The New 5 Year Indian E-Tourist visa : Everything you need to know

Written by : trablogger

The New 5 Year Indian E-Tourist visa : Everything you need to know

Published on : May 9, 2019

Filed Under : Travel Planning Tagged as : Indian Visa,Visa

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Last Updated on September 1, 2024 by trablogger

Reading Time: 21 minutes

COVID Update: Issuance of New Tourist Visas are temporarily on hold

Indian e Tourist visa is now for FIVE year?!! Yes, 5 Year Indian E-Tourist visa is the new star!

Too good to be true. Right? But it is true!

Yes, you read that right, India is offering E-visa for the tourists for a period of 5 years along with 30 days and 1 year. It's been upgraded from 30 days to 1 year to 5 years now. This great news was published as on August 2019. This is really a great news for the people who love India and want to experience it for a longer time.

Table of Contents

5 Year Indian E-Tourist visa Details

Here is the good news about Indian e-visa in detail.

The validity of e-Tourist visa has been extended to 5 years from the date of grant of ETA while you can still avail e-Tourist Visa and e-Business Visa for one year as well. Multiple entries will be permitted on e-Tourist Visa and e-Business visa.

On e-Tourist Visa continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 90 days in case of nationals of all countries who are eligible for grant of e-visa except nationals of USA, UK, Canada and Japan.

In case of nationals of USA, UK, Canada and Japan continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 180 days.

No more extensions of visas or visiting the embassy for applying a longer visa is needed anymore. Now you can get your permission to visit India in the comfort of your home. You can apply for 5 year e-tourist visa all by yourself without leaving your home. Here is how you can do it.

Types of e- Tourist Visas available to visit India

5 years e-Tourist Visa : Five years from the date of grant of ETA with Multiple Entries
1 year e-Tourist Visa : 365 days from the date of grant of ETA with Multiple Entries
1 month e-Tourist Visa : 30 days from the date of grant of ETA with Double Entries though non-extendable

Applying for Indian e-Tourist Visa for Five / One year

First step for applying for any e-Visa is to visit the government website for Visa application. Visit the Official website for Indian e-visa by following this link.

Updated Eligibility :

International travellers whose sole objective for visiting India is recreation, sight seeing,casual visit to meet friends and relatives, attending a short term yoga programme,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 issued with a qualifying certificate/ diploma etc),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), medical treatment including treatment under Indian systems of medicine, business purpose, as attendant to e-Medical visa holder, attending a conference/ seminar/ workshop organized by a Ministry or Department of the Government of India, State Governments or UT Administrations etc. & their subordinate/ attached organizations & PSUs and private conferences organized by private persons/companies/organizations.
Applicant's passport should have at least six months validity at the time of making application for grant of e-Visa.
International Travellers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket,with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
International Travellers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders or Laissez-passer travel document holders.
Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent's/Spouse's Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.
Not available to International Travel Document Holders other than Passport.

1. 173 countries are eligible to apply for an Indian e-visa. Below given are the complete list of countries/territories

Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, Cambodia, Cameroon Union Republic, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

2. Passport should have at least six months' validity from the date of arrival in India.

3. The passport should have at least two blank pages.

4. Should have return ticket or onward journey ticket with sufficient money to spend during your stay in India.

Before starting the application process

Be ready with the required documents and photographs before starting to apply for the e-Visa. All the documents should be in English, otherwise e-visa application will get rejected.

The Required Documents and specifications

♦ Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details

Format -PDF
Size : Minimum 10 KB ,Maximum 300 KB

♦ Digital photograph

Format - JPEG
Size : Minimum 10 KB, Maximum 1 MB
The height and width of the Photo must be equal. (Min. Width 350px , Min. Height 350px)
Photo should present full face, front view, eyes open and without spectacles
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 on the background.
Without borders.

Filling Out the e-Visa Form

Many people would say filling out Indian e-visa form is a lot of work. Yes, they do ask you a lot of questions. Here is a sample copy of the e-visa form.

This is the first Page of Indian e-visa application form.

