Most Western passports qualify for an India e-Visa, and a 30-day tourist visa costs $25, or $10 from April to June, plus a 3% bank charge.
As of 27 October 2026, the government's fee table lists $40 for a one-year visa. The five-year visa is where it gets odd: $160 for Americans, $200 for Canadians and Australians, and $484 for Britons. Many guides still print old or averaged prices.
Every fee below comes from the Indian government's own table, dated 8 September 2026. You'll also find the real application window, the airports that accept the visa and the free e-Arrival Card that catches people out. Rules change, so check the official page before you book.
Who can apply for an India e-Visa
Citizens of 174 countries and territories can apply, as of 27 October 2026. The portal's eligibility list runs to 175 lines, but Kenya appears twice. It covers the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and every EU member.
Your reason for going has to fit the list. Sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, a short yoga programme, a short cooking or music course and unpaid volunteering of up to one month all qualify. Employment, NGO work and journalism don't, and you'd need a regular visa for those.
Every applicant also needs:
- a passport with six months' validity on the day you apply
- at least two blank pages for the immigration stamp
- a return or onward ticket, and enough money for the stay
- a separate passport and e-Visa for each person, children included
Holding an Indian passport? This guide isn't for you. Our list of visa-free countries for Indian passport holders covers going the other way.
What an India e-Visa costs by passport
Your fee depends on your nationality, in US dollars. The 30-day column is the July to March price. From April to June, every $25 becomes $10.
| Passport | 30 days (Jul to Mar) | 1 year | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $25 | $40 | $484 |
| United States | $25 | $40 | $160 |
| Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France | $25 | $40 | $200 |
| Singapore | $25 | $25 | $200 |
| Japan, Sri Lanka | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| Malaysia, Thailand | free | $40 | $200 |
| South Africa | free | $25 | $25 |
Your passport isn't in the table? Open the official e-Tourist fee schedule. It lists all 175 entries.
A 3% bank charge applies on top. The portal's payment FAQ puts card payments at 3% and PayPal at 4%, both including taxes. That turns $10 into $10.30, $25 into $25.75, $40 into $41.20, $160 into $164.80 and $484 into $498.52.
Fees aren't refunded if the visa is refused or you cancel. India charges nothing extra for an "express" e-Visa, so anyone selling one isn't official.
Which e-Tourist Visa should you buy?
The e-Tourist Visa for India comes in three lengths, and the right one depends on how often you'll go.
30 days suits a single trip. It runs for 30 days from your first arrival and allows multiple entries. You can't extend or convert it. Choose it for a two-week holiday.
One year costs $40 for most passports, only $15 more than the winter 30-day price. It's valid for 365 days from the day it's granted, with multiple entries. Your total stay in a calendar year can't pass 180 days.
Five years needs arithmetic. A Briton's $484 buys about 12 one-year visas. For a UK passport, skip it: even one trip a year for five years costs just $200 on one-year visas. An American's $160 equals four, so only a fifth trip saves money.
How to apply on the Indian Visa Online portal
Government sites spell it eVisa, and the India eVisa process has four official steps: apply, pay, receive the ETA by email, then fly. The whole India electronic visa application happens on one government site. Nobody needs an agent.
- Go to indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa and choose to apply. The FAQ says this is the only official site, so type the address yourself rather than clicking an advert.
- Fill in the form yourself. It takes 10 to 15 minutes, and you can save it and come back. If you can't recall an earlier Indian visa number, the FAQ says to write "NA".
- Upload a photo and your passport's photo page. The photo must be a square JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB, with a plain light background, a full face and no spectacles. The passport page goes in as a PDF of 10 to 300 KB.
- Pay online by card or wallet at least four days before you travel.
- Wait for two emails. One confirms submission straight away. The other says whether the application is granted or rejected.
- Print your Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) once the status reads Granted.
Track an application on the "Check your Visa Status" page. If money left your account but nothing changed, wait two hours. Then use "Verify Payment" rather than paying twice.
Payment failing? The portal suggests clearing your browser history and cookies, or switching browsers.
When to apply and how long approval takes
Apply at least four days before you arrive, and no earlier than 120 days ahead. The portal's FAQ gives that window for all three e-Tourist lengths. Some guides claim 30 days for the shortest visa, which doesn't match the FAQ.
