Frequently asked questions

All travellers arriving in India are legally required to have a valid visa (except Maldivian nationals).

Eligible citizens travelling for tourism, yoga, business, medical or to visit acquaintances have the option of applying for an India visa online which is granted electronically. When the Indian government implemented this new electronic process, it called it Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). As the visa stamp is placed inside the traveller's passport at the airport on arrival in India, the application form is also called 'Visa on Arrival'. This could be confusing for travellers; it is very important to understand that the visa must be applied for and approved prior to travelling to India, or you may be denied boarding or disembarkation.

The official name of this process then changed to "e-Tourist Visa (eTV)" and then "e-Visa" in 2017. The online process has not changed, biometric information of the traveller will still be taken at the airport and stamped inside the passport upon arrival in India.

No, it is not possible to apply for an India visa on arrival at the airport. Eligible citizens have the option of applying for an e-visa for India online, prior to their departure for India, which will allow them to have only their biometric information taken at the airport and the visa stamped inside the passport once there. It is very important to know that the visa application must be submitted in advance, and approved before you can even board a flight to India; the process takes several days and cannot be done on arrival in India.

Airlines have made a practice of checking this document on boarding to avoid repatriation at their expense. A " pending " e-Visa application is not allowed to be checked.

The e-Visa for India is only allowed on arrival exclusively at 29 airports and 5 seaports(see map here). If you arrive from another port or airport of entry, or by land, you will need to apply for a traditional visa, which takes longer to obtain.

Airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kannur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, PortBlair, Pune, Srinagar, Surat, Tiruchirapalli, Tirupati, Trivandrum, Varanasi, Vijaiwada, Vishakhapatnam.

Land Borders: Attari, Akhaura, Banbasa, Changrabandha, Dalu, Dawki, Dhalaighat, Gauriphanta, Ghojadanga, Haridaspur, Hili, Jaigaon, Jogbani, Kailashahar, Karimgang, Khowal, Lalgolaghat, Mahadipur, Mankachar, Moreh, Muhurighat, Radhikapur, Ragna, Ranigunj, Raxaul, Rupaidiha, Sabroom, Sonouli, Srimantapur, Sutarkandi, Phulbari, Kawarpuchia, Zorinpuri, Zokhawthar.

Ports: Alang, Bedi Bunder, Bhavnagar, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, ,Cuddalore, Kakinada, Kandla, Kolkata, Mandvi, Mormagoa, Mumbai, Nagapattinum, Nhava Sheva, Paradeep, Porbandar, Port Blair, Tuticorin, Vishakapatnam, New Mangalore, Vizhinjam, Agati and Minicoy Island Lakshdwip UT, Vallarpadam, Mundra, Krishnapatnam, Dhubri, Pandu, Nagaon, Karimganj, Kattupalli.

Railway stations: Munabao Rail Check Post, Attari Rail Check Post, Gede Rail and Road Check Post, Haridaspur Rail Check Post, Chitpur Rail Check Post

If you are travelling to receive Ayurvedic treatments, yoga, meditation, massages... > e-Visa Tourism

If you want to work in India or interview for a job > Work visa at the embassy

If you participate or visit a trade show, follow an in-house training with the Indian subsidiary, participate punctually in a show where you are paid as a performer, provide coaching or training, carry out a repair or install equipment under a maintenance or supply contract > e-Visa Business

If you are participating in an international sporting event, or a renowned mountain expedition (does not apply to treks which are eligible for the Tourism e-Visa), if you have a residence in India, and all applicants to Auroville, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, Missionaries of Charity, Kolkata, or a Buddhist organisation > Entry visa at the Embassy

If you are coming from abroad, you will clear immigration at your first Indian airport, even if it is not your final destination in India. So this is the one you should indicate in the application. Visas are not checked on internal flights and you can even use your e-Visa to travel anywhere in India (even to a non-eligible airport!) once you have entered an eligible airport for the first time.

Yes, the e-Visa for India can now be issued for arrival at designated seaports. Since the extension of validity of e-Visas, your cruise can dock at as many ports in India as required, as long as the e-Visa is still within its validity period.