In this page, you have to select your passport type, which in most cases would be the first option "Ordinary Passport".
Then select your Nationality.
Third one is the port of arrival which is elaborated further in the next section.
Fill out Date of Birth, Email ID and Expected Date of Arrival.
Visa Service we are focusing here is only the eTOURIST VISA.
Choose if you want 5 year, 1 year or 1 month e-Tourist Visa

Valid Port of Entry for Indian e Visa

Below mentioned are the complete list of designated Airports and Seaports through which a person with an Indian e-Tourist visa can enter India.

e-Visa is valid for entry through 28 designated Airports (i.e. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh,Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai,Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Portblair, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi & Vishakhapatnam) and 5 designated seaports (i.e. Cochin, Goa, Mangalore,Mumbai,Chennai). However, the foreigner can take exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India.

If you are planning to enter in India using an e-visa, then you can do that ONLY through the above mentioned Airports or Seaports. In case you are coming to any other ports other than the ones mentioned here, you need to apply for the regular visa.

Second Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 2

Once you finish the first page, it leads to this page. Here you will give your Personal details and Passport details.

Third Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 3

This is the Third Page of Indian e-visa application form. Here you will give your Present and Permanent address as well as Family details and Professional details.

Fourth Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 4

This is the Fourth Page of Indian e-visa application form. Here you will give your Indian Travel Plans and Mention your travel history. Here you can also see the Duration of Visa and Number of entries allowed.

♦ In this form you have to mention the places you are planning to visit. If you are feeling lazy, you can copy paste this list.

Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa, Alleppey, Varanasi, Agra.

♦ It also asks you, if you have visited any SAARC countries in the last 3 years. Here is the List of SAARC Countries. Just mention if you have visited any of these countries other than India.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

♦ What should be the reference in India?

Reference in India can be the Address of the Hotel you've booked for the first few days. If you have any Indian friends you can use their contact details too.

Fifth Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 5

This is the Fifth Page of Indian e-visa application form. Here you will answer some additional questions and make a self declaration that all the furnished details are true to your knowledge. In most normal cases, all the answers to the above questions will be "No".

Sixth Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 6

This is the Sixth Page of Indian e-visa application form. Here you will have to upload your Photo as per the correct specifications.

Indian Visa Photo Specification

Minimum dimensions are Width : 350 px and Height : 350 px. So the dimensions of the photograph should be a Square.
The height and width of the Photo must be equal.
Background : White or light colored background.
Format : JPEG/JPG
Photo should present full face, front view, eyes open and without spectacles
Center head within frame and present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin
No shadows on the face or on the background.
No borders.
File Size : 10 KB to 1 MB

The application might get rejected for not adhering to the specifications. So please do not try to upload any selfies instead of a proper passport style photograph.

Seventh Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 7

This is the Seventh Page of Indian e-visa application form. Here you will have to upload your Passport Copy in PDF format which has your photo, DOB, Nationality, Passport Date of issue and expiry etc.

Passport Personal page Scan Specification

Required Page : The one with your photograph, Personal details like Name, Nationality, DOB, Passport Expiry date
Format : PDF
File Size : 10 KB to 300 KB (If you want to compress your PFD, use this site)

Make sure you are uploading a clear scan of the correct page of the correct passport. Do not use the scanned page of an expired passport by mistake.

Eight Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 8

This is the Eight stage of Indian e-visa application form. Here you will have to Verify your details and confirm the same. If you want to make any changes, you can still modify it at this point.

If you think you have filled up this rather long form correctly, you can click 'Verified and Continue' button. Now the only step remaining will be the payment part.

Ninth Page of Application Form

indian e visa application page 9

This is the Ninth page of Indian e-visa application form. Here you will have to Pay the required amount as Visa Fees. In the below table you can find the cost of Indian e-Tourist visa.

Cost of Various types of Indian e- Tourist Visa

Below mentioned are the costs connected with different types of e-Tourist visas to India.

