India Visa FAQ

The Contents of the Indian Visa FAQ

What is an eVisa?

The electronic visa for tourists to India is called an eTourist Visa.

Visit India for up to 90 days straight as a tourist with the convenience of an online visa application and the India Tourist e-Visa.

You can get an e-Visa for India online if you need to visit the country for business, if you want to get medical care, or if you need to travel with someone who is.

How long does a tourist e-Visa to India last?

The tourist visa for India obtained online is valid for a full calendar year beginning on the date of issuance and allows for multiple entries into the country.

While the Indian medical e-Visa is good for a maximum of 120 days, the business e-Visa is good for an entire year from the date of approval.

Is an e-Visa for India available, and if so, to whom?

Use the visa eligibility checker at the top of the page to see if you qualify for an India Tourist e-Visa, an online Medical visa, or a business e-Visa.

Top e-Visa-holding countries for India include:

States of America

The Island of Sri Lanka

Country Named Russia

Canada

France

Australia

Germany

Japan

Singapore

Thailand

When travelling to India, what documents are necessary to obtain an electronic visa?

To apply for an Indian e-Tourist visa online, your passport must be valid for at least six months past your planned date of entry. At least two pages available for stamps at arrival and departure must be included in the passport book.

In addition to the photograph and application form, applicants must submit a colour copy of the passport information page.

To receive an approved India tourist e-Visa, applicants must submit a valid credit or debit card payment and a current email address.

Business e-Visa applicants must also include a Business Card from their Indian host company, while medical e-Visa applicants need to include a certified letter from the Indian hospital or medical centre where they will be receiving treatment.

I was wondering how long I could legally remain in India.

A visitor to India can stay for up to 90 days with an e-Tourist visa obtained online. A holder of this e-Visa may enter and exit the country as often as necessary due to the visa’s multiple-entry status.

The Medical e-Visa allows the holder three (3) entries to India for a total stay of 60 days, while the Business e-Visa permits a maximum stay of 180 days in India and is also a multiple-entry visa.

When applying for an e-Visa to India, what are the requirements and parameters?

The India e-Tourist online visa is issued for short-term stays for tourism purposes like vacations, recreation and sightseeing, transit while on a cruise, visiting family or friends, vacations, and short yoga programmes.

It is illegal to work, study, or stay in India for longer than 90 days on each visit with an approved India e-Tourist online visa.

Aside from tourism, e-Visas are available for those who need to travel to India for business, medical care, or to accompany a patient.

What is the best time to submit an online application for a tourist e-Visa?

The India online visa application deadline for eligible citizens is four days prior to the intended date of entry into India for tourism, business, or medical travel. It is recommended that visa applications be submitted at least one week in advance to allow for processing and delivery times.

If I have a tourist e-Visa, at which airports and border crossings can I enter the country?

The following airports and seaports are approved for passengers holding valid e-Visas for India: tourist, business, and medical.

The following cities and their respective airports are included in this list: Ahmedabad; Amritsar; Bagdogra; Bengaluru; Calicut; Chennai; Chandigarh; Cochin; Coimbatore; Delhi; Gaya; Goa; Guwahati; Hyderabad; Jaipur; Kolkata; Lucknow; Madurai; Mangalore; Mumbai; Nagpur; Pune; Tiruchirapalli; Trivandrum; Varanasi; and Visakhapatnam.

Ports in Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, and Mumbai.

Cruise passengers can only enter India with an e-Visa through the ports of Cochin, Goa, and Mangalore. Cruise passengers entering another port of entry must have a conventional visa stamped into their passport.

Those planning to enter the country via land, sea, or airports other than the major international gateways will need to apply for and obtain a conventional Indian consular visa in advance.

Tourists, businesspeople, and medical tourists holding a valid online India visa are permitted to leave the country through any officially designated Immigration Check Post (ICP).

Can an investor also apply for a business e-Visa, or are they two separate processes?

Instead, eligible citizens can use the India Business e-visa for short stays to engage in business activities in India, such as setting up a business, buying or selling industrial or commercial products, or hiring employees.

The Indian investor visa is valid for life after the initial 10-year validity period expires. Investor visa applicants must demonstrate the financial wherewithal to make an initial investment in an Indian company of at least 100 million rupees (approximately $1.5 million).

What kinds of commercial activities do you permit with your business e-Visa?

A short business trip to India is possible with the e-Business visa.

In order to launch a business in India or investigate potential locations for doing so

To make a business trip to India for the purpose of buying or selling industrial or commercial goods

Meetings for professional reasons

In order to fill a position

Holders of the India Online Business Visa are prohibited from seeking or accepting employment in India per visa requirements.

I need to know the limitations of the India medical e-Visa?

The holder of the India medical online visa is authorised to travel to India for medical treatment or to accompany a patient who is travelling to India for medical treatment. Each individual patient may have up to two simultaneous companion applications. Minors are unable to apply for the Medical Companion of Patient India e-Visa.

The number of times an individual can apply for an India e-Visa for medical purposes is limited to 2 per calendar year. Each medical visa for India allows for three entries within a single calendar year. Entry number two, or both entries, must be made within 60 days of the initial entry.