⚠ Beware, some companies, unaware of this handy e-Visa, often impose a traditional visa. A good way for them to sell it at a high price 😉

For tourism, the e-Tourist visa for India allows multiple entries for stays of up to 30 or 90 days for 30 days, 1 or 5 years in India. One can stay up to 180 days for a business trip.

The e-Visa allows multiple entries into India during your stay, so you can leave India to visit another country (e.g. Nepal or Bangladesh) and then re-enter without any worries. You can leave India by any means, including on foot.

The e-Visa allows as many entries as you wish for tourism or business, within 365 days or 5 years of issue. However, the 30-day e-Visa lapses after 1 month.

The authorities do not distinguish between adults and minors. A child must therefore have his/her own e-Visa. The fee is the same as for an adult. There is no parental authorisation required to apply for an e-Visa, but you may be asked for it at the time of boarding by the airline (see details below).

Citizens of 166 countries, including France, Belgium or Switzerland are eligible for the e-Visa. It is issued by the authorities for international travellers who intend to visit India for tourism, leisure, business, yoga, medical, occasional visit to meet friends or relatives, etc.

However, if the applicant, their spouse, parents or grandparents were born in Pakistan (or in an area that would now be identified as Pakistan) or if they are Pakistani nationals, they are not eligible for an eTV for India and must apply for a traditional visa.

You cannot extend or convert an Indian e-Visa and although the visa confirmation is generated when the online application is made, the visa itself is issued at immigration only. It is therefore impossible to apply for an e-Visa once in India without providing proof of your prior departure from India (e.g. exit stamp in passport).

Contact the nearestForeign Registration Office (FRRO) in India to tell them about your plans.

e-Visa holders are now allowed to enter India with a passport other than the one entered in the online application and approved on the e-Visa. On arrival, both passports (old and current) must be presented to immigration.

Some countries, such as France, allow two valid passports.

No, there is no delay between two e-Visa applications.

Contact your nearest Indian embassy or consulate to obtain a traditional visa. If your application is urgent, and under certain conditions, these administrations are able to issue them within a few hours. We therefore advise you to go there very early, even a few hours before the actual opening time of the building.

To apply online for this visa, you will need scanned copies of each of the following documents. Prepare the necessary documents in advance to avoid delays:
- photocopy of passport
- high resolution passport photo
- travel information (airport or port of arrival)
- dates and places of birth of your family
- contacts in India and in your country

Once your visa application has been approved, the e-Visa will be emailed to you in PDF format. You should print a colour copy to take with you when you arrive in India. We recommend that you print two copies and keep one with your records. When you arrive in India, you must have your e-Visa with your passport. At the airport (or port) on arrival, your biometric details will be taken and the visa stamp will be placed inside your passport at the many e-Visa counters present.

e-Visa holders are now allowed to enter India with a passport other than the one entered in the online application and approved on the e-Visa. On arrival, both passports (old and current) must be presented to immigration.

If you are coming from a Western country, no special vaccinations are required. If you have travelled to a sub-Saharan African country in the last 6 months, you will need to present your yellow fever vaccination card.

If the minor leaves French territory unaccompanied by his or her legal guardian, he or she must be in possession of an AST(authorisation to leave the country). This document can be requested online, and must be completed by one of the holders of parental authority. When travelling, this form must be accompanied by a copy of the identity document of the legal guardian.

Once the application is underway, the application fee is non-refundable.

Yes, we can refund the full fee if you are refused a visa by the government after applying on our website (see refund policy in detail). Please note that we reserve the right to refuse your application in advance if the parameters entered are likely to result in a refused application.

No refund will be made if you have not provided us with all the information (identity photo, passport photocopy, etc.) in time despite our reminders.

Yes, when you complete the online application for an Indian visa, your information is secure and submitted directly to the Indian government. Your personal information will only be accessible for the purpose of making a decision on your visa application. No bank details are stored on our servers.

You will need to apply for a tourist e-Visa only if you are leaving the international zone to pick up your luggage for example, or if you are staying more than 24 hours in India.