Government Fee (US$)				Country
30 days e-TV (April to June)	30 days e-TV (July to March)	01 year e-TV	05 year e-TV	Country
00	00	00	00	Argentina, Cook Islands, Fiji, Jamaica, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue Island, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands ,South Africa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay and Vanuatu
10	35	35	65	Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka
10	25	40	80	Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China- Sar Hongkong, China - Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Vatican City - Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Cote D'Ivoire, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Macedonia, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Saint Christopher And Nevis, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania,Thailand, Trinidad And Tobago , Turks And Caicos Isl, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Indian e-Business, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant and e-Conference Visa Fee from September 2019

Visa fee	Country
Free	Argentina, Cook Islands, Fiji, Jamaica, Indonesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue Island, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Vanuatu
US$25	Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka
US$80	Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China – Sar Hong Kong, China – Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Vatican City – Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Iran, Cote d'Ivoire, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Korea, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,Qatar, Macedonia, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago , Turks and Caicos, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
US$100	Mozambique, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA

Banking charges for e-Visa fee

There are some additional banking charges connected with paying the visa fee online.

Payment Gateway Card transactions (both Debit or Credit Card): 2.5%* of the applicable e-Visa fee.
Paypal: 3.5%* of the applicable e-Visa fee.

How to make the e-Visa payment

Once you Click "Yes" to the Undertaking, as mentioned in page 9 of Indian e-visa form, three payment options will appear.

indian e visa payment

You can pay using any one of these options, namely Sbi e-pay, Paypal or Axis bank. All these options accept International cards. It can processes Credit card and Debit Card transactions for all the cards issued internationally by Visa & MasterCard, both with and without 3D Secure authentication.

Apart from the Visa fees, there is an extra bank fees one has to pay.

SBI e-pay and Axis bank Payment Gateway Card transactions (both Debit or Credit Card): 2.5% of the applicable e-Visa fee.
Paypal: 3.5% of the applicable e-Visa fee

Important Notes regarding Payment

If the number of unsuccessful attempts is more than three, then the application id would be blocked and the applicant would be required to apply afresh by filling the application form again and regenerating a new application id.
The e-Visa fee payment status update may take up to 2 hours due to technical reasons/network delays. Before re-applying, the applicants are requested to wait for 2 hours for payment status updating, after final submission of the application form and payment of the fee. In cases, where e-Visa fee has been deducted but status is not updated, the applicants are advised to verify their payment status by clicking on 'Verify Payment/Pay Visa Fee' tab or by clicking on the link Verify Payment.

Payment Successful

Once the payment has been made successfully, the 'Payment Success' window appears.

indian evisa payment successful window

What if a successful page is not shown after completing the transaction?

In an ideal scenario, once the transaction is processed, the applicant shall be presented with a payment successful page along with a reference number as shown above.

In some rare scenarios it may happen where the application is not shown Payment successful page even after the completion of transaction, which may be due to a drop in connectivity leading to non-receipt of success response. If the applicant does not receive any success message even after card account has been charged, a refund shall be initiated after due reconciliation process to the applicant's card account.

When Payment is Successful

Congratulations then! Now all you have to do is cross your fingers and wait. Your shiny new Indian e-visa is getting processed. You will soon receive it in your inbox. Usually you will get it in 24 to 72 hour's time.

Applicant should carry a copy of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) along with him/her at the time of travel. Please confirm that your ETA status is shown as 'GRANTED' on the website prior to commencement of your journey. Applicants can track the status of their application online by clicking VisaStatus.

When you arrive at one of the 33 designated ports where e-Visa entry is valid, the immigration officer will check your documents and capture the Biometric details and you are ready to explore India.

Regarding YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CARD

Nationals of Yellow Fever affected countries or travelers arriving from these countries must carry YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CARD at the time of arrival in India, otherwise they may be quarantined for 6 days upon arrival in India.

Country requirement: anyone (except infants up to the age of 6 months) arriving by air or sea without a yellow fever vaccination certificate is detained in isolation for up to 6 days if that person
(i) arrives within 6 days of departure from an area with risk of yellow fever transmission, or
(ii) has been in such an area in transit (except those passengers and members of the crew who, while in transit through an airport situated in an area with risk of yellow fever transmission, remained within the airport premises during the period of their entire stay and the Health Officer agrees to such exemption), or
(iii) arrives on a ship that started from or touched at any port in an area with risk of yellow fever transmission up to 30 days before its arrival in India, unless such a ship has been disinsected in accordance with the procedure laid down by WHO, or
(iv) arrives on an aircraft that has been in an area with risk of yellow fever transmission and has not been disinsected in accordance with the Indian Aircraft Public Health Rules, 1954, or as recommended by WHO.

