Applying for an India e-Visa

Standard processing is 3 to 5 business days. Many applications are approved within 24 to 48 hours, but in busy periods (high tourist season, festivals) it can take up to 5 days. We strongly recommend applying at least 7 days before your departure to absorb any verification delay. Indian immigration occasionally asks for additional documents, which extends the timeline.

If you plan a single trip of less than 30 days, choose the 30-day e-Tourist Visa ($55) — it's the cheapest and the validity matches a typical holiday. If you plan to return to India within the next 12 months (yoga retreat, family visit, multi-region trip), the 1-year e-Tourist Visa ($85) is far more economical than buying multiple 30-day visas, and lets you stay up to 90 days per visit.

Yes — the e-Business Visa (1 year, $125) is designed exactly for that. It allows multiple entries, up to 180 days per visit, for business meetings, sales calls, conferences, technical service, sourcing, recruitment, and trade fairs. You will need to upload a business letter from your employer and a confirmation letter from the Indian host company.

No. None of the three e-Visa types allow paid employment by an Indian company, freelance work paid in India, or any form of remunerated activity inside India. For employment, you need a regular Employment Visa from an Indian embassy, sponsored by your Indian employer.

No — none of the e-Visas can be extended. The stay-per-entry limit is fixed: 30, 90, or 180 days depending on the type. If you need to stay longer, you must leave India and either apply for a new e-Visa or get a sticker visa from an Indian embassy. Limited extensions are possible only via the FRRO for medical or force-majeure emergencies.

No. If you hold an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, you do not need any visa — you can enter India with just your foreign passport and the OCI card, and stay indefinitely. The e-Visa is only for non-OCI foreigners.

The India e-Visa is accepted at 28 international airports including Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM), Bangalore (BLR), Chennai (MAA), Kolkata (CCU), Hyderabad (HYD), Cochin (COK), Goa (GOI), Ahmedabad (AMD), Pune (PNQ), Trivandrum (TRV), Amritsar (ATQ), Calicut (CCJ), Lucknow (LKO), Mangalore (IXE), Nagpur (NAG), Trichy (TRZ), Visakhapatnam (VTZ), and 5 seaports (Mumbai, Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Chennai). It is not accepted at land border crossings (Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh).

The 30-day e-Tourist Visa costs $55 ($25 government fee + $30 service fee). The 1-year e-Tourist Visa costs $85 ($40 + $45). The 1-year e-Business Visa costs $125 ($80 + $45). All fees are per traveler — children, infants and seniors pay the same as adults. The government fee is non-refundable once the application is submitted, even if the visa is denied.

Yes. Every traveler — including newborns, infants, toddlers, and minors — needs their own valid e-Visa linked to their own passport, regardless of age. The fee is the same as for adults. If a minor is travelling with only one parent, India strongly recommends carrying a notarized authorization letter from the absent parent.

No. India does not offer visa-on-arrival in the traditional sense. The e-Visa must be approved before you board your flight — airlines verify it at check-in and will deny boarding if it is missing or invalid. Apply online at least 4 days before departure (preferably 7+).

If denied, the government fee is non-refundable. Evisa Rocket refunds our service fee on request for first-time denials caused by issues we should have caught. Common rejection reasons: photo not compliant, passport too close to expiration, undisclosed Pakistani origin, missing biographical fields, or past visa violations. We help diagnose the cause and re-apply if possible, or pivot to a sticker visa via embassy.

Most of mainland India is open. Some regions require a Protected Area Permit (PAP) or Restricted Area Permit (RAP) on top of the e-Visa: Sikkim, parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and the Spiti Valley. These permits are obtained on arrival or via the FRRO once you're in India. Standard tourist circuits (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Goa, Kerala, Mumbai, Bangalore) need only the e-Visa.

No. The e-Visa is only for India. If you plan to cross into Nepal or Bhutan during your trip, you exit India and your visa is consumed (single-use rule for the 30-day tourist) or counts as one of your entries (multi-entry visas). To re-enter India by land from Nepal or Bhutan, you will need a fresh visa — the e-Visa is not valid at land borders.

Functionally similar but logistically very different. The e-Visa is online, faster (3-5 days vs 4-6 weeks), and cheaper, but limited to 28 airports + 5 seaports and limited to 180 days max stay. The regular sticker visa is processed at an embassy, allows entry by any port (including land), and supports longer stays plus categories not covered by the e-Visa (employment, journalism, student, conference for some nationalities).