The India e-Tourist VISA (e-Visa)

An exciting new alternative to the dreaded India visa application process appeared in 2014. Known as the India e-Tourist Visa, aka e-Visa, this electronically generated visa is limited to tourists who stay for a maximum of 60 days from the date of entry (double entry permitted). You must apply no less than 4 days and no more than 30 days in advance of arrival. Applying more than 30 days has shown to be frustrating. The e-Visa is cheaper and more convenient than conventional application methods. The Indian e-Visa is obtained online. No need to mail your passport to your local consulate or embassy. No more losing your passports in the mail, or to theft. The e-Visa is usually approved within a few days of application but can be as fast as 24 hours if your data is entered correctly. Once approved, you will be sent an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) form that states that your e-Visa status has been "GRANTED". You must bring this ETA confirmation form and your original passport with you upon arrival in India. The actual visa sticker will be placed inside your passport at customs at your arriving (point of entry) airport.

Our Recommended eVisa Application Sites

We have found the official Government of India e-Visa website and contracted third-party Travisa.com and Indiatravelvisa.org to be the most reliable online application sites. See links to the left. Our recommendation is to use the official Government of India e-Visa website. Should you run into issues on that site, then try the other private (government contracted) companies. We recommend that you avoid all other sites, especially those that offer cheaper rates or faster service. There are a few scam sites out there. The only sites that we 100% trust are the Government of India e-Visa site, Indiatravelvisa.org and Travisa.com.

How it Works

To the left you’ll see links to the Government of India e-Visa Online Application and to the Travisa.com e-Visa Online Application. Go to the application page of your choice and complete the online e-Visa application procedure. Because the India e-Visa is issued online, it is not necessary to submit your original passport or other documents for processing. A scanned copy is sufficient for the e-Visa to be processed. Though the traveler must have your original valid passport upon arrival. You will need the following when submitting your application: (1) a recent front-facing photograph with white background, (2) the main photo page of your passport containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiration date, to be uploaded. The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded documents and photograph are not clear as per specification. Also, be sure that the personal information you submit is identical to the personal information on your passport. No nicknames or spiritual names. Use the same name in your passport. Visa applications do not like inconsistencies. The e-Visa will be processed within a few days and a confirmation email will be sent once you are approved. At that time, go back to the eVisa website and download your Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) pdf form. Please confirm that your ETA status is shown as 'GRANTED' on the form prior to the commencement of your journey. Applicants can track the status of their application online by clicking Visa Status. When the traveler arrives in India, the Immigration Officer will take some biometric fingerprint scans and your passport will be stamped. You must show the ETA form to receive the actual visa in your passport. Without the ETA form you will be rejected.

Passport Expiration Dates!

When traveling to India, you will need a valid passport and visa. Passports have expiration dates, and we recommend you check the expiration date in your passport before booking your flights. If your passport is expired, you should immediately apply for a renewal at your nearest federal passport office. Some travel agencies provide passport renewal services as well. India customs will require that your passport be valid for at least 6 months after the date of arrival in India. If your passport expires less than six months after you arrive in India, they may reject your entry. Check your expiration dates! Your passport must also have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.

e-Visa Application Timing

For the purpose of our tour dates, you can apply for your online India e-Visa as early as September 15. If you apply sooner than September 15 you may be rejected in the online process. We recommend you apply between September 15-25. Also, keep in mind that you must have your flights booked first before applying for your India eVisa. So book your flights and then apply for your e-Visa.

Upon Arrival at India Customs

When you arrive at India customs, you must present the following to the Immigration Officer: (1) your original, valid passport with two blank pages for stamping, (2) your printed e-Visa ETA confirmation form noting that it has been ‘GRANTED’, and (3) your return ticket or onward journey ticket. We suggest you bring a copy of the original flight booking confirmation email showing your departure flight details. Don’t leave the e-Visa confirmation form at home or lose it in transit. We suggest you print several copies and keep them in different travel bags.

Help with Visa Questions

On the visa application, there are two things they often ask for that you may not know how to answer . . .

1. A local Indian reference:
If the visa application asks for a local Indian reference, you can write in “Chithra”. Chithra is our guest relations manager at the retreat center in Kerala (AyurSoma). She will serve as our local Indian reference.

Chithra
AyurSoma Manager
mail@somatheeram.in

AyurSoma Address:
AyurSoma Ayurveda Royal Retreat
Chowara, Balaramapuram
South of Kovalam
Thiruvananthapuram 695 501, Kerala INDIA
Tel# +91-471-2266222

2. The port of arrival, or port of entry (POE):
The visa application process will ask for your port of arrival, or port of entry (POE). The POE is the first city or airport of your arrival in India. At your POE you will collect your bags and go through customs. Most of you will fly from other foreign hubs directly to Trivandrum International Airport (TRV), and thus Trivandrum will be your POE. Others may arrive in another Indian city such as Delhi (DEL), experience a short layover, and then reconnect to a domestic flight to TRV, in which case DEL is your POE. In a layover scenario such as this, you will retrieve your bags and go through customs in DEL, and then transfer to the domestic flight where you will check-in and take a domestic flight to TRV. For most of you, TRV will be your POE. Check your flight itinerary.

3. Address of the tour operator:
Sevanti Adventures
46 Shepard Rd, #44
Cambridge, MA 02138
Ph: 310-393-4124

Troubleshooting the e-Visa Application Process

Here are three of the most common troubleshooting solutions you may need during the application process: (1) You will need the most current version of your PDF reader (Adobe Acrobat Reader is highly recommended) because older versions will not allow data input or drop downs in the actual PDF form. Check your app version and update to the most recent version. Adobe Acrobat Reader especially works better once you've downloaded to the latest version. If you are on an Apple/Mac, try the native Mac PDF reader app called Preview. If you are using your default browser (Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome or Safari) please make sure that the information you entered into the form was properly saved before uploading. (2) Try a different browser. We’ve heard that some browsers are more compatible with the application process than others. (3) The process requires you to download and save versions of the app process to your computer. Be aware of WHERE you are downloading the file. For example, in Apple computers the file may be downloaded to either the “Downloads” folder or to the desktop. If you have dozens of files on your desktop it can get lost amidst the mess of files.

For Assistance

For any assistance call the 24/7 e-Visa support center at +91-11-24300666 or send email to indiatvoa@gov.in