India e-Visa and visa on arrival — 2026 guide for foreign visitors

India's visa framework for short-term foreign visitors changed significantly after 2014, when the e-Visa scheme was launched. By 2026, the e-Visa covers most common tourist, business and medical travel from around 165+ countries and has largely replaced the older paper-sticker visa process and the pre-2014 "Visa on Arrival" scheme. The term "visa on arrival" is still used loosely by travellers, but the underlying mechanic is now an online visa obtained before travel that is verified on arrival. This page covers the 2026 position.

e-Visa, Visa on Arrival, Paper Visa, OCI — what's what

Four distinct documents, often confused:

e-Visa — the standard pre-approved electronic visa for most tourists, business visitors and medical travellers. Obtained online before travel; verified at the immigration counter on arrival. By far the most common route.
Visa on Arrival (VOA) — a residual facility for a small set of countries (currently Japan, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates nationals at designated airports). An actual at-the-counter visa issuance; no prior online application required for these select nationalities.
Paper visa (sticker) — the traditional visa obtained from an Indian mission / VFS / BLS in the applicant's country; stamped into the passport. Still used for longer-term visas, specific categories (employment, research, missionary, journalist, X-visa), and for nationalities not covered by e-Visa.
OCI card — the lifelong visa for foreign citizens of Indian origin. Not a visa per trip; a status card that substitutes for visas permanently. See OCI card — complete guide.

The e-Visa sub-categories

The Bureau of Immigration (BOI) operates several e-Visa sub-categories:

e-Tourist Visa

The most common. Three duration options:

30-day e-Tourist Visa — up to 2 entries (double- entry), valid 30 days from date of first entry. Fees vary seasonally: typically US$10 off-peak (Apr–Jun) and US$25 peak (Jul–Mar) for most nationalities; some concessional countries at US$10 year-round, some premium nationalities at higher rates.
1-year e-Tourist Visa — multiple entries, valid 365 days from the date of issue. Fee approximately US$40. Each stay capped at 90 days (180 days for nationals of US, UK, Canada, Japan — see below).
5-year e-Tourist Visa — multiple entries, valid 5 years from issue. Fee approximately US$80. Each stay similarly capped.

Permitted activities on e-Tourist Visa:

Sightseeing, recreation, casual visit to meet relatives.
Short-duration yoga courses / non-accredited training.
Attending conferences, seminars, workshops (limited duration) — though a specific e-Conference Visa exists for formal conference delegates.
Short-term medical treatment (though e-Medical Visa is the dedicated category).
Casual business meetings (though e-Business Visa is the dedicated category for substantial business travel).

Not permitted on e-Tourist:

Paid employment, salary-earning work, journalism (journalist visa is a separate category), full- length yoga-teacher courses, missionary / Tabligh work, mountain trekking in restricted areas, research in Indian institutions.

e-Business Visa

1-year validity, multiple entries, each stay capped at 180 days.
Fee approximately US$80.
For genuine business meetings, trade-fair attendance, industrial-tour coordination, setting up a business venture, recruiting interviews, pre-export inspection.
Not for taking up employment with an Indian entity — that needs an Employment Visa (paper visa, separate process).

e-Medical Visa

60-day validity, up to 3 entries.
Fee approximately US$80.
For medical treatment at recognised Indian hospitals — the treating hospital's authorisation letter is part of the application.
Includes an e-Medical Attendant Visa (up to 2 attendants) issued on the same application bundle.

e-Conference Visa

30-day, single entry.
Fee approximately US$80.
For attending a conference held by an Indian government / PSU / international-body organiser. Host organiser's invitation and MHA political-clearance evidence are part of the application.

The 180-day per-stay extension for select countries

Historically the per-stay cap for 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist Visas was 90 days. The MHA extended this to 180 days for nationals of:

United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Japan

Other nationalities remain at the 90-day per-stay cap. Confirm the current extension list on indianvisaonline.gov.in before planning a long stay.

Who is eligible — the country list

The e-Visa scheme covers nationals of approximately 165 countries in 2026, including all major source countries for Indian travel — US, Canada, UK, most of the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, South Africa, UAE, Singapore, and many others.

Countries not eligible for e-Visa:

Pakistan (separate visa regime at the Indian mission; e-Visa explicitly not available).
Nationals of certain countries requiring MHA prior security clearance on each visa.
Stateless persons (apply for paper visa through the mission).
Foreign-passport holders of Pakistani origin — apply for paper visa.

The full list is published and updated on indianvisaonline.gov.in.

The actual Visa on Arrival facility

A small subset — currently Japan, South Korea and UAE nationals at designated airports — can obtain a genuine Visa on Arrival without pre-application:

60-day stay, double entry.
Fee approximately US$80 payable on arrival.
Available at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and a few other designated ports.
Biometrics captured on arrival.

This facility has been progressively narrowed — most nationalities that previously used VOA now use e-Visa. Check the current list before relying on the VOA.

Where e-Visas are valid for entry

Only at designated airports and seaports:

Airports (most major international airports)

Delhi (Indira Gandhi), Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji), Bengaluru (Kempegowda), Chennai, Hyderabad (Rajiv Gandhi), Kolkata (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose), Kochi, Goa, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Lucknow, Calicut, Mangalore, Nagpur, Bagdogra, Coimbatore, Gaya, Guwahati, Port Blair, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Visakhapatnam — approximately 30 airports in 2026.

Seaports

Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai (several terminals) — around 5 seaports.

Land borders

Not accepted for e-Visa entry into India — land border crossings from Nepal, Bhutan or Myanmar require a paper visa. Exit on e-Visa is allowed from all Immigration Check Posts.

