Travellers planning a holiday in India should check the government’s e-Visa portal before booking non-refundable flights. India currently offers e-Tourist Visa options for eligible nationalities, but the available validity, fee and entry conditions depend on the passport used for the application.
The official portal lists three main e-Tourist Visa options: a 30-day multiple-entry visa, a one-year multiple-entry visa and a five-year multiple-entry visa. The 30-day option is marked as non-extendable and non-convertible. For the one- and five-year tourist visas, total time in India must not exceed 180 days in a calendar year.
Use the official portal to check eligibility
Not every passport is eligible for the e-Visa scheme. Applicants should select their nationality on the official Indian Visa Online website rather than relying on third-party visa agencies or old travel guides. Diplomatic and official passport holders are not eligible for the e-Visa, and each traveller, including a child, needs their own passport.
Travellers of Pakistani origin, Pakistani passport holders, and people who are or were permanently resident in Pakistan are not eligible for the e-Visa route and must apply for a regular visa through an Indian mission. Other nationality-specific conditions can also apply.
Passport, photo and travel documents
The online application requires a digital photograph and a scan of the passport’s biographical page. The passport must have at least six months’ validity and two blank pages for immigration stamps. Travellers should use the same passport for travel as for the application; if a passport has been replaced after an e-Visa was granted, the Indian Embassy in Washington says the old passport carrying the e-Visa should also be carried.
Official Indian mission guidance also says visitors should have an onward or return ticket and sufficient funds for their stay. An Electronic Travel Authorisation is sent by email after approval. Print it and present it at an authorised immigration check post on arrival.
Fees vary by nationality and visa length
The government publishes a country-by-country e-Tourist Visa fee table in US dollars. For many listed nationalities, the 30-day e-Tourist Visa costs US$10 for arrivals between April and June and US$25 from July to March; the one-year option is commonly US$40 and the five-year option US$200. These are not universal rates: the official table includes free, discounted and higher reciprocal-fee arrangements for some nationalities. A 3% bank charge is added to the applicable e-Visa fee.
Check the table immediately before paying. Fees, eligibility and document requirements can change, and a payment to an unofficial intermediary does not replace an application through the Indian government portal. The portal also warns that the Government of India does not charge emergency or express e-Visa fees.
Do not confuse the e-Visa with the e-Arrival card
The same official portal notes that foreign nationals and OCI card holders can complete an e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before arrival, including through the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app. It is an arrival-information form, not a visa, and does not remove the need to hold the correct travel permission.
There is no evidence in the reviewed official material of a single new 2026 overhaul of India’s e-Tourist Visa rules. This is a practical check of the conditions currently displayed by the government portal; travellers should confirm their own passport’s eligibility, fee and authorised entry point before departure.
Primary sources
Frequently Asked Questions
The official portal lists a 30-day, one-year and five-year e-Tourist Visa. The 30-day option is multiple entry, non-extendable and non-convertible. For the one- and five-year tourist visas, total stay in India must not exceed 180 days in a calendar year.
The official process requires a digital photo and a scan of the passport biographical page. Your passport must have at least six months’ validity and two blank pages. Official mission guidance also advises carrying proof of onward or return travel and sufficient funds.
Fees are set by nationality and visa length. The official fee table shows common rates of US$10 or US$25 for a 30-day visa, US$40 for one year and US$200 for five years, but exceptions apply. A 3% bank charge is added to the applicable fee.
No. The e-Arrival card is arrival information that can be completed online within 72 hours before arrival. It is not a visa and does not replace the appropriate entry permission.
