1. The type of Indian Electronic Visa you would need based on the reason for your visit to India
If you are visiting India for the purpose of tourism and sightseeing, you would need the Tourist e-Visa for India.
If you are visiting India for the purpose of business and trade, you would need the Business e-Visa for India.
If you are visiting India in order to get medical treatment, you would need the Medical e-Visa for India.
If you are visiting India as a medical attendant to someone getting medical treatment here, you would need the Medical Attendant e-Visa for India.
2. The Tourist e-Visa for India
This e-Visa gives electronic authorization for visiting the country to travelers coming to India for the purposes of
- tourism and sightseeing,
- visiting family and/or friends, or
- for a Yoga retreat or short term Yoga course
There are 3 types of this Visa:
- The 30 Day Tourist e-Visa, which is a Double Entry Visa.
- The 1 Year Tourist e-Visa, which is a Multiple Entry Visa.
- The 5 Year Tourist e-Visa, which is a Multiple Entry Visa.
While most passport holders can only stay continously for upto 90 days, nationals of USA, UK, Canada and Japan are allowed up to 180 days , continuous stay during each visit shall not exceed 180 days.
3. The Business e-Visa for India
This e-Visa gives electronic authorization for visiting the country to travelers coming to India for the purposes of
- selling or buying of goods and services in India,
- attending business meetings,
- setting up industrial or business ventures,
- conducting tours,
- delivering lectures under the scheme of Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN),
- recruiting workers,
- participating in trade and business fairs and exhibitions, and
- coming to the country as an expert or specialist for some commercial project.
This Visa is valid for 1 Year and is a Multiple Entry Visa. You can only stay in the country for 180 days at a time on this Visa.
4. The Medical e-Visa for India
This e-Visa gives electronic authorization for visiting the country to travelers coming to India for the purpose of getting medical treatment from an Indian hospital. It is a short term Visa that is valid for 60 days and is a Triple Entry Visa.
5. The Medical Attendant e-Visa for India
This e-Visa gives electronic authorization for visiting the country to travelers coming to India accompanying a patient who is going to get medical treatment from an Indian hospital and the patient should have already secured or have applied for the Medical e-Visa for the same. This is a short term Visa that is valid for 60 days and is a Triple Entry Visa. You can get only 2 Medical Attendant e-Visas against 1 Medical e-Visa.
6. The Conference e-Visa for India
This e-Visa gives electronic authorization for visiting the country to travelers coming to India for the purpose of attending a conference, seminar, or workshop that has been organised by any of the ministries or departments of the Government of India, or State Governments or Union Territory Administrations of India, or any organizations or PSUs attached to these. This Visa is valid for 3 months and is a Single Entry Visa.
7. Guidelines for Applicants of the Indian e-Visa
When applying for the Indian e-Visa you should know the following details about it:
- You can apply for an Indian e-Visa only 3 times in a 1 year.
- If you are eligible for the Visa you should apply for it at least 4-7 days before your entry in India.
- The e-Visa cannot be converted or extended.
- The Indian e-Visa would not allow you access to Protected, Restricted, or Cantonment Areas.
- Every applicant needs to apply individually and have their own Passport to apply for the Indian e-Visa and parents cannot include their children into their application. You cannot use any travel document other than your Passport, which cannot be Diplomatic or Official but only Standard. It needs to remain valid for at least the next 6 months from the date of your entry into India. It should also have at least 2 blank pages to be stamped by the Immigration Officer.
- You need to have a return or onward ticket out of India and must have sufficient money to fund your trip to India.
- You need to carry your e-Visa with you at all times during your stay in India.
India Visa Application is now available online without requiring visit to Indian Embassy.
No matter the type of e-Visa you are applying for you would need the following documents to begin with:
- An electronic or scanned copy of the first (biographical) page of your passport.
- A copy of your recent passport-style colour photo (only of the face, and it can be taken with a phone), a working email address, and a debit card or a credit card for the payment of the application fees. Refer to India e Visa Photo Requirements for further details.
- A return or onward ticket out of the country.
- You would also be asked a few questions to determine your eligibility for the Visa such as your current employment status and ability to finance your trip.
While filling in the application form for the Indian e-Visa you should make sure the following details match with the exact same information that is shown on your passport:
- Full name
- Date and place of birth
- Address
- Passport number
- Nationality
Other than these, depending on the type of e-Visa you are applying for, you would also need other documents.
For the Business e-Visa:
- Details of the Indian organization or trade fair or exhibition that you would be visiting, including the name and address of an Indian reference.
- The invitation letter from the Indian company.
- Your business card or email signature as well as website address.
- If you are coming to India to deliver lectures under Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN) then you will also need to provide the Invitation from the institute which would host you as a foreign visiting faculty, copy of the sanction order under GIAN issued by the National Coordinating Institute viz. IIT Kharagpur, and copy of the synopsis of the courses that you will take up as the faculty at the host institute.
For the Medical e-Visa:
A copy of a letter from the Indian Hospital that you would be seeking treatment from (the letter would have to be written on the Official Letterhead of the Hospital).
You would also be required to answer any questions about the Indian Hospital you would be visiting.
For the Medical Attendant e-Visa:
The name of the patient who must be the holder of the Medical Visa.
The Visa number or the Application ID of the Medical Visa holder.
Details such as the Passport Number of the Medical Visa holder, the date of birth of the Medical Visa holder, and the Nationality of the Medical Visa holder.
For the Conference e-Visa:
Political clearance from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, and optionally, event clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
