On the other hand, if you are not absolutely accurate with your data you might get turned back and refused admission to India. To wit:
Two friends of mine (US passport holders with ETAs were going to India via AA and CX Business Class SMF-LAX-HKG-DEL for touring in Rajasthan last week. They made it through docs checks, etc. at SMF, LAX and HKG.
When they arrived st DEL, it turned out one digit in one friend's passport was transposed with another on the ETA forms. They were detained at DEL immigration and she was not allowed to remain in India (nor was her husband allowed to recover her baggage). She requested to submit another eVisacrequest, but she was told she had to depart India to do so, as it required 24-72 hours to process and she could not remain in India for more than 24 hours and must leave.
After a lot of palaver by several immigration staff and supervisors a CX ground staffer came and fetched her forbthevreturn flight to HKG. She was escorted to the aircraft and seated - CX was forced to hold the flight for her and was held well over an hour past scheduled departure. (Her husband received his visa and remained in India.)
At HKG, she was processed and out on the next LAX flight. During all this time, CX staff had her passport - they declined to relinquish it to her until she was off the aircraft at LAX, where it was returned to her. Even when she requested to visit the lounge to shower and freshen up, she was escorted to the lounge, and her passport was retained by CX personnel.
Yep, her error, but also one by AA staff when they checked her in at SMF, and Cathay staff in LAX and once again at HKG. As she arrived in DEL on CX, CX had the responsibility of flying her out - and is subject to a significant fine for allowing her to board with faulty documents. And of course it was a very costly lesson for my friends (most insurance will not cover this kind of event, AFAIK).
So be a bit obsessive when you apply for the ETA, regardless of where you're going - but in India, bureaucracy can be demanding and inflexible if everything is not just right.
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 22, 2017 at 11:27 pm