Hello India Travelers! All travelers to India require a visa and the country has implemented a tourist e-Visa for those who are traveling there wholly for recreation or sightseeing. This is your easiest option for getting a visa.
Your application is made online and the aid of an intermediary agent is no longer required. While nationals of every country aren’t necessarily covered by the e-visa, the list is extensive and does include the U.S. To see if you are eligible to apply, visit the e-Visa website and click on the “Countries/Nationalities who are eligible to avail eVisa” found on the left side of the page.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE APPLICATION PROCESS
- The e-Tourist Visa is available for 30 days, one year or five years. The fees vary based on the length of the visa.
- You can begin applying online anytime between 4-120 days prior to your date of arrival. Note that you need to submit the application a minimum of four days in advance of the date of arrival.
- Your passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. You must have at least two blank pages in your passport for the Immigration Officer’s stamp.
- You must travel on the passport that you used to apply for the eVisa OR you must bring both your old and your new passport with you when you travel.
- You must carry both your passport and a copy of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) that you will receive once your visa is confirmed.
- You must have a return or onward ticket and sufficient money to support yourself while in India.
- The e-Visa is non-extendable, non-convertible and not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas.
FEES and PAYMENTS
- The fee for your visa is country-specific and must be paid at least four days before the expected date of travel. The cost for U.S. citizens is currently $25. For other countries, click here.
- A bank transaction fees of 2.5% will also apply.
- The fee is non-refundable and payment of the fee doesn’t guarantee issuance of the visa.
- Applicants are advised to verify payment status by clicking on “verify Payment/Pay Visa Fee” tab or by clicking on the link “Verify Payment” to confirm it has been processed.
- When you pay for your visa, if the SBI e-pay is causing problems, try the Axis bank option.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Please have all information available before you begin the application process and plan to apply for your visa in one sitting. The online process can be lengthy and despite instructions that you can save the info and come back to it later, people have reported that this doesn’t work. You will need:
1) A scan or photo of your passport clearly showing the photograph and all details. If the file size is too large, search online for ways to reduce (optimize) the file size. It will differ depending on whether you’re on a Mac or PC. The passport must be:
- in PDF format
- sized a minimum of 10 KB and a maximum of 300 KB
2) A recent photo of yourself with a white background and no borders. An extra passport photo is the best option or simply take a photo in front of a white wall. The photo must be:
- in JPEG format
- sized a minimum of 10KB and a maximum of 1 MB
- square – height and width must be equal (try 350 pixels X 350 pixels)
- photo of full face, facing forward, eyes open, top of hair to bottom of chin and no glasses
3) In-country contact information. If you don’t already have this info, please contact the WanderTours Client Liaison and ask for the in-country tour operator in India as your contact in-country.
NOTE: If you have to reapply, you must wait two hours for the system to reset. If you have any problems with the payment system, please read the FAQs on the site for detailed instructions on how to reset the system.
**Please confirm that your ETA status is shown as “GRANTED” on the website before you leave for your travels. There is a “Check your Visa Status” button on the lower right side of the website.