India requires a visa for most nationalities. Only three countries are truly visa-exempt. Three more nationalities are eligible for VOA. Rest require an e-Visa or a tourist visa from an Indian diplomatic mission.
The e-Visa is the most convenient visa option for tourists. Over 166 nationalities are eligible. The application takes about 15 minutes to complete and the processing takes 3 working days. Applicants can choose their preferred visa validity – 30 days, 1 year or 5 years.
Consular tourist visas are fairly easy to obtain. Processing takes 3 working days if submitted at a diplomatic mission, longer at visa application centers.
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India Visa Policy for Tourists
Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives are the only three countries whose citizens can enter India VISA-FREE. Nepal and Bhutan nationals are allowed to stay in India indefinitely. Maldives nationals are allowed to stay 90 days in any 6 months
Citizens of Japan, South Korea and the UAE can obtain Visa on Arrival (VOA). UAE nationals must have help an Indian e-Visa or a consular visa previously to be eligible for VOA. The allowed stay is 60 days.
Nationals from 166 countries are eligible for the India e-Visa. Canada, Japan, UK and US nationals are allowed to stay up to 180 days and all other nationals up to 90 days on each visit. Total stay cannot be more than 180 days in a given calendar year.
Those not eligible for e-Visa or VOA must apply for a tourist visa through an Indian diplomatic mission.
Pakistan nationals must apply for a special visa. Kosovo nationals are currently not eligible for Indian visas.
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India Visa Exemption
As per the Treaty of Friendship, citizens of Bhutan and Nepal are exempt from visas to enter India. Nationals of the Maldives are also exempt from visas to enter India as tourists.
Even though Bhutanese and Nepalese can enter India VISA-FREE, they are not allowed to travel to a third country directly from India. They must present a permission letter from their respective embassies in India in order to fly into a country other than Bhutan or Nepal directly from India.
Entry permission
Bhutan and Nepal nationals have unrestricted entry and stay in India. They can enter and stay in India indefinitely.
Maldives nationals can stay up to 90 days on each visit. Total stay cannot exceed 90 days in any given 6-month period.
Documents to carry
Bhutan and Nepal nationals can use their voter ID, any photo ID or citizenship certificate to enter India if entering India directly from Bhutan or Nepal by land or air.
Bhutan and Nepal nationals must have a valid passport to enter India if entering from a country other than Bhutan or Nepal.
Apart from a valid passport, Bhutan and Nepal nationals must hold a valid India visa if entering India from China, Macau, Hong Kong, Pakistan and the Maldives.
Nationals of the Maldives must hold a valid passport to enter India.
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India Visa on Arrival (VOA)
India Visa on Arrival is available to those visiting India for the purpose of tourism, business, medical or attending conferences.
Visa on Arrival eligibility
Only the following 3 nationalities are eligible to obtain Visa on Arrival (VOA) in India.
- Japan
- South Korea
- United Arab Emirates (only if held an India e-Visa or India consular visa previously)
Anyone of Pakistan origin is not eligible to apply for VOA. Applicants whose parents or grandparents were born or ever lived in Pakistan are considered of Pakistan origin.
Visa on Arrival is currently available only at 6 international airports. VOA facilities are not available at land borders or seaports.
VOA Requirements
India VOA is valid for 60 days from the day of issue. You can stay up to 60 days in India with VOA.
VOA is also double-entry. You can get VOA on your first entry and you can use the same VOA to enter India again within the validity dates of the Visa on Arrival.
VOA application procedure
In order to obtain Visa on Arrival, you would need the following documentation.
- Original passport
- Completed India Visa on Arrival form (Grab one at VOA section or download it here)
- Completed India e-Arrival Card
- Visa fee in Indian rupees or any major currency
- A copy of your return or onward flight ticket
- Financial proof such as cash, cards or bank statements
The fee for India Visa on Arrival is 2,000 INR payable in cash in Indian rupees or any other major currency.
Download and complete the India Visa on Arrival application form before your trip. If you can’t, then you can grab one at the Visa on Arrival section.
Present your completed Visa on Arrival form, e-Arrival Card QR code and passport at the Visa on Arrival counter. Pay the visa fee and submit any additional documentation if asked.
When you receive your passport, make sure the validity dates on your Visa on Arrival stamp are correct.
Refer to the India Visa on Arrival (VOA) guide for more information, including the list of airports where you can obtain VOA, passport requirements and VOA application form filing guidelines.
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India e-Visa
India e-Visa for tourism, called e-Tourist Visa, is issued for sightseeing, meeting friends and relatives, short-term courses on yoga, language, music, dance, arts, cooking, medicine and short-term voluntary work.
