What is e-Tourist Visa?

The Government of India has launched e-Tourist Visa (Tourist Visa on arrival) on November 27, 2014 to 45 countries from nine designated Indian Airports. This facility is extended to 31 more countries from May 01, 2015. With this, the total number of countries under the scheme will go upto 76. The scheme will be extended to more countries in a phased manner. The Government is committed to extend the scheme to 150 countries by the end of this financial year.

Applicants of the eligible countries may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 30 days. Example : If you are applying on 1st Sept then applicant can select arrival date from 5th Sept to 4th Oct. e-Tourist Visa (eTV) fee is US$ 60/- per passenger excluding interchange charge for credit/debit cards. The fee once submitted is non-refundable. The validity of visa will be 30 days from the date of arrival in India.

The eTV is valid for entry through 9 designated Airports i.e. Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai & Trivandrum .However, the foreigner can take exit from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India. This facility is in addition to the existing Visa services. e-Tourist Visa (eTV) is allowed for a maximum of two visits in a calendar year.

Eligible to apply for eTV are international travellers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation , sight seeing , casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit. Passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.

International Travellers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India. Those having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin should apply for regular Visa at the Indian Mission. It is not available to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.