India e-Tourist Visa 2026: Who’s Eligible and How to Apply

The India e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) is a fully online visa that lets travellers from 166 eligible nationalities visit India for tourism, visiting family, short yoga courses, or medical treatment without ever setting foot in an embassy.

This guide walks you through exactly who can apply, what it costs, and how to get one for your next trip.

Who is eligible for the India e-tourist visa?

Nationals of 166 countries are currently eligible to apply online, according to the Indian Bureau of Immigration’s official e-Visa portal.

This includes travellers from the Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman), most of Europe, the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most of Southeast Asia.

You can use the e-tourist visa for:

• Recreation and sightseeing
• Visiting friends and relatives
• Short-term yoga programmes
• Short informal courses in local languages, music, dance, arts, cooking, or Indian medicine (not exceeding 6 months and not leading to a qualification)
• Voluntary work of up to one month, with no payment involved
• Medical treatment (including Indian traditional medicine)
• Attending a conference, seminar, or short business visit

Who cannot use the e-tourist visa

The e-visa is not available to holders of Pakistani passports or anyone of Pakistani origin, according to the Bureau of Immigration; these travellers must apply for a regular visa at an Indian mission.

Afghan nationals must apply through the dedicated AFGHAN portal instead.

You are also not eligible if you have a defence, military, security, or police background (serving or retired), or if you hold an official, diplomatic, or laissez-passer travel document.

Travellers endorsed on a parent’s or spouse’s passport also cannot apply, as each applicant must hold a separate passport.

Passport requirements

Your passport must have at least six months of validity from your date of arrival in India, and at least two blank pages for immigration stamps, per the official e-Visa instructions.

International Travel Documents and Refugee Travel Documents are not accepted.

India e-tourist visa types: 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years

India offers three e-tourist visa options, and you pick the one that matches your trip length and how often you expect to return.

All three are non-extendable and non-convertible once issued, according to the Bureau of Immigration.

• 30-day e-Tourist Visa — valid for 30 days from the date of your first arrival, with double entry allowed.
• 1-year e-Tourist Visa — valid for 365 days from the date the ETA is granted, with multiple entries.
• 5-year e-Tourist Visa — valid for 5 years from the date the ETA is granted, with multiple entries.

For the 1-year and 5-year visas, your total stay in India cannot exceed 180 days per calendar year, per the official rules.

If you’re taking one trip, pick the 30-day visa. If you’re planning repeat visits to visit family or combine work and leisure, the longer visas are cheaper per trip.

How much does the India e-tourist visa cost?

Fees are set in US dollars and vary by nationality and visa length, according to the official fee schedule published by the Bureau of Immigration (updated 20 February 2026).

For most nationalities — including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, UK, EU countries, Canada, and Australia — the standard fees are:

• 30-day e-TV (July to March): US$25
• 30-day e-TV (April to June): US$10 (discounted off-season rate)
• 1-year e-TV: US$40
• 5-year e-TV: US$200

Exceptions to the standard fees

A few nationalities pay different rates for the 5-year visa — UK passport holders pay US$484 for the 5-year visa, and US citizens pay US$160, per the official fee list.

Japan and Sri Lanka pay a flat US$25 for the 30-day (Jul–Mar), 1-year, and 5-year visas, and just US$10 for the 30-day visa during the April–June off-season. South Africa pays US$25 for the 1-year and 5-year visas, and its 30-day visa is free.

A bank transaction charge of 3% applies to credit/debit card payments, or 4% if you pay via PayPal, per the Bureau of Immigration.

Fees are non-refundable whether your application is approved or rejected — so double-check everything before submitting.

How to apply for the India e-tourist visa step by step

The whole application is done online at indianvisaonline.gov.in. This is the only official Indian government portal, and there is no app or third-party site you need to use.

What to prepare before you start

• A scanned colour copy of your passport’s bio page in PDF format, between 10 KB and 300 KB, per the official document guidelines
• A recent front-facing digital photograph in JPEG format, with a white or light-coloured background, equal height and width, and a file size between 10 KB and 1 MB
• Your flight and accommodation details (for the arrival section of the form)
• A valid credit or debit card for payment (or PayPal)

The six-step application process

1. Go to the official portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa and click “Apply here for e-Visa”.
2. Fill in the application form — you’ll be asked for passport details, travel plans, address in India, and basic personal information. Save your Temporary Application ID in case you need to log back in.
3. Upload your passport scan and photo in the required formats.
4. Pay the visa fee online using a credit or debit card, or PayPal. The payment gateway supports most major cards.
5. Wait for your ETA by email — processing typically takes up to 72 hours, per the Bureau of Immigration, though some travellers report longer waits during peak periods.
6. Print a copy of the ETA and carry it with you — you must show it at the airport on arrival.

When to apply

How far in advance you can apply depends on the visa type, per the official guidance:

• 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist Visas: up to 120 days before your arrival date
• 30-day e-Tourist Visa: up to 30 days before your arrival date

In all cases, you must apply at least 4 days ahead of departure.

Leave more buffer if your trip falls in peak tourist months (October to March), when processing queues can be longer.

Where you can enter India with an e-tourist visa

The e-tourist visa is accepted at 33 airports, 19 seaports, and 4 land border crossings, according to the Bureau of Immigration’s designated checkposts list.

In addition to the e-visa, all foreign travellers must now submit an e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before arrival in India, per the Bureau of Immigration.

India e-Arrival Card 2026: What It Is, Who Needs It, and How to Fill It

You can exit from any authorised Immigration Check Post in India, but you must arrive through one of the designated entry points below.

Designated airports for e-visa arrivals

The 33 designated airports cover all the major Indian cities and most tourist hubs, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata.

Other eligible airports include Hyderabad, Goa (Dabolim), Goa (Mopa), Jaipur, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Pune, Varanasi, Trivandrum, Lucknow, and Gaya.

The full list also includes Bagdogra, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Indore, Kannur, Madurai, Mangalore, Nagpur, Port Blair, Surat, Tiruchirapalli, Vijayawada, and Vishakhapatnam.

Designated seaports

The 19 designated seaports for general e-visa entry are Agatti, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Kamarajar, Kandla, Kattupali, Kolkata, Kollam, Mangalore, Mumbai, Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Port Blair, Vallarpadam, Vishakhapatnam, Vizhinjam, and Vizhinjam International, per the official list.

If you’re arriving by cruise ship, entry is allowed at only 5 designated seaports: Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, and Mangalore.

Land borders

Four land border crossings currently accept e-visa arrivals: Raxaul, Rupaidiha, and Jogbani (all from Nepal), and Darranga (from Bhutan), according to the Bureau of Immigration.

If you’re crossing from any other land border, you’ll need a regular paper visa instead of an e-visa.

Sources

1. Bureau of Immigration, Government of India — Official e-Visa Portal, Instructions, FAQs and Designated Checkposts
2. Bureau of Immigration — Country-wise e-Tourist Visa Fee Schedule (20 February 2026)
3. Indian Visa Online — Official Government of India Visa Portal
4. Bureau of Immigration — e-Arrival Card Portal
5. Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs — Official Website
6. Consulate General of India, San Francisco — e-Visa Information
7. Ministry of External Affairs — Inauguration of Immigration Check Post in Darranga, India-Bhutan Border
8. Visas News — India Opens Five New Entry Points for e-Visa Travellers (March 2026)

Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.