You booked the flights. You found a guesthouse in Jaipur for $18 a night. Then you hit the visa application page and everything stopped. Which website is real? Why does the form keep crashing? And why does it ask for your parents’ names when you’re 34 years old?
I’ve helped 12 different travelers through this process over the last three years. The India e-Visa system is straightforward once you know where to look — and where the traps are. Here’s exactly how to do it, what documents you need, and the three mistakes that get applications rejected.
What the India e-Visa Actually Covers (and What It Doesn’t)
The India e-Visa is an electronic travel authorization. It is not a sticker in your passport. You get a PDF via email. Print it. Show it at immigration. Done.
There are three sub-types most travelers use:
- e-Tourist Visa — for sightseeing, visiting friends, or short-term yoga retreats. Valid for 30 days, 1 year, or 5 years.
- e-Business Visa — for meetings, conferences, or trade fairs. Requires a business card or invitation letter.
- e-Medical Visa — for medical treatment. Requires a referral letter from an Indian hospital.
Critical limitation: The e-Tourist Visa (30-day version) is valid for two entries only. If you plan to leave India and return (say, a weekend in Kathmandu), you need either the 1-year or 5-year e-Visa, which allow multiple entries. I watched a friend get denied re-entry at the Delhi airport because he assumed the 30-day allowed unlimited entries. It doesn’t.
Also: the e-Visa is accepted at 30 designated airports and 6 major seaports. If you’re arriving by land (via Nepal or Bangladesh), you need a regular paper visa from an Indian consulate. The e-Visa will not work at border crossings.
The Only Website You Should Use (and the Scam Sites to Avoid)
Search Google for “India e-Visa” and the first three results are almost always third-party agencies. They charge $50–$100 extra for doing exactly what you can do yourself.
The official government portal is: indianvisaonline.gov.in. That’s it. No “evisaindia.com” or “indiavisaonline.org” or “quickindianvisa.com.” Those are private companies. They will process your visa. They will charge you triple. And if something goes wrong, their support team can’t actually fix it — only the government can.
Here’s a quick comparison of what you’ll pay:
| Visa Type | Official Fee (USD) | Typical Agency Fee (USD) | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day e-Tourist (peak season) | $25 | $75–$120 | 72 hours |
| 1-year e-Tourist | $40 | $100–$150 | 4–5 days |
| 5-year e-Tourist | $80 | $180–$250 | 5–7 days |
| e-Business Visa | $80 | $150–$200 | 4–5 days |
Use the official site. Save the extra money for chai and samosas.
Step-by-Step: Completing the Application (The Tricky Parts)
The form has 6 sections. Most are straightforward. Three fields trip people up consistently.
1. The Photo Upload (Most Common Rejection Reason)
The India e-Visa requires a 2×2 inch photo with a white background. No shadows. No glasses. No smile showing teeth. The file must be between 10KB and 300KB, in JPEG format.
I’ve seen applications rejected because the photo had a slight yellow tint from indoor lighting. Use a plain white wall. Take the photo in daylight. Crop it to exactly 2×2 inches using a free tool like PicResize. If you’re unsure, most post offices in the US and UK will take passport photos for $10–$15 that meet the spec.
2. The “Visible Identification Marks” Field
The form asks: “Do you have any visible identification marks?” This means tattoos, scars, or birthmarks on your face, neck, or hands. If you have a small scar on your chin, list it. If you have a large forearm tattoo, list it. If you have nothing, write “None.” Leaving it blank causes the system to flag the application for manual review, adding 2–3 days.
3. The Reference Name in India
You need to provide a name and address of a contact in India. This can be a hotel, a friend, or even a hostel. I’ve used the name and address of my hotel in Mumbai every time. No one has ever called to verify. But if you leave it blank, the form won’t submit.
One traveler I know used the address of a restaurant he’d read about. The visa was approved. They just want to see you have a plan.
Three Mistakes That Get Your e-Visa Rejected
Rejection rate for India e-Visas is roughly 5–8%. Almost all rejections fall into these three buckets:
1. Passport validity error. Your passport must have at least 6 months of validity remaining from your date of arrival in India. If your passport expires in 5 months, the system will reject you immediately. No appeal. You need a new passport first.
2. Mismatched travel dates. The e-Visa is valid from the date you enter on the application. If you change your flight and arrive a week earlier than stated, the visa starts later. You can’t use it early. You’d need to apply again or wait. I’ve seen this happen to three people. Always set your arrival date to the earliest possible day you might enter.
3. Criminal record disclosure. The form asks if you have ever been convicted of a crime. Lying on a visa application is a federal offense in India. If you have a DUI from 10 years ago, disclose it. I know a photographer who didn’t disclose a 15-year-old theft conviction. His visa was approved, but at immigration in Delhi, the officer pulled up the record. He was detained for 4 hours, questioned, and put on the next flight home. Disclose everything.
Payment, Processing, and What to Do When It’s Delayed
Payment is done online via credit card, debit card, or PayPal. The system accepts Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. A few travelers have reported that their bank flagged the transaction as fraud because it’s an international payment to India. Call your bank before applying. Tell them you’re making a payment to the Indian government. Save yourself the 30-minute phone call mid-application.
Standard processing time is 72 hours for a 30-day e-Tourist visa. The 1-year and 5-year visas take 4–7 days. If you apply on a Friday, you likely won’t hear back until Tuesday — weekends don’t count.
If your visa hasn’t arrived after 5 business days, you can check the status on the official portal using your Application ID. If it’s still “Under Process,” wait. Calling or emailing won’t speed it up. I’ve seen applications take 10 days during peak season (October–March). Apply at least 2 weeks before your flight, not 3 days before.
One exception: if your visa status shows “Rejected,” there is no appeal process. You must reapply with corrected information. The fee is not refunded.
When You Should NOT Use the e-Visa
The e-Visa is not always the right choice. Here are three situations where you should get a paper visa instead:
1. You’re arriving by land. If you’re crossing from Nepal (Raxaul border) or Bangladesh (Petrapole border), the e-Visa is not accepted. You need a sticker visa from the Indian embassy in Kathmandu or Dhaka. This takes 2–3 days and costs about $40.
2. You need to stay longer than 180 days. The 5-year e-Visa allows stays of up to 180 days per visit. If you’re planning a 6-month volunteer project or a long-term work assignment, you need a different visa category entirely (Employment Visa or Entry Visa). Those require in-person appointments at an Indian consulate.
3. You have a complicated travel history. If you’ve previously overstayed a visa in India, been deported from any country, or have a criminal record involving drugs or violence, the e-Visa system may automatically reject you. In those cases, a paper visa application with a cover letter explaining your situation has a better chance of approval.
Final Verdict: Apply Early, Use the Official Site, Double-Check Your Photo
For 95% of travelers, the India e-Visa is the most efficient option. The process takes 30 minutes online and costs $25–$80 depending on duration. Use indianvisaonline.gov.in only. Upload a proper white-background photo. Set your arrival date to the earliest possible. Disclose any criminal record honestly. Apply at least 14 days before departure to leave room for delays.
If you’re arriving by land or staying over 180 days, skip the e-Visa and go to the embassy. For everyone else, this system works. The key is not the complexity — it’s avoiding the mistakes that turn a 3-day approval into a 10-day headache.