The following are regarded as countries and areas with risk of yellow fever transmission:

Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte dʼIvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea‐Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda.

America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad (Trinidad only), Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of).

Note: When a case of yellow fever is reported from any country, that country is regarded by the Government of India as a country with risk of yellow fever transmission and is added to the above list.

Other e-Visas

Apart from e-Tourist Visa, one can apply for e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa using the same website.

e-business Visa:

Valid for 365 days from the date of grant of ETA
Multiple entry
Continuous stay during each visit should not exceed 180 days for all nationals of all countries who are eligible for grant of e-visa

Required Documents :

Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details
Copy of Business Card

For e-Business Visa visiting "To deliver lecture/s under Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN)"

Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details
Invitation of the host institute to the foreign faculty
Copy of the sanction order under GIAN issued by the National Coordinating Institute viz. IIT Kharagpur
Copy of the synopsis of the courses to be taken up by the faculty

e-Medical Visa/e-Medical Attendant visa:

Valid for 60 days from the date of first arrival in India
allows you to enter India three times

Required Documents :

Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details
Copy of Letter from the Hospital concerned in India on its letterhead

e-Conference Visa:

Valid for 30 days from the date of arrival in India
allows you to enter India one time only

Required Documents :

Scanned Bio Page of the passport showing the Photograph and Details
Invitation from organizer
Political clearance from MEA
Event clearance from MHA (optional)

Note :

All e-Visas are non-extendable, non-convertible & not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas.
Foreign nationals who fall sick during their stay in India can now avail medical treatment without converting their visa into Medical Visa.

Visa on Arrival (VoA) for India

Visa on Arrival (VOA) 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).

Visa Run Information for India

Depending on one's Country, one can stay in India only for 90 days or 180 days continuously. Before reaching this limit, one has to leave India to avoid visa complications. If one wish to come back to stay longer can do so.

Minimum Number of days needed to be outside India

To be able to successfully complete the visa run and to come back to India to stay longer, one has to be outside of India for a complete day, meaning you can't cross the border and come back to India on the same day. Even one day of staying out of India will do, but mostly travelers do a couple of days of exploring a neighboring country.

*So minimum length of time you have to be out of India after your 90/180 days are up before you can re-enter on the 1 year tourist visa is 1 day

One can use any land border or airports to go outside India and can use any one of these borders to re-enter.

Cheaper Visa run countries from India

If you are in the North of India, Nepal is the most preferred country for a visa run from India. One can cross the border either by land or by flight. But Delhi offers direct flights to many other economical destinations.

If you are somewhere in the South of India, Sri Lanka is another cheaper option. Flights to Colombo from Madurai and Chennai are pretty economical.

If you are at the East side of India, consider Thailand or Malaysia. Try Bhubaneshwar to Kuala Lumpur or Phuket.

If you are in the west side, Mumbai opens up a wide array of economical destinations with direct flight options, which includes Malaysia, Thaiand, UAE etc.

