How Much E Visa For India Cost

E India is a visa issued to the overseas citizens. We at Trip To India deals with E Visa India, and offer the services to our customers of which allow them to know How Much E Visa For India Cost and procedures.Since the March 2017 update to the Indian Government’s official Visa Fee Service website, E visa applicants can now determine themselves what their processing fees will be. Before, it wasn’t possible to know the exact cost until after you applied. Now you can check the processing fees before applying with just a few clicks. In this article, we explain how to find out how much your E visa will cost.

How Much E Visa For India Cost

With the growth of India’s economy, Million of people are trying to invest in India and many others looking to Work and Stay here. India is a beautiful country and the culture is different from any other country. As a result of this, Immigration process in India has its own difficulties which most of the people are facing while applying for their Visa.The main reason is that a person who wish to come to India needs visa prior to their arrival. In order to obtain an Indian visa, you have to apply at The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) office which is located at Delhi.While moving abroad, there’s a lot of paperwork to be done. It may be similar to what you’re going through right now – planning and dreaming of your big move. The United States has one of the most complex visa processes compared to the rest of the world. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming and you can do it all online.

The India e-Visa Basics

Before starting my application, I knew almost nothing about the e-Visa for India and how it works. So naturally, to ensure my application was successful, I researched loads of things. Please use the sublinks below to navigate to the section you want to learn more about.

Next, you’ll find the basics of the India e-Visa:

What Is The E-Visa For India?

To enter India, you need a visitor’s entry visa. The India e-Visa is exactly that. It’s an electronic visa that allows travel to India for numerous purposes such as tourism, business, etc. When you travel to India and arrive at the border, authorities will check your India e-Visa before allowing you to enter the country. Therefore, think of your India e-Visa as an entry permit.

Unlike traditional visas, the India e-Visa is completed online, hence the “e,” which stands for electronic.

Applying for a visa online is much easier than applying at the embassy. It eliminates travel time and uncertainty and is relatively easy to do.

Do I Need A Visa To Visit India?

Yes. Most foreign nationals must apply for a visa to travel to India.

No matter how short your trip is, you must get a visa to visit India unless you possess an OCI card. The type of visa depends on the purpose and duration. Please remember that citizens with an NRI/PIO card must apply for their OCI Card before the end of 2022. Suppose you have not renounced your Indian Citizenship. In that case, you must apply for your OCI Card before applying for your Indian E Visa. Please check out our guide on how to get your OCI Card in the USA.

All tourists, including children, must obtain a visa before arrival. The Government of India does not grant visas on arrival.

“Do US citizens need a visa to travel to India”

Yes. All US citizens need a valid passport alongside a valid India eVisa when traveling to India for any travel purposes. In this guide, you’ll discuss the exact steps you need to take when applying for an India e-Visa to travel to India. Alternatively, US citizens can apply for the 10 year India Visa before traveling to India.

Where Must I Apply For The India e-Visa?

You must complete the Indian E Visa online through the official government website. The website does an excellent job of explaining the application process. Even so, you’ll find that sometimes, the website can be troublesome and not load correctly (not always the case). Therefore the easiest way to apply for your Indian e-Visa is through Atlys.

Nonetheless, I will explain the Indian E Visa application process later in this post.

What Are The Different Types Of India e-Visas

Currently, India has 6 different types of e-visas available. The type of e-Visa you need depends on the purpose of your trip.

  • e-Tourist Visa
  • e-Business Visa
  • e-Conference Visa
  • e-Medical Visa
  • e-Medical Attendant Visa
  • e-Emergency X-Misc

Later in the post, I’ll briefly explain the main categories of the India e-Visas.

What Type Of Visa Do I Need To Apply For?

This mainly depends on the duration of your trip. Typically, you need to apply for an India e-Visa. However, suppose you’re visiting for more than 60 days. In that case, you’ll need to apply for a regular consular visa at an Indian mission near you. Furthermore, the type of e-Visa/Visa you apply for needs to align with the purpose of your trip.

Suppose you plan to visit India for tourism purposes. In that case, you must apply for the India e-Tourist Visa and not the e-Medical or e- Conference Visa.

What Is The India e-Visa Processing time?

The India e-Visa processing time can take anywhere between 1 – 10 business days. Therefore, I recommend starting your application at least 10 days before departure to India. This ensures that you leave enough time for authorities to process your application. Keep in mind that the India e-Visa processing time can be longer. Different factors can delay your India e-Visa processing time. These include:

  • Incorrect documents
  • An incomplete application form
  • A global pandemic
  • Visa policy changes
  • Problems with the website/e-visa online portal

How Long Is The Indian E-Visa Valid For?

The visa is valid for 4 months from the date of issue for a single entry.

For instance, if you got a visa on December 1, 2021 – you can use it to visit India anytime until April 1, 2022. So this is the range within which you can use this visa.

The visa itself is only valid for 30 days after the day you enter India. So if your trip is extended, you must apply for another visa. Similarly, suppose you’re going for more than 30 days. In that case, we recommend applying for a traditional Indian visa – it takes 15 business days, is more expensive, and can be applied at an Indian consulate near you.

E-visa holders must contact the authorities if they stay for more than 30 days.

What Is The Indian E Visa Fee?

As you might have guessed, you must pay an Indian E visa fee. However, before I explain the Indian E-Visa fee, you must know that the Indian E Visa cost depends on your visa type. Here is a list of the different Indian E Visa costs that you must be aware of:

  • For the Indian e-Tourist Visa cost (30 days – double entry): $25
  • For the Indian e-Business Visa cost (365 days – multiple entries): $80
  • For the Indian e-Medical Visa cost (60 days – triple entry): $80
  • For the Indian e-Medical Attendant Visa cost (60 days – triple entry): $80

Keep in mind that the India e-Visa cost may change at any time. The above amounts are the current India e-Visa costs.

