India e-Visa Guide
Official site only. Four days ahead.
A plain-English walk-through of India’s e-Tourist visa for travellers from the US, UK, Europe, Australia and Canada — which one to choose, what to upload, when to apply, and what happens at the airport. Written by a travel company in Himachal that is not a visa agency.
- Official site indianvisaonline.gov.in
- 4 days minimum before arrival
- 30 days · 1 year · 5 years e-Tourist options
- Checked 18 Oct 2026
How do I get an e-Tourist visa for India?
Apply online at the official site indianvisaonline.gov.in at least 4 days before you arrive: fill in the form, upload a square face photo and your passport bio page, and pay the country-specific fee. The approval (ETA) arrives by email; print it, check it says GRANTED, and the visa is stamped at a designated airport. Look-alike sites charge extra — use only the official one.
How to apply for the e-Tourist visa — six steps
Everything happens on the official portal. There is no step that needs an agent, and the Government of India charges no “express” fee.
- Open the official siteType indianvisaonline.gov.in yourself (the e-Visa section is /evisa). Search ads often show look-alike sites first — they charge a service fee on top of the government fee.
- Pick e-Tourist and the length30-day, 1-year or 5-year (see the table below). Choose your arrival airport from the designated list.
- Fill in the form and uploadA square JPEG face photo and a PDF scan of your passport bio page, in the sizes the site asks for (see documents).
- Pay the feeBy card or the payment options shown, at least 4 days before travel. The fee depends on your nationality and is non-refundable, granted or not; the bank adds a small charge.
- Get your ETA by emailCheck the status on the same site with your application ID. If a photo or scan is unclear you will be asked to re-upload — answer quickly.
- Print it and flyCarry the ETA showing GRANTED. At immigration your fingerprints and photo are taken and the e-Visa is stamped. Fill in the e-Arrival card in the 72 hours before landing.
30-day, 1-year or 5-year: which e-Tourist visa to choose
| e-Tourist visa | Valid for | Entries | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 30 days from the day you first arrive — not extendable | Multiple, within the 30 days | One trip of up to a month, e.g. a 2–3 week tour |
| 1 year | 365 days from the date it is granted | Multiple | Two trips in a year, or a trip that runs past 30 days |
| 5 years | 5 years from the date it is granted | Multiple | Regular visitors, family visits, repeat Himalaya trips |
For the 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist visa the official page says your stay must not exceed 180 days in a calendar year; per-visit limits depend on nationality — confirm yours on the official site. The 30-day fee is lower for April–June arrivals than July–March. Fees differ by country and are listed in the official fee table (version dated 8 Sep 2026); we don’t print them here because they change.
Passport, photo and documents
Passport
At least six months’ validity when you apply, with two blank pages. Every traveller — children too — needs their own passport and their own application.
Photo
JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB, square (height = width). Full face, eyes open, no glasses, plain white or light background, no shadows or border.
Passport scan
PDF of the bio (photo) page, 10 KB to 300 KB. Any other document must be in English.
Yellow fever
If you arrive from or through a yellow-fever country, carry your vaccination card or you may be quarantined. For vaccines and health advice, consult your doctor or an official travel-health site (CDC, NHS Fit for Travel).
Arriving in India on an e-Visa
Designated ports only. You must enter through one of the airports or seaports listed on the official site — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Goa, Jaipur, Amritsar, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Bagdogra and dozens more. You can leave from any immigration check post. The official page’s own lists and FAQ give different counts, so check that your arrival airport is on the current list before you book flights.
e-Arrival card. Since 1 October 2025, foreign visitors fill in an e-Arrival card within 72 hours before landing — on boi.gov.in, indianvisaonline.gov.in or the official “Indian Visa Su-Swagatam” app. It is arrival information, not a visa.
At the counter. Show your passport and printed ETA. Biometrics are taken on arrival. Nobody at the airport should ask you for extra money for the e-Visa.
What the e-Visa does not cover
An e-Visa cannot be extended or converted, and it is not valid for Protected, Restricted or Cantonment areas without separate permission. Several Himalayan and island routes include such areas — parts of Ladakh, the Kinnaur–Spiti road in Himachal, Sikkim and the Andaman Islands among them — so foreign visitors need an extra permit there. When you travel with us we arrange the permits for the routes we run; ask before you plan a remote area on your own.
How to avoid look-alike visa sites
Check the address
The official e-Visa site is indianvisaonline.gov.in. Sites with “india-visa”, “evisa-india” or similar names are private businesses, however official they look.
No express fee exists
The Government of India charges no emergency or express fee. Anyone selling a “fast-track” grant is charging you for nothing official.
Guard your data
Don’t upload your passport to sites you reached through an ad or an email. Type the official address yourself.
Not us either
We are not a visa agency and we never apply for visas on your behalf. We plan and run your trip once your visa is granted.
Questions travellers ask
How early should I apply for an Indian e-Tourist visa?
At least 4 days before you arrive — the official FAQ allows applying up to 120 days ahead. Apply as soon as your dates are firm, so an unclear photo or scan can be fixed in time.
How long does the e-Visa take?
The official site does not promise a processing time. Allow at least 4 days, check your status on indianvisaonline.gov.in, and don’t fly until your ETA shows GRANTED.
Which e-Tourist visa should I get?
For one trip of up to a month, the 30-day e-Tourist visa (valid from your first arrival). For more than one trip, or a stay longer than 30 days, the 1-year or 5-year visa — check the stay limits for your nationality.
How much does the India e-Visa cost?
It depends on your nationality, the visa length and, for the 30-day visa, the season (April–June is cheaper than July–March). The official fee table on indianvisaonline.gov.in lists it; a small bank charge is added and the fee is non-refundable.
Which website is the official one?
Only indianvisaonline.gov.in. Look-alike sites charge extra service fees; the Government of India charges no express fee and needs no agent.
Can I enter India by land on an e-Visa?
The e-Visa is for entry through designated airports and seaports; the official site also lists some land check posts, but its pages are not consistent. If you plan to arrive by land, confirm the current rule on the official site first.
Does the e-Visa cover Ladakh, Spiti, Sikkim or the Andamans?
The visa lets you into India, but some areas there are Protected or Restricted and need a separate permit for foreign visitors. We arrange those permits for the routes we run.
What is the India e-Arrival card?
An online arrival form for foreign visitors, in force since 1 October 2025, filled in within 72 hours before landing on boi.gov.in, indianvisaonline.gov.in or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app. It is not a visa.
Visa sorted? Let's plan the trip
Tell us your dates, how many of you and what you want to see — Golden Triangle, the Himalayas, Kerala or Kashmir. You get a day-by-day plan and a US-dollar quote from our office in Himachal.
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Keep exploring
Sources
- Government of India — e-Visa (official site: types, documents, ports, FAQs)
- Government of India — e-Tourist visa fee table (dated 8 Sep 2026)
- Embassy of India, Washington DC — e-Tourist visa fee notice
- Embassy of India, Manila — e-Arrival card for international travellers
Written by the Suzu Travels team in Himachal Pradesh, India. Facts checked 18 Oct 2026. Prices, visa rules and road conditions change — we re-check this page regularly; ask us before you book.
