India e-visa

There are different subcategories of e-Visa, depending on the purpose of your visit. The categories include:

• e-Tourist (available for grants of 30 days, one year or five years).
• e-Business.
• e-Medical.
• e-Medical Attendant.
• e-Conference.

To apply for an India e-Visa, you must:

• Be a national of any of the eligible countries listed here.
• Have a valid passport with at least 6 months validity at the time of making your e-Visa application.
• Have a return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during your stay in India.

The application process for an India e-Visa is relatively straightforward and involves the following steps:

• Step 1: Complete the online application form, uploading your photo and passport page.
• Step 2: Pay the relevant e-Visa fee online.
• Step 3: Receive the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to your email address.
• Step 4: Travel to India and present your ETA at the border, where e-Visa will  be stamped on your passport.

The online application process for an e-Visa means applicants are not required to attend an appointment at a visa application centre.

The application fee for an India e-Visa depends on the country you are applying from and the duration of your visa. The fee is usually around 10-80 USD and is non-refundable. Please note, government fees are subject to change at short notice. Please speak to Smith Stone Walters for the latest information on India visa fees.

India e-Visa applications are usually processed within 1-2 working days from the date of submission. Please note, the actual processing time remains at the discretion of local authorities and may vary. 

The validity period granted will depend on the type of e-Visa you applied for. Depending on which category is granted, an e-Visa usually allows its holder to stay continuously in India for a period of between 90 – 180 days from the date of arrival. However, certain categories such as the e-Conference visa only allows for a validity of 30 days from the date of arrival.

Different categories of e-Visa also have different entry allowances. Some categories will allow the holder to enter India only once, whereas other categories allow for multiple entries during the validity period of the visa.

Your sole purpose for visiting India on an e-Visa must be for non-work activities, such as the following:

• Recreation, sightseeing and tourism.
• Casual visit to meet friends and relatives.
• Attending a short term yoga programme or short term courses on local languages, music, dance, arts & crafts, cooking, medicine etc, which should not be a formal or structured course/programme (courses not exceeding 6 months duration and not issuing a qualifying certificate/diploma etc. to the participants).
• Voluntary work of short duration (for a maximum period of 1 month. Voluntary work must not involve any monetary payment or consideration of any kind in return).
• Medical treatment, including treatment under Indian systems of medicine
• As attendant to e-Medical visa holder
• For business visit purposes.
• Attending a conference/ seminar/ workshop.