Documents needed for the e-Visa application

Passport — valid for at least 6 months from date of arrival in India, with at least 2 blank pages.
Passport bio-page scan — PDF, under 300 KB.
Photograph — recent, passport-style, face clearly visible, background plain white, face occupying ~75% of the frame — JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB.
Return ticket or onward-journey evidence (sometimes asked at arrival, rarely at application).
Sufficient funds declaration.
Travel plan / itinerary — not mandatory but helpful.
Hospital invitation for e-Medical Visa.
Organiser invitation + MHA clearance for e-Conference Visa.

The workflow

Step 1 — Apply at the official site

Only at indianvisaonline.gov.in — NOT any third-party site. See fake India visa alert for the scam landscape.
Apply at least 4 days and no more than 120 days before arrival.
Fill the application form; upload photograph and passport scan.

Step 2 — Pay the fee

Paid online by credit / debit card or through the portal's payment gateway.
Fees vary by sub-category and nationality (see above).
Non-refundable even if the visa is refused.

Step 3 — Wait for the ETA

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) sent by email — typically within 48 to 72 hours.
Print the ETA; carry it with the passport.

Step 4 — Arrive in India

Present passport + ETA printout at the e-Visa counter.
Biometrics captured (10-finger scan, photograph).
Visa stamped into passport.
Enter on the day-one counter of the validity.

Step 5 — During stay

No FRRO registration required for stays within the e-Visa duration cap.
Exit from any Immigration Check Post before the visa expires.
Re-entry (for multi-entry variants) requires the same ETA printout.

Restrictions to know

Re-entry limits — a 30-day e-Tourist allows 2 entries; the 1-year and 5-year allow multiple but subject to per-stay caps.
Extension of an e-Visa is not permitted — the validity is fixed. For longer stays, convert to a paper visa at the FRRO (limited circumstances) or depart and re-apply.
Conversion from e-Tourist to Employment / Business / Student / Research is generally not allowed in-country; depart and apply afresh.
Restricted / Protected Areas — separate Inner Line Permit / PAP required, not covered by e-Visa.
Pakistani-origin foreign passport holders — e-Visa not available; paper visa mandatory.
Overstay — penalty fine at exit, plus potential blacklisting and future visa refusal.

Fee schedule summary (2026 indicative)

Visa type	Duration	Fee (USD)	Entries
e-Tourist 30-day (off-peak)	30 days	~$10	2
e-Tourist 30-day (peak)	30 days	~$25	2
e-Tourist 1-year	365 days	~$40	Multiple
e-Tourist 5-year	5 years	~$80	Multiple
e-Business	1 year	~$80	Multiple
e-Medical	60 days	~$80	3
e-Medical Attendant	60 days	~$80	3
e-Conference	30 days	~$80	1
Visa on Arrival (JP/KR/UAE)	60 days	~$80	2

Fees are indicative; confirm at indianvisaonline.gov.in at the time of application. A small bank-service charge (~2.5% or a flat fee) is added to the government fee.

Common pitfalls

Applying at a fake site. Scam sites proliferate. The only official URL is indianvisaonline.gov.in. See fake India visa alert.
Applying fewer than 4 days before travel. The system won't process in time; travel plans fail.
Applying more than 120 days in advance. The portal rejects such applications; the application must be within the 4–120 day window before arrival.
Wrong e-Visa category. A visitor planning real business meetings on an e-Tourist Visa risks trouble on arrival; pick e-Business.
Exceeding per-stay cap. The per-stay 90-day (or 180-day for US/UK/Canada/Japan) limit is enforced; an overstay attracts penalty.
Using an e-Visa for land entry. Not accepted at land borders; must fly / sail in at a designated port.
Assuming the ETA can be emailed, no printout needed. Most airlines insist on a printed ETA at check-in.
Photograph or passport scan below spec. Common cause of delay or rejection. Follow the exact size and format rules.
Forgetting the 2-blank-page and 6-month-validity passport requirement.
Trying to convert an e-Visa on-arrival to a longer stay. Generally not permitted; plan the category correctly at application.
Expecting e-Visa to include restricted regions. Inner Line Permit / PAP for Arunachal, Sikkim (some), Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep — separate process.

Checklist — applying for an Indian e-Visa

Determine the right category — Tourist (30-day / 1-year / 5-year), Business, Medical, Medical Attendant, or Conference.
Check passport validity — 6 months residual, 2 blank pages.
Prepare photograph and passport scan to spec.
Go to indianvisaonline.gov.in directly; do not search.
Apply within 4–120 days before arrival.
Pay the government fee online.
Receive the ETA by email within 48-72 hours; print it.
Arrive at a designated airport / seaport (not a land border).
Present passport + ETA at the e-Visa counter; biometrics captured; visa stamped.
Exit within the validity; do not overstay.

Summary

e-Visa has replaced most paper tourist, business, medical and conference visas for foreign visitors. Apply online at indianvisaonline.gov.in.
Four e-Visa categories — Tourist, Business, Medical, Conference — plus Medical Attendant.
e-Tourist: 30-day (~~$10-25), 1-year (~~$40), 5-year (~$80). 1-year and 5-year stay cap 90 days per visit (180 days for US, UK, Canada, Japan).
Eligible countries — approximately 165; Pakistan excluded.
Visa on Arrival — residual facility for Japan, Korea and UAE nationals at designated airports.
Entry only at designated airports and seaports — not at land borders.
Apply 4 to 120 days before arrival; ETA issues in 48–72 hours.
Avoid fake sites — only indianvisaonline.gov.in is official. See fake India visa alert.

For the OCI alternative (lifelong visa for Indians-origin foreign citizens), see OCI card — complete guide. For applying for OCI from India, see applying for OCI in India. For Indian tourists visiting foreign countries, see tourist visa from India. For customs on arrival, see Indian customs duty-free allowance.