Indian e-Tourist Visa – Tourist Visa on Arrival in India

An estimated 1 million Americans travel to India each year. However, many American citizens, especially those with Indian ties, have been discouraged from visiting India due to the extensive Indian tourist visa procedures and documentations. The Indian e-Tourist Visa makes traveling to India easier for eligible citizens of foreign countries. The Government of India grants an Indian eTV, to eligible travelers at 16 international airports in India.

Indian e-Tourist Visa Airports

International travelers who are eligible for eTV may obtain their Indian tourist visa on arrival at entry of the following 16 international airports in India.

• Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, and Varanasi.

Travelers do not have to exit India from the above listed airports; they may exit India from any authorized Immigration Check Post in India.

Indian e-Tourist Visa Eligibility

Citizens with valid passports of the following countries may apply for an Indian e-Tourist Visa.

• Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, China – SAR Hong Kong, China – SAR Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, St. Christopher & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, San Marino, Samoa, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tonga, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In order to be eligible for an Indian e-TV, travelers of the above listed countries must also:

• Be visiting India for tourism purposes, including recreation, sight seeing, visiting friends or relatives, medical treatment, or casual business trip.
• Have a valid passport with at least six months of validity from their date of arrival in India.
• Have a valid passport with at least two blank pages for stamping at Immigration Check Post.
• Have a valid return ticket and sufficient funds to support their stay in India.

The following travelers are not eligible for Indian e-Tourist Visa.

• Citizens of the above listed countries, their parents, or their grandparents, who were born in and were permanent residents of Pakistan.
• Persons with Diplomatic or Official passports.
• Residents of India and/or people who work in India.
• Anyone who is declared persona non grata by the Government of India.
• Anyone who is the subject of a black list or any warning circular or other restrictive list.

International travelers with a Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may apply for a regular Visa at Indian Mission.

Applying for Indian e-Tourist Visa

To apply for eTV, applicants must follow the below steps.

• Apply for eTV online at least 4 days before your date of arrival in India.
• Upload photograph and passport page containing Name, Date of Birth, Nationality, Place of Issue, Date of Issue, Passport Number, and Expiration Date.
• Pay visa fee online at least 4 days before the expected date of travel using a credit card or debit card. If you do not pay the fee at least 4 days before your expected date of travel, your application will not be processed.
• Receive Indian eTV online. Your e-Tourist Visa will be sent to the email address you provide in your application. Print and bring with you while traveling to India.
• Fly to India, making sure to have your printed eTV with you at the time of travel.

The visa processing time for Indian eTV varies depending upon the nationality/origin of the visa applicant, but applicants can check the status of their application by clicking check status.

Indian e-Tourist Visa Fees

The Indian eTV fee is $60 USD per passenger (including children) and must be paid at least 4 days before the traveler’s expected travel date.

Indian e-Tourist Visa Required Documents

The documents required for e-Tourist Visa include:

• Scanned First Page of Passport in PDF format. Its minimum size is 10 KB and maximum size is 300 KB.
• Passport valid for at least 6 months and contains a minimum of two blank pages.
• Digital photograph that meets the following requirements:
  
  
  • Format JPEG Size, Minimum 10 KB, Maximum 1 MB
  • The height and width of the photo must be equal.
  • Photo should present full face, front view, eyes open.
  • Center head within frame and present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin.
  • Background should be plain light colored or white background.
  • No shadows on the face or in the background.
  • Without borders.
• Return ticket
• For nationals of Yellow Fever affected countries: a Yellow Fever Vaccination Card is required for entry into India. Nationals of affected countries who do not have their vaccination card at time of arrival may be quarantined for 6 days after arriving.

Validity of e-Tourist Visa

Validity of an e-Tourist Visa is 30 days. This visa is valid for entry and stay in India. It is granted only for a single entry. This visa can neither be extended nor be converted into any other kind of visa during the stay in India except in certain exceptional circumstances.

In a calendar year, only two visits to India shall be permissible on an e-Tourist Visa. There must be a gap of at least two months between each visit.