Most of our guests from the US, the UK and Europe never set foot in an Indian consulate. They apply online for an e-Visa, get an email a few days later, and show it at immigration. Simple enough. But every season a few people get stuck at check-in, usually over something small, so here's how we explain it when someone books a tour with us.
One rule before anything else: the only official site is indianvisaonline.gov.in. Rules and fees change, sometimes with little notice, so treat this page as a guide and check the details there before you pay.
Do I need a visa for India?
Yes. Citizens of the US, the UK and EU countries need a visa to visit India as tourists. There's no visa-free entry for these passports. The good news is that they're all eligible for the e-Visa, which is what we recommend for almost everyone coming on holiday.
Which India e-Visa should I choose?
The e-Tourist Visa comes in three lengths. Think about whether you'll come back in the next few years, then pick.
- 30 days: two entries, and the 30 days run from the day you first land. Fine for a two or three week tour.
- 1 year: multiple entries, valid for a year from the date it's issued. Handy if you might hop over to Nepal or Sri Lanka mid-trip and come back.
- 5 years: multiple entries, valid five years from issue. Good value if India is going to become a habit.
On the longer visas there's a cap on how long each single stay can last. At the time of writing, US, UK, Canadian and Japanese nationals get a longer continuous stay (up to 180 days) than most other nationalities (90 days). Confirm the current limit for your passport on the official site before you plan anything long.
How much does the India e-Visa cost?
Fees depend on your nationality and the visa length, and the government publishes a country-by-country fee table on indianvisaonline.gov.in. For many EU passports the 30-day visa has been cheaper in the quiet months (roughly April to June) and dearer the rest of the year, with the one-year visa costing a bit more. For the short options, think tens of US dollars, not hundreds.
US and UK citizens are charged differently on some visa types, and the five-year visa in particular has cost UK passport holders far more than most other nationals. We won't quote an exact figure because it has moved before. Open the fee table, find your country, and add the bank charge (around 3%) that goes on top.
A warning we repeat every week: search results are full of lookalike sites that charge two or three times the fee for "processing". They add nothing. If the address isn't indianvisaonline.gov.in, close the tab.
How to apply, step by step
- Check your passport. It needs at least six months of validity from the date you apply, plus blank pages for the stamps. Torn or water-damaged passports cause trouble at the counter.
- Get a photo. Plain white background, face straight on, no glasses. A phone photo works if the light is even. Shadowy, blurry photos are the most common reason we see people asked to re-upload.
- Scan the passport photo page as a clean PDF.
- Fill in the form. It asks about your parents, previous visits and your address in India. For a touring holiday you can give your first hotel. If you're travelling with us, we'll send you the hotel name and address to use.
- Pay the fee. Payment has to go through at least four days before arrival or the application won't be processed. Don't cut it that fine.
- Wait for the ETA email. Most arrive within about three days. Print it and keep a copy on your phone.
For the 30-day visa we tell guests to apply two to four weeks before flying. The longer visas can be done earlier. There are limits on how far ahead you can apply, and they've shifted over the years, so check the current window on the official site.
The e-Arrival Card: the step people forget
India now requires foreign visitors to fill in a digital e-Arrival Card before landing. It's free, takes about five minutes, and is done on indianvisaonline.gov.in or the official Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app. It has to be submitted in the 72 hours before you arrive, so you can't do it the day your visa comes through. Set a phone reminder for three days before the flight. You'll get a QR code at the end; keep it handy at immigration.
What happens when you land
At Delhi's Terminal 3, e-Visa holders queue at their own counters. Your fingerprints and photo are taken, the officer checks your ETA, and you get your stamp. On a winter night when several long-haul flights land together, this can take anything from 20 minutes to well over an hour. Our driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board, so don't panic if you're slow coming out.
e-Visas only work at designated airports and seaports. The big international airports (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata, Jaipur and plenty more) are on the list, but if you're flying into a smaller city, check the current list first. Landing in Delhi? You're fine.
Mistakes we've seen
- Applying with an old passport, then travelling on the new one. The visa is tied to the passport number.
- Swapping first name and surname. It must match the passport exactly.
- Assuming the e-Visa can be extended. It can't.
- Squeezing a work meeting into a tourist trip. Business travel needs an e-Business Visa.
- Forgetting that some border and protected areas (parts of the Northeast and Ladakh, for example) need separate permits. A standard Golden Triangle tour or Rajasthan circuit doesn't.
Once the visa's sorted
That's the dull part done. If you're still working out the route, our 7-day Golden Triangle itinerary is where most first trips begin, and our guide to the best time to visit Rajasthan will help you fix dates before you choose the visa length. More practical questions are answered on our FAQ page.
FAQ
Can EU citizens get an India e-Visa?
Yes, EU nationals are currently eligible for the e-Tourist Visa. Fees vary by country, so look up your own passport in the official fee table.
How long does the India e-Visa take?
Most applications are processed within about 72 hours. Still, apply weeks ahead in case you're asked to re-upload a photo or document.
Do I need a return ticket?
The rules say you should hold a return or onward ticket and have enough money for your stay. Airlines sometimes ask at check-in.
Do children need their own e-Visa?
Yes. Every traveller, babies included, needs their own application and their own e-Arrival Card.
Once your dates are roughly fixed, send us an enquiry with your arrival city and the number of days you have. We'll build a route around it, give you the hotel details the visa form asks for, and have a driver waiting when you walk out of arrivals.
