Apply at least four days before your arrival date; applications paid for later than that may not be processed. The portal accepts applications up to 120 days ahead of travel for most categories. Applying weeks early leaves time to fix a rejected photo.
Entry points and what to do on arrival
You must enter India through an immigration checkpoint designated for e-Visa holders. These include the main international airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, a number of seaports, and, more recently, some land border crossings. The list has grown during 2026 and the official pages do not yet agree with each other, so check the current list on the portal before you book, especially if you plan to arrive by sea or overland. Cruise passengers should confirm that their port of entry is accepted.
You may leave India through any authorised immigration checkpoint, not only a designated e-Visa port.
On arrival, expect the following:
- Present your passport and printed ETA at the immigration counter
- Officers will take your fingerprints and photograph before stamping the e-Visa into your passport
- You may be asked for your return ticket, accommodation details or proof of funds
- Foreign visitors can file the online e-Arrival card within 72 hours before arrival; this records arrival information and is not a visa
- If you are arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, carry your vaccination certificate
Common reasons applications are rejected or delayed
The portal does not publish a full list of refusal grounds, but most problems are avoidable:
- A photo that is the wrong size or shape, blurred, too dark, taken with glasses, or set against a patterned background
- A passport scan that is cropped, unreadable or in the wrong format
- Names, dates of birth or passport numbers that do not match the passport exactly
- Choosing the wrong category for the purpose of the trip
- Not disclosing previous travel, other nationalities or a past refusal
- Falling into an excluded group, such as Pakistani origin or a military background
- Applying through an unofficial site that submits incomplete or inaccurate data
Beware of unofficial e-Visa websites
Many commercial sites look official and add large service fees. The portal states that indianvisaonline.gov.in is the only official route, that the government does not charge for express processing, and that travellers should not share personal data with unauthorised websites. If a site promises a guaranteed or faster e-Visa for an extra payment, close it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get an India e-Visa?
The portal does not guarantee a processing time. Apply at least four days before arrival, and earlier if you can, so there is time to respond to any request for a new photo or document.
Can I extend my India e-Visa while I am in India?
No. The e-Visa is non-extendable and cannot be converted to another visa type. If you need more time, you would generally need to leave and obtain the right visa before returning.
How many times can I enter India on an e-Tourist visa?
All three e-Tourist options are listed as multiple entry within their validity. On the 1-year and 5-year versions, your total stay must stay within 180 days per calendar year.
What size should my India e-Visa photo be?
The photo must be a square JPEG between 10 KB and 1 MB, showing your full face from the front against a plain light background, with no glasses, shadows or border.
Can I enter India by land with an e-Visa?
Only at land border crossings designated for e-Visa holders. Several were added in 2026, but the official list was still being updated, so confirm your crossing on the portal before you travel.
Do I need to print my India e-Visa?
Yes. The portal advises carrying a copy of your ETA and presenting it at immigration, where the e-Visa is stamped into your passport.
India's visa rules depend on your nationality, your travel history and the purpose of your trip, and they are updated without much notice. Treat this guide as a starting point and check every detail, particularly fees, eligibility and entry points, on the official sources listed below before you apply or book travel.
Official sources
- Indian Visa Online – e-Visa portal (official)
- Indian Visa Online – e-Visa rules, eligible countries and checkposts
- Indian Visa Online – e-Visa fee table (PDF)
- Ministry of External Affairs – Visa services
- Embassy of India, Budapest – e-Visa information
Sources reviewed on 20 Oct 2026. Requirements can change and depend on your nationality and circumstances. This article is general information, not a personal eligibility assessment.
