The Indian Government launched an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA or online eVisa) in 2014. It allows citizens from around 180 countries to travel to India without requiring a physical stamping on the passport. This new type of authorisation is e-Visa India (or Online India Visa). It is an electronic India Visa that allows travelers or foreign visitors to visit India for purposes of tourism like recreation or yoga / short term courses, business or medical visit.
Who is eligible for e-Visa Services?
The following are the eligibility conditions for availing e-Visa services-
i. Nationals of countries listed on the e-Visa website are eligible to apply for e-Visa Services.
ii. Foreigners whose sole objective for visiting India is
(a) Recreation and sightseeing
(b) Casual visit to meet friends and relatives
(c) Attending short term yoga programme or short term courses on local languages, music, dance, arts & crafts, cooking, medicine etc. which should not be a formal or structured course/programme (courses not exceeding 6 months duration and not issuing a qualifying certificate/diploma etc. to the participants)
(d) Voluntary work of short duration (for a maximum period of one month, which do not involve any monetary payment or consideration of any kind in return)
(e) Medical treatment, including treatment under Indian systems of medicine
(f) As attendant to e-Medical visa holder
(g) Business purpose
(h) Attending a conference/ seminar/ workshop.
iii. Passport should have at least six months validity at the time of making application for grant of e-Visa and a re-entry permit, if that is required under the law of the country of nationality of the applicant. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.
iv. The foreigner should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
v. Foreigners of Pakistani origin or having Pakistani Passport are not eligible for e-Visa. Foreigners who are not Pakistani nationals, but whose parents or grandparents (either paternal or maternal) was born in, or was permanently resident in Pakistan, are also not eligible for e-Visa. They may apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
vi. Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders or Laissez-passer/ international travel document holders.
vii. Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.
What is the procedure of applying for e-Visa?
For details regarding procedure for applying, please visit home page.
Is there any fee other than the processing fee?
No, there is no fee other than the processing fee for e-Visa application and it is non-refundable. Please visit our website to know the fee applicable for your country as it is country-specific.
When should I apply?
(i) For e-Tourist Visa (01 year / 05 years), e-Business Visa, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant and e-Conference visa, applicants of the eligible countries/territories may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival. Such application can be made 120 days in advance from proposed date of travel.
(ii) For e-Tourist Visa (30 days) , applicants of the eligible countries/territories may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival. Such application can be made 30 days in advance from proposed date of travel.
Do I get a confirmation of submission of my e-Visa application?
Yes. Immediately after you submit your e-Visa application and make the payment, you will receive a confirmation of submission of your application on the email id provided by you while filling up your application form.
When will my e-Visa be issued and how will I be informed about it?
Your e-Visa application may take 72 hours or more for processing. You will be intimated about your Visa status (Granted or Rejected) on your email id provided by you in the e-Visa application.
Can I check the status of my e-Visa application?
Yes, you may check the status of your e-Visa application by visiting our website.
What is the validity of e-Visa?
The validity of e-Visa would be according to the e-Visa service you have requested in the application form as –
For e-Tourist Visa (01 year / 05 years), the validity would be 365 days / 05 years from the date of grant of ETA with Multiple entries and Maximum stay in India during one Calender Year should not exceed 180 days.
For e-Tourist Visa (30 days), the validity would be 30 days from the date of your first arrival in India. Double entries will be granted within the e-Visa validity period stamped on your Passport. Your first arrival must be between the date of issue and expiry of ETA.
For e-Business Visa, the validity would be 365 days from the date of grant of ETA with Multiple entries and continuous stay during each visit which shall not exceed 180 days and no registration would be required if stay is for a period of less than 180 days. However, if the intention is to stay for more than 180 days, then the foreigner shall get himself/herself registered with the FRRO/FRO concerned within two weeks after the expiry of 180 days of his/her arrival in India.
For e-Conference Visa, the validity would be 30 days from the date of arrival in India with Single entry.
For e-Medical Visa, the validity would be 60 days from the date of first arrival in India and triple entry will be allowed within the e-Visa validity period stamped on your Passport. For e-Medical Attendant Visa, the validity would be 60 days from the date of first arrival in India and triple entry will be allowed within the e-Visa validity period stamped on your Passport.
Can I convert my e-Visa to any other Visa?
No, e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible.
Can I change the port of arrival/departure?
You may arrive at 31 designated Airports i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa(Dabolim), Goa(Mopa), Guwahati, Hyderabad,Indore Jaipur,Kannur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Port Blair, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi & Visakhapatnam, and 5 designated seaports (i.e. Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Chennai and Mumbai seaports). You may depart from any of the Indian Immigration Check Posts (ICPs).
I have not received any intimation even after 72 Hours of submission of my e-Visa application. What should I do now?
