Luckily, India is one of the countries where you can apply for an e-visa online before you ever even arrive in the country. However, it’s not the easiest visa application I’ve ever had to fill out. There are a few extra steps for an India visa than there are for many other countries. Here’s everything you need to know about applying for an India e-visa online.
This article is for US citizens applying for an e-visa online. I cannot guarantee the process will be the same for citizens of other countries.
Applying for an India e-Visa
What You’ll Need
- A passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your arrival and two blank pages.
- Itinerary details. You may need to provide an address and/or phone number for where you will be staying in India (hotel, etc.).
- Scanned photo of your passport (the main page with your information) saved as a pdf document.
- Recent photo of yourself taken within the last 6 months. Photo must be 350 pixels x 350 pixels and in JPEG format. They are very specific about this!
- 25 USD for the application fee.
The most complicated thing for me was making sure I met all of the photo requirements. They’re very specific about the size and file type. That and saving my scanned passport page as a pdf file (just because that’s something I’d never done before). The system will not allow you to upload your photo or passport if they do not meet the proper requirements.
The Process
The process when applying for the e-visa is fairly simple as long as you follow the instructions online. Here are the steps:
- First, you’ll fill out the online application here and upload the scanned recent photo of yourself and your passport. Your passport must be scanned and saved as a pdf document.
- Next, you’ll have to pay the fee with a debit or credit card.
- Once your application has been processed you will receive an ETA (Electronic Travel Autorization) in your email. You will want to print this and take it with you when you travel.
- Present the ETA along with your passport when you arrive at immigration in India where your visa will be stamped into your passport.
You can view a sample application form here.
My visa application was approved the very next day but you should save your application ID number (given to you when you start filling out the application) in case you need to check the status of your application. You can do so by clicking here. All you need is the application ID number and your passport number.
The Cost of Applying for an India e-Visa
The fee for my India e-visa was 25 USD but the fee will vary based on what country you are applying from and what type of visa you are applying for. Some countries require you to pay an application fee and another visa fee once your visa is stamped into your passport when you arrive. For India, we only had to pay the one fee after completing the application.
Things to Know
- An Indian visa is valid from the date of issue, not from your date of arrival in the country. Make sure you don’t apply for your visa too soon. I would recommend applying for your visa about 2 weeks before your trip.
- The processing time for an India e-visa is 5-10 business days. However, ours was approved the very next day (though you should never count on that happening, just in case).
- You do not need a visa for a layover. If you have a layover in India and don’t plan on leaving the airport or going through immigration, you do not need an India visa.
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Don’t forget to check out these other India posts:
- Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi
- Train Travel in India
- The Golden Triangle in India: An Itinerary and Guide
- Places to Visit in Jaipur, India
- A Sunrise Trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra
- Things to Do in New Delhi, India
- Agra, India Travel Guide