India Medical e-Visa holders are restricted from working in the country and are limited to a maximum stay of 60 days per visit.

Eligible citizens can apply for an India e-Visa online for tourism or business purposes for short trips to India.

In what ways can you get medical care with this visa?

Medical e-Visa travel to India can be used to access a wide range of services, including but not limited to

Neurosurgery

Interventional cardiology

Surgical removal and replacement of an organ

Prosthetic Joint Replacement

DNA editing

Cosmetic surgery

I want to know how to apply for an e-Visa to India online?

By applying for an India Tourist, business, or medica e-Visa online with personal details and passport information, travellers can receive the e-Visa via email and avoid having to physically visit an Indian Embassy or Consulate.

When can I expect a response to my application, and what do I need to submit it?

If you want to visit India as a tourist, you’ll need a passport that’s valid for at least six months after your planned arrival date. In addition to the photo and passport, we require a colour copy of the biographical page from the passport. To receive an approved e-Tourist visa for India, applicants must submit a valid credit or debit card payment and a current email address.

Those applying for a medical eVisa to India must also include a letter from the Indian hospital where treatment will be received; those applying for a business eVisa to India must include a Business Card detailing the host company in India.

Just how long will it take for India to process my e-Visa?

Though most applications for an e-Visa to India are approved within 48 hours, it can take up to 4 days. To prevent unnecessary wait times, applicants are encouraged to submit their e-visa applications at least 1 month prior to their planned entry date into India.

How many of my kids need their own India e-Visa?

Do I need to list them if I apply? An India e-Visa application is required of all citizens, regardless of age.

A separate application must be submitted by the parent or legal guardian on behalf of the minor child.

If I make a typo on my application, what should I do?

It is imperative that all information provided on an India e-Visa application (whether for a medical, business, or tourist purpose) is correct before submitting the form. Inconsistencies between the information on the India e-Visa and the passport or travel document used to apply for it can cause problems checking in for a flight or being denied entry to India.

If an error is discovered in a previously submitted application for a tourist, medical, or business visa to India, a new application must be completed and submitted.

What is the cost of an electronic visa for India?

The cost of an e-Visa for India varies by nationality, and this includes the tourist, business, and medical visas. Tourists, medical patients, and businesspeople must pay $80 for a standard India e-Visa. But there are a few notable exceptions:

To obtain a visa, citizens of Japan, Singapore, and Sri Lanka must pay $25.

Mozambican, Russian, Ukrainian, British, and American citizens must pay a $100 visa fee.

Visitors from the following countries do not have to pay the India Tourist, Medical, or Business e-Visa fee: Argentina, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue Island, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay, and Vanuatu.

Should I print out an e-Visa?

To enter India with an e-Tourist, e-Medical, or e-Business visa, applicants must print at least one copy. Tourists, businesspeople, and patients visiting India on an e-Visa are strongly encouraged to carry a printed copy of their visa with them at all times.

To what extent do I need to apply for a medical e-Visa for my children?

Yes. If a minor is the patient, they are eligible for an India Medical e-Visa. Children are unable to apply for a Companion of Patient India medical e-Visa.

How many times can I re-enter India with my online visa?

The India e-Visa is not a single-entry visa, so the answer is yes.

The India e-Visa is a tourist visa that allows multiple entries and stays of up to 90 days per visit.

The online India business e-Visa is multiple-entry and valid for a maximum of 180 days within any six-month period.

An Indian medical e-Visa holder can visit the country three times within a 60-day period for medical treatment or to accompany a patient.

Is it possible to revoke my India e-Visa for tourists once it has been approved?

A valid India tourist, medical, or business e-Visa cannot be revoked once issued, and a visa holder must remain in the country until either the visa or the holder’s passport expires.

Do I need to have health or travel insurance in order to get an India e-Visa? To apply for a visa to India online for tourism, business, or medical purposes, insurance is not required.

In order to enter India, citizens of the following countries are required by international law to present proof of yellow fever vaccination at the airport: Those countries are Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Gabon, French Guiana, the Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, Sao Tome and Principe, Togo, Tanzania, the United Republic of Uganda, and Venezuela.

What can I do to find out if my application has been accepted?

Users can access their India e-Visa application status updates via the Indian Government’s official website. To verify an India e-Visa and check its status, applicants must provide both their passport number and the 12-character Application ID they receive via email after submitting the form.

If I am only passing through India, do I need a visa?

There is no need to apply for a visa to enter India if you are only passing through on your way to another destination.

Can I get an extension on my India e-Visa?

You cannot extend your visa for India. However, you can submit an application for an India e-Visa twice in a single year.

Should I wait until I receive an invitation letter before applying for the medical e-Visa?

For the e-Visa to be approved, a letter of invitation from a participating hospital or medical centre in India is necessary.

Do I need an invitation letter to apply for an e-Visa to India for business purposes?

Applicants for an India Business e-Visa are not required to submit an Indian business visa letter or an invitation Indian business visa cover letter. However, candidates must include a business card with the contact information of the host company in India.