There are a thousand ways to describe India. Chaotic, colourful, vibrant, diverse, serene, difficult and awe-inspiring are just a few of them! It is no wonder that this fascinating country features on the bucket list of travellers around the world!
From its snow-capped Himalayas on one end to the backwaters of Kerala on the other, the beaches of Goa to the desserts of Rajasthan, the bustling cities of Mumbai and Delhi to the barren mountain lands of Spiti and Ladakh – there are different sights, sounds, foods, languages, monuments and experiences to be discovered every day.
The Government of India now offers e-visa (Electronic Visa), an initiative which is bound to make your travel to India a little less hassle free. So if you’ve made up your mind to be spellbound by kaleidoscope of colour that makes up India, your first priority should be to get e-visa for India before travelling. The process to get an e-visa a simple and swift.
Let’s get to know a little more about the e-visa. Firstly, there are three types of e-visas:
- e-Tourist visa
- e-Business visa
- e-Medical visa
The e-visa is available for the citizens of 163 countries, to find out if your country is a part of this list click here
Process for filling in the e-visa
The e-visa can be obtained by following a simple 4 step process:
- Apply online
- Pay visa fee online
- Receive e-visa online
- Fly to India – Print the e-visa and carry it with you at the time of travel
While the process is designed to be quick and efficient, there are some important points you need be aware of while applying for the e-visa.
- Application must be made at the official e-visa website at least 4 days before your date of travel. You cannot apply for the e-visa more than 120 days prior to your travel
- You will need to upload a photo of yourself with a white background. Ensure the photo meets the specifications as mandated by the e-visa website – Find the specifications here –> Specification for photo
- Ensure you passport is valid for at least 6 months
- Your passport needs to have a minimum of two blank pages
- You will need to upload a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport which displays your personal details
- Ensure you check the details on the application form thoroughly before you hit the submit button. The details on the application form have to match the details on your passport
- Pay the visa fee online with Debit card/Credit card
- Once you have paid the visa fee, you will receive an application id. The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) will be sent to you on your registered email within three to five working days
- You can check the status of your visa on the website, if your visa status shows “GRANTED” then you know your e-visa has been successfully processed
Now, let’s move to that one aspect which is paramount on everyone’s mind – how much does the e-visa cost?
The fees for e-visa are divided into certain groups. Here is a glimpse:
- No Fees – Argentina, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kiribati, Mauritius, Myanmar, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Niue Island, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa, South Africa, Seychelles, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay and Vanuatu
- $100 – US, UK, Russia, Ukraine and Mozambique
- $80 – Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the Philippines, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam
- $25 – Japan, Sri Lanka and Singapore
You can find the entire list of e-visa fees for all the countries -> here
E-Visa Validity
Your India e-visums are valid for 60 days from the time of entry. Two entries are permitted on e-Tourist visas and e-Business visas, while three entries are permitted on e-Medical visas. The visas are non-extendable and non-convertible.
Also, please note that on your e-visa, you can only enter the country at the following 26 international airports in India:
Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bagdogra, Calicut, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Gaya, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mumbai, Mangalore, Nagpur, Pune, Trivandrum, Tiruchirappalli, Varanasi, and Vishakhapatnam
You can also enter at the following five designated seaports: Mangalore, Mumbai, Kochi, Goa, and Chennai.
In addition, separate immigration desks and help counters have been set up to assist medical tourists at Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, and Hyderabad airports.
India Calling!
Once you have your e-visa, get ready for the adventure of your lifetime. It is something, that I guarantee you have never experienced before and nothing can prepare you for this exhilarating and exciting voyage. While you are dreaming of all those scenarios you want to see unfold in this beautiful land, please ensure you carry a hard copy of the ETA with you when you arrive in India as you will be required to show it at the immigration desk in India. Once the immigration officer stamps your passport and your biometric details are captured, you will finally see and hear the words you’ve been waiting for – “Welcome to India!”