Nov 28, 2014, 3:38 am
Last edit by: JDiver
E-Visa / ETA and 30 Day Single Entry Visa on Arrival in India
India new Visa On Arrival
(Actually advance online e-Tourist Visa with actual visa issued on arrival)
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
The Indian e-Tourist Visa is available for holders of passports of following countries and territories:
Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong SAR), China (Macau SAR), Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'lvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Eligibility
Citizens of the above-listed countries using ordinary passports from such countries when the sole objective of visiting India is one or more of the following: recreation (of most but not all sorts); sight seeing (in most of India); casual visit to meet friends or relatives (in most of India); short duration medical treatment; or casual visits for most (but not all) business purposes.
The passport should have at least six months' validity on the date of arrival.
International Travellers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket,with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
The visa is valid for a single entry for a stay of 30 days (from the date of entry) and cannot be extended.
Be sure to fill out your information very accurately! If there's anything off, you may be required to board the next flight out operated by your airline of entry.
Travellers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders.
E-TOURIST VISA APPLICATION PROCESS
Step 1
Apply online
Upload Photo and Passport Page
Step 2
Pay visa fee online
Using Credit / Debit card
Step 3
Receive ETA Online
ETA Will be sent to your e-mail
Step 4
Print ETA and carry it for and on the flight to India so you can present it on arrival at the immigration desks.
This being India, it is the real experience on arrival that is critical, especially since this is a brand new operation.
We need datapoints for
- How long it took you to get through immigration?
- Any issues (human, bureaucratic or technological?)
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Evisa & Visa on arrival for India
Feb 11, 2023