The portal publishes no approval time, so doubt anyone who quotes one. It gives only these deadlines:
| What | Official figure |
|---|---|
| Earliest you can apply | 120 days before arrival |
| Latest you can apply and pay | 4 days before arrival |
| Payment status update | up to 2 hours |
| Email asking for a new upload | normally within 24 hours |
| Last chance to fix an error on the ETA | 24 hours before travel |
Apply three to four weeks before you fly. Four days leaves no room for a rejected photo, and one re-upload could eat the whole margin.
Which airports accept an e-Visa
You can only enter India on an e-Visa through the airports, seaports and checkposts the portal lists. As of 27 October 2026, its checkpost list names 37 airports. They include Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Jaipur.
The list also covers Goa's Dabolim and Mopa airports, Navi Mumbai, Varanasi, Amritsar and Bhogapuram. The FAQ still names only 33 airports, so it's out of date. Trust the checkpost list, and confirm your arrival airport is on it before you buy a ticket.
Arriving by sea, cruise or land
The portal lists 38 seaports, but cruise ships are narrower. The FAQ says e-Visa holders can enter by cruise through only five: Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin (Kochi), Goa and Mangalore.
Land borders are murkier. The checkpost list names 12 land crossings, from Attari to Moreh, yet FAQ answer 23 says you can only enter through listed airports and seaports.
So fly in. If you do plan an overland arrival, email the e-Visa helpdesk at indian-evisa@gov.in and keep the reply.
The e-Arrival Card you also need
An e-Visa isn't the only form. Foreigners and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders also submit an e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before they arrive. You can do it on a phone before you land, so the form is finished before you reach the immigration hall at Mumbai, Delhi or any other airport.
It collects arrival details and isn't a visa. The official e-Arrival page calls it a free service of Indian Immigration. Only three channels are official: boi.gov.in, indianvisaonline.gov.in and the "Indian Visa Su-Swagatam" app.
The start date is muddled. An October 2025 notice from the Indian High Commission in Fiji says it applies to all international travellers from 1 October 2025. Some press reports say paper forms ended on 1 April 2026, so just file online before you fly.
Rules that catch people out
A few conditions on the portal trip up first-timers:
- Biometrics: immigration captures them on arrival.
- Same passport: you must travel on the passport you applied with. If you've since renewed it, carry both.
- Yellow fever: arriving from an affected country? Carry the vaccination card, or you may be quarantined for six days.
- Restricted areas: the e-Visa isn't valid for protected, restricted or cantonment areas without prior permission.
- No upgrades: it can't be extended or converted into another visa.
You may have seen reports of a new tourist visa on arrival. The portal still says visa on arrival is only for nationals of Japan, South Korea and the UAE, and for the UAE only if they held an earlier Indian visa. Treat any broader scheme as a rumour until the portal says otherwise.
Your checklist before you fly
- 3 to 4 weeks out: check your passport has six months' validity and two blank pages, then apply.
- 1 week out: confirm the status reads Granted, print the ETA and check your arrival airport is listed.
- 72 hours out: file the free e-Arrival Card.
- At the airport: carry your passport, the printed ETA, and the yellow fever card if it applies.
Adding other stops on the way? The visa checker covers entry rules for other countries.
Then see where to go in India, what a trip costs day by day and the common tourist scams in India. Our India destination page ties the country together.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an India e-Visa cost?
For most Western passports, a 30-day visa is $25 from July to March and $10 from April to June. A one-year visa is $40, and the five-year visa runs from $160 to $484. Add a 3% bank charge, as of October 2026.
How long does an India e-Visa take?
The portal gives no approval time. It says to apply at least four days before arrival, and you'll normally hear within 24 hours if a document needs uploading again. Apply three to four weeks early to leave room for that.
How do I check my India e-Visa status?
Use the "Check your Visa Status" page on the portal. A granted or rejected email also arrives. Before you travel, confirm the status says Granted, then print the ETA, because immigration stamps the visa from it.
Is the e-Tourist Visa for India suspended?
As of 27 October 2026, the portal's e-Visa page shows no suspension notice, and applications are open. Check it again before you pay, and read the entry instructions at boi.gov.in.
Do I need an e-Arrival Card for India?
Yes. Foreigners and OCI card holders file it online within 72 hours before arrival, at the official e-Arrival portal, at boi.gov.in or in the Su-Swagatam app. It's free there, and it isn't a visa. You still need your e-Visa.
