India Visa and Passport Requirements
| Passport required | Return ticket required | Visa Required | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | Yes | No | Yes |
| USA | Yes | No | Yes |
| Canadian | Yes | No | Yes |
| Australian | Yes | No | Yes |
| British | Yes | No | Yes |
Passports
All nationals referred to in the chart above require a machine-readable passport valid for at least 180 days and with at least two blank pages.
Visas
All nationals referred to in the chart above require visas for India.
Visa Note
All nationals listed in the chart above are eligible to apply online for an e-Tourist Visa (eTV). You must apply at least four days before you arrive in India. You can only enter India via those airports listed on the eTV website. There are five e-Visa subcategories: e-Tourist visa, e-Business visa, e-Medical visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa.
Certain parts of the country have been designated protected or restricted areas that require special permits and in some cases prior government authorisation. You should indicate your intent to visit a specific restricted region when applying for a visa and a permit will be granted to visit that region only. It is advised that you apply for the special permit for restricted areas when you enter India by visiting the FRRO (Foreign Regional Registration Office) that has offices in all major Indian airports and cities. You must complete an additional form, but there is no fee for a restricted area permit.
Types and Cost
Validity
e-Visa: 30 days/ 1 year / 5 years from the date of arrival, with double entry for tourist and business visas, single entry for conference visas and triple entry for medical visas. The duration cannot be extended.
Transit: valid for 15 days for a maximum stay of 72 hours.
Tourist/business for UK nationals: valid for single or multiple entries within up to 5 years (maximum stay of 180 days per visit).
Visa validity for other nationals varies according to nationality.
Visas issued by the embassy/VFS Global are valid from the date of issue and not your date of departure.
Application to
Consular section at your nearest embassy or high commission. For UK and US nationals, India has outsourced its visa application services to VFS Global (www.vfsglobal.com); all applicants must make an appointment to visit an application centre in person. In the USA, for India’s visa application services please visit VFS Global (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/ind/apply-visa).
Those eligible for an e-Tourist Visa can apply online (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html).
Working days
e-Tourist Visas are usually issued immediately or within a few hours. They must be applied for at least 4 days prior to travelling.
Straightforward applications through VFS Global in the UK take at least three to five working days, but others may take longer, depending on the applicant's nationality.
Extension of stay
Visa extensions are not available in India, unless in extreme circumstances (e.g. a medical emergency).
Entry with pets
An incoming passenger can import up to two pets at one time. These include all domestic animals such as dogs, birds, cats etc., subject to producing the required health certificate from their country of origin. Pets are still liable for the usual quarantine checks upon arrival. Pets must also be microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 pet microchip before arrival in India.
This page reflects our understanding of current rules for the most common types of travel to the said country. However, please note that each authority sets and forces entry rules, hence we strongly recommend that you verify critical information with the relevant embassy before travel.
Embassies and tourist offices
British High Commission in India
Telephone: +91 (11) 2419 2100
Website: https://www.gov.uk/world/india
Address: Chanakyapuri, Shantipath, New Delhi, 110021,
Opening times:
Mon-Fri: 0900-1700
Embassy of India in the USA
Telephone: +1 202 939 9888 (Consulate); +1 202 939 7000 (Chancery).
Website: https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/
Address: , 2107 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20008,
Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0930-1800; consular section Mon-Fri 0930-1230.
High Commission of India in the UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7836 8629 5950 or +44 (0) 20 7632 3035 (out of office hours).
Website: http://www.hcilondon.net
Address: Aldwych, India House, London, WC2B 4NA,
Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0915-1745.