India e-Visa eligibility
The following 166 nationalities are eligible to apply for the India e-Visa.
180-day entry
- Canada
- Japan
- United Kingdom
- United States
90-day entry
- Albania
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Chile
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Costa Rica
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City (Holy See)
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
India e-Visa requirements
India e-Tourist Visas are valid for 30 days, 1 year or 5 years. You can select your desired validity while filling out your e-Visa application.
India e-Visas are double or multiple-entry. The 30-day e-Visas are double-entry, whereas the 1-year and 5-year e-Visas are multiple-entry.
On each entry, you can stay up to 30 days on a 30-day e-Visa. For a 1-year or 5-year e-Visa, you can stay up to 90 days on each entry.
Canada, Japan, UK and US nationals holding 1-year or 5-year e-Visas can stay up to 180 days on each visit.
India e-Visa application process
You can apply for your 1-year and 5-year e-Visa up to 120 days in advance. For 30-day e-Visas, you can apply up to 30 days before your travel date.
The latest you can apply is only 4 days. So if you have less than 4 days, your application will not be accepted.
India e-Visa fee varies depending on the validity, nationality and time of the year. 30-day e-Visas cost $10 to $25 USD, depending on the time of the year. 1-year e-Visas cost $40 USD and 5-year e-Visas $200 USD.
There is no visa fee for certain nationalities and is discounted for some more.
The processing time for India e-Visa is 72 hours.
You must have the following documents for the e-Visa application.
- Original passport
- Digital passport-size photo
- Scan of your passport data/ID page
- Credit or debit for the visa fee payment
Start your application on the official India e-Visa portal. Fill out the form, upload the necessary documents and pay the e-Visa fee.
When your e-Visa is approved, you will receive an email notifying you that your e-Visa is approved. You can then go back to the official e-Visa portal and download your approved e-Visa.
Refer to the India e-Visa step-by-step guide for instructions and screenshots to fill out the application, track and download your e-Visa.
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India Tourist Visa from the Embassy
An Indian tourist visa is required for 28 nationalities. These nationalities are not eligible for e-Visa or VOA.
Nationalities that are eligible for an e-Visa or VOA can also apply for an Indian tourist visa from the embassy. The tourist visa has some additional benefits over e-Visa/VOA, such as a lower fee or longer validity for some nationalities.
Tourist visa required nationalities
90-day entry
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Burkina Faso
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Congo (Dem. Rep. of)
- Congo (Rep. of)
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Hong Kong
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Macao
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- São Tomé and PrÃncipe
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Yemen
Tourist visa requirements
India tourist visas are issued for 6 months to 10 years, depending on the nationality. For example, 6-month tourist visas are issued to Uzbek nationals, whereas 10-year tourist visas are issued to US citizens. All these visas are multiple-entry.
With an India tourist visa, you can stay up to 90 days in India on each visit. Canada, Japan, UK and US citizens can stay 180 days in India on each visit.
Total stay in one calendar year cannot be more than 180 days.
Tourist visa application process
You can apply for your India tourist visa up to 180 days in advance. The latest you can apply is 30 days, as visa processing in some countries can take up to 20 calendar days.
The fee for an Indian tourist visa depends on the nationality, visa duration and the country where you are applying from.
The processing time for an India tourist visa is about 3 working days if applied directly at an Indian mission. If applied at a visa application center, the processing time is 15 calendar days.
The application process is fairly simple. You must fill out an online application. After submitting it, you must print it, sign it and affix a photograph. Then you must make an appointment at the visa application center and submit your application form, documents and original passport. You can walk in if applying directly at an Indian mission.
You will be notified when your passport is ready for pickup. If you have applied at an Indian mission, you can go back after three working days to pick up your passport.
Refer to the India tourist visa guide for instructions on filling out the online application, documents required and photo requirements.
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India e-Arrival Card
Starting from April 1, 2026, filling out the digital India e-Arrival Card is mandatory for all foreign visitors and OCI cardholders entering India.
Indian citizens and airside transit passengers are not required to complete the e-Arrival Card.
You must complete the e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival on the official Indian government portal or the Indian Visa Su-Swagaram mobile app.
Completing the e-Arrival Card is FREE of charge. There are many scam websites charging travelers for the e-Arrival Card. Do not use such websites. Use only the official Indian government portal.
To complete the e-Arrival Card free of charge on the official portal, refer to my India e-Arrival Card step-by-step guide. There are instructions and screenshots to help you fill out your e-Arrival Card.
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