When Should I Apply For My Indian e-Visa?

You can apply for the e-Tourist Visa (01 year / 05 years), e-Business Visa, e-Medical, and e-Medical Attendant Visa a minimum of 4 days before the arrival date. Also, you can apply for your e-Visa 120 days before your intended arrival date in India.

For the e-Tourist Visa (30 days), you may apply a minimum of 4 days before the arrival date. For this visa, you can only start the application as early as 30 days before the date you plan to travel.


What Are The Indian E-Visa Required Documents?

Before you start the application, make sure to have these documents ready:

  • Scanned bio page of your passport/travel document showing your photograph and passport details:

The passport validity has to be more than 6 months. If your passport expires within 6 months, you will not be allowed to submit your Indian e Visa application.

  • A recent digital photo of yourself, taken against a white background:

You can upload the photo in a jpeg format – you can use this free tool to convert your photos to JPEG.

  • Address and contact details of your reference in India
  • Sufficient funds to cover the India e-Visa cost

How to Get an Indian E-Visa?

You can apply for your e-visa a minimum of 4 days before your intended travel date. But, of course, the earlier you apply, the better.

After you have your documents ready, you can start completing the India E Visa online application form.

The online application process is split into 8 steps:

Step 1: Create An Account

To apply for your Indian e-visa, you must head to the official website and apply there. You’ll be greeted by a simple page showing an infographic. It explains how to apply for your new e-Visa.

Tap on Apply Online and create an online account. You’ve to select what type of visa you require while creating the account. I was going to visit my family, so I selected tourist, the most common use case. The date of arrival doesn’t have to be the exact date – you can provide a rough date with +/- 45 days.

Step 2: Applicant Details

The first step involves entering basic personal information. Some questions, however, can be confusing:

  • Visible Identification marks: you can simply put “NA” here.
  • Educational Qualification: there are many options, and you can select the one that best matches your qualifications. Evidence is not required, but we recommend being honest.
  • Birth or Naturalization: If you were not born in the country you’re applying from, you have been naturalized. For instance, ex-pats (ex-Indian nationals) from India should select the latter.

Step 3: Passport Details

After filling out your personal information, you must complete the section that requires your passport details. Here you will enter your passport number, date of issuance, and expiry date. During this step, you must also fill in where you got your passport.

Step 4: Address Details

This is your home address, not where you’ll stay in India. India will not ask for an address proof – you should put it wherever you live. If you’re a nomad, you can put your most recent address.

Step 5: Family Details

India requires details about your parents. While you’re not required to submit proof of their identity, you must provide their names and citizenship status. This is easy but make sure you provide the correct legal names of your parents.

Step 6: Occupation Details

This section can be confusing, and I spent a reasonable amount of time figuring out which category I fall under – they didn’t have digital nomad as an option. I recommend choosing your occupation as OTHERS. If self-employed, put your business address. If unemployed, select that and put ‘NA’ in other fields.

Students are required to put in the name of their educational institute.

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Step 7: Visa Type

All Indian e-visas only allow you to be in India for a maximum period of 30 days. Usually, you can overstay it by a day or two but not more than that. However, suppose you have to visit India for a period longer than that. In that case, we recommend getting a traditional visa stamp from an Indian embassy near you.

You can provide the hotel’s address for those living in a hotel. Still, it is not mandatory and does not affect visa chances.

As a digital nomad, I’ve visited 50+ countries in the last 10 years, but I chose to ignore that field. In my experience, it doesn’t affect your approval chances.

Finally, I didn’t know what SAARC countries were: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is worth noting that if you’ve been to Pakistan (or you are of Pakistani origin), your e-visa will likely be denied. Instead, you’ll be asked to apply at an Indian consulate in person. Then, it will likely face extended visa processing times and scrutiny.

Step 8: References

This is someone you know in India and someone you know in your home country. If you don’t know anyone in India, provide your hotel or Airbnb details.

Step 9: Upload Your Documents

India requires 2 documents: your passport and your recent photo.

Photo

Take a photo against a white background. Transfer it to your computer and convert it to JPEG. Many people face problems with the Indian eVisa system here – it’s best to use Atlys to get around this.

The photo has to be 350×350 px and not more than 1MB.

Finally, you have to upload a photo of your passport bio page. Note that your thumb or anything else should not be in the picture. My visa was initially rejected, and I was asked to upload a clearer picture, after which it got approved. The passport has to be of a specific size and in PDF format. Because of so many requirements, I recommend using Atlys instead.

Step 10: Submission

After completing all the steps, review your information and submit the application. Please don’t make the mistakes I made!

1. Triple-check your email:

Your Application ID is emailed to you after submission. This is different from the temporary application ID email you got when you started your application. The Application ID is required to retrieve and download your visa. I misspelled my email and then applied again with the correct email. However, my visa got rejected because the authorities had approved the first version already, but I had no way of accessing it. I sent 10+ emails and called 15 times before they finally resolved the issue for me.

2. Ensure that your passport number is correct:

Your visa is invalid if your passport number does not match your current passport.

After you submit your application, you will see your Application ID – save it. You must also receive an email confirming receipt within 6 hours of submission. It looks as follows:

How to Contact Indian E-Visa Helpline?

This was a pain. I’d advise doing the above steps right to avoid this. But if you need to contact: email (indiatvoa@gov.in) usually works better. Their phone line (+91-11-24300666) doesn’t work mostly, but I found that they’ve available operators between 1 pm and 3 pm IST.

Have your Passport number, Application ID, Date of Birth, and Full Name ready before contacting.

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