*I have gathered above mentioned information from the experience of various travelers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who is eligible for Indian e-Visa Services?Ans- The following are the eligibility conditions for availing e-Visa services-
i. Nationals of countries listed on the e-Visa website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ 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.
Q2. What is the procedure of applying for Indian e-Visa?Ans- For details regarding procedure for applying, please visit our website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/
Q3. Is there any other website apart from the government website to apply for the Indian e-Visa application?Ans- No, https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ is only the official website to apply for the e-Visa Services.
Note - Services of e-Visa are completely online and no facilitation is required by any intermediary / travel agents etc. It is advised not to believe or fall in trap of any such unscrupulous elements who claim
speedy/express grant of e-Visa and charge money for it.
Do not share your personal information with any unauthorized website as it may lead to leakage of your personal data. Only visit the official website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ for e-Visa
service.
For any clarification, you may write us on our email id ' indian-evisa[at]gov[dot]in ' or contact us on (+91) 827808 7808 or +91 11 24300666.
Q4. Is there any fee other than the processing fee for Indian e-Visa?Ans- 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.
Q5. When should I apply for Indian eVisa?Ans- (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.
Q6. Do I get a confirmation of submission of my Indian e-Visa application?Ans- 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.
Q7. When will my Indian e-Visa be issued and how will I be informed about it?Ans- 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.
Q8. Can I check the status of my e-Visa application?Ans- Yes, you may check the status of your e-Visa application by visiting our website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ and clicking on 'Check your Visa Status' Tab provided on the website.
Q9. What is the validity of Indian e-Visa?Ans- 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
(https://indianfrro.gov.in) 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.
Q10. Can I convert my Indian e-Visa to any other Visa?Ans- No, e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible.
Q11. Can I change the port of arrival/departure?Ans- 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).
Q12. I have not received any intimation even after 72 Hours of submission of my Indian e-Visa application. What should I do now?Ans- Your e-Visa application may take upto 72 hours for processing. For more enquiries on your e-Visa application, you can contact us at (+91) 82 7808 7808 or +91 11 24300666 or e-mail at indian-evisa[at]gov[dot]in
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.
Q13. I am applying Indian 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?Ans- Yes, ensure that your child?s passport is valid at-least for next 06 (six) months from the date of arrival in India.
Q14. I have submitted my Indian e-Visa application and paid the processing fee. If I cancel my proposed visit to India, will the fees be refunded?Ans- 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)
Q15. Do I have to pay anything else at the airport for Indian e-Visa (other than the processing fee paid by me online)?Ans- 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.
Q16. What should I do if the payment is not accepted by the Indian e-Visa website?Ans- 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.
Payment Support helpline :-
Axis Bank Technical support. Email address: ecom[at]axisbank[dot]com
Contact No Toll free Numbers from:
USA : 18552055577 UK : 0808178 5040 Singapore : 8001206355 Australia : 1800153861 UAE : 8000 3570 3218 Saudi Arabia : 8008500000 Qatar : 00800 100348 Bahrain : 80011300
For rest of the countries: + 91-40-6717-4100
SBI ePay payment support provides technical support for all payment related transactions at +91-22-2753-5773 (24 x 7).
Q18. How can I get the invoice/receipt of the Indian e-Visa payment?Ans- Please visit our website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ and click on 'Verify Payment/ Pay e-Visa fee'.
Q23. I got a new passport but my ETA was on old passport and it is still valid. How can I proceed now?Ans- 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.
Q24. 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 ?Ans- No, You can only enter through the designated airports/seaports which are listed on the e-Visa website.
Q25. How can I fill previous Visa details inside the Indian e-Visa application form?Ans- 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.
Q26. Can I get Visa on Arrival(VoA) at Indian Airports/Seaport?Ans- 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.
Q27. Can I get a refund for the rejected Indian e-Visa application?Ans- 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.
Q28. Can I use Indian e-Visa to enter in India by cruise Ship?Ans- Entry by cruise ship is allowed with the ETA through 5 designated seaports namely Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore seaports.
Q29. What is 'Visible Identification Mark' mention on Indian visa application?Ans- '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.
Q30. Who have to carry the 'Yellow Fever Vaccination card'?Ans- 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.
List of Yellow fever vaccination countries-
https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Updated%20List%20of%20Yellow%20Fever%20Endemic%20Countries%20by%20WHO_0.pdf
Q31. We got the ETA, but have discrepancy in the Name, Nationality, Passport Number and Date of Birth in the ETA ?Ans- 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 at indian-evisa[at]gov[dot]in or
(+91) 82 7808 7808 or +91 11 24300666 for assistance at least 24 hours before the journey date.
Q32. Is the e-Visa facility allowed for employment Visa?Ans- e-Visa is not allowed for employment. You may apply for a Regular Visa.
Q33. Is the e-Visa allowed for Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) activities and journalism purposes ?Ans- 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.
What are the banking charges for e-Visa fee?The banking charges for:
- Payment Gateway Card transactions (both Debit or Credit Card): 2.5%* of the applicable e-Visa fee.
- Paypal: 3.5%* of the applicable e-Visa fee.
*The charges are inclusive of any applicable taxes.

The breakup of transaction charges will be displayed on the Payment page for applicants'knowledge and to maintain transparency.

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Main content Last Updated on : 01.09.2024

Written by : trablogger

Trablogger aka Jithin is an Indian travel blogger who is obsessed with leading a travel life. When he is not traveling, photographing, writing or blogging, you can see him thinking about sustaining this travel life or helping someone to travel more.