Your e-Visa application may take upto 72 hours for processing. For more enquiries on your e-Visa application, you can contact us. The applicants are advised to beware of unscrupulous elements/ travel agents/ intermediaries in this regard. In cases where applicants have been asked for correct details or additional information where application is incomplete, the same must be sent immediately. If such information is not provided within 72 hours, the application is liable to be rejected.
I am applying e-Visa for myself and my son/daughter who is a minor. Do I need to apply for a separate e-Visa for my minor child?
Yes, ensure that your child?s passport is valid at-least for next 06 (six) months from the date of arrival in India.
I have submitted my e-Visa application and paid the processing fee. If I cancel my proposed visit to India, will the fees be refunded?
e-Visa processing fee once submitted is non-refundable as the fee is for processing of the application and is not dependent on either Grant or Rejection of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)
Do I have to pay anything else at the airport for e-Visa (other than the processing fee paid by me online)?
No. You have already paid the required processing fee online. The applicants are advised to beware of unscrupulous elements/ travel agents/ intermediaries demanding extra payment.
I want to submit my liquor permit application along with my e-visa application how can I do this?
This pertains to customs department.
What should I do if the payment is not accepted by the e-Visa website?
Make sure you delete the browser history and cookies before trying to make payment. Also try to change the browser if the problem persists. In case you have already tried more than thrice, then you may have to re-submit the entire application form once again.
How can I get the invoice/receipt of the e-Visa payment?
Please contact us and we will provide you receipt after your payment is processed.
What are the necessary documents required to apply for an e-Business Visa other than the Passport?
You have to upload the business card along with the details of Indian Firm/Company (which you intend to associate yourself with) for business activities. For Sports Related Activity under e-Business Visa, please refer Instructions for applicant page for the list of documents required.
What is a Business Card?
Business card means ‘a card provided to you by the company you are working for’ OR you can also upload ‘an invitation letter from the company in India including company’s information, address and phone number in India’.
What are the necessary documents required for e-Conference Visa other than the Passport?
For e-Conference Visa, following are the required documents:
(i) Invitation from organizer (mandatory)
(ii) Political clearance from Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India (mandatory)
(iii) Event clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India (optional)
I got a new passport but my ETA was on old passport and it is still valid. How can I proceed now?
You may be allowed entry into India on the new passport even if ETA has been issued on the old passport with the condition that you must carry the new Passport and old passport on which ETA was issued.
Can I enter India using Land border even if I am having valid e-visa for any other airport or seaport which is not listed for the e-Visa ?
No, You can only enter through the designated airports/seaports which are listed on the e-Visa website.
How can I fill previous Visa details inside the e-Visa application form?
You have to put the Previous visa details in the application form as it is mandatory. You can write NA or Not Available or Not Applicable or any other suitable phrase according to you in the application form if you do not remember your earlier Visa number/details.
Can I get Visa on Arrival(VoA) at Indian Airports/Seaport?
The Visa on Arrival facility is only for the nationals of Japan, South Korea and UAE (only for such UAE nationals who had earlier obtained e-Visa or regular/paper visa for India). For the nationals of all other countries eligible for e-Visa, the e-visa application have to be filled online and the applicant must wait till the confirmation/Grant of ETA for travelling to India.
Can I get a refund for the rejected e-Visa application?
e-Visa processing fee once submitted is non-refundable as the fee is for processing of the application and is not dependent on either grant or Rejection of the Application.
Can I use e-Visa to enter in India by cruise Ship?
Entry by cruise ship is allowed with the ETA through 5 designated seaports namely Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore seaports.
What is ‘Visible Identification Mark’?
‘Visible identification mark’ generally means moles, birthmarks, permanent scars etc. which are visible and can be shown if askd for by the Indian Immigration Authority.
Who have to carry the ‘Yellow Fever Vaccination card’?
All the foreigners arriving in India within 6 days of departure from any yellow fever endemic country are required to possess (in original) a valid yellow fever certificate of vaccination.
We got the ETA, but have discrepancy in the Name, Nationality, Passport Number and Date of Birth in the ETA ?
The applicant must check all the details including Name, Nationality, Passport Number and Date of Birth, photograph/self image etc before final submission of e-Visa application. The applicant would be responsible for any discrepancy irrespective of grant/rejection of e-Visa application. However, if any discrepancy found on ETA, e-Visa Support Centre may be contacted for assistance at least 24 hours before the journey date.
Is the e-Visa facility allowed for employment Visa?
e-Visa is not allowed for employment. You may apply for a Regular Visa.
Is the e-Visa allowed for Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) activities and journalism purposes ?
e-Visa is not allowed for NGO activities and journalism purposes. However, Voluntary work of short duration (for a maximum period of one month, which do not involve any monetary payment or consideration of any kind in return) are allowed.
How many attendants can come with a patient?
Only two e-Medical Attendant Visas will be granted against one e-Medical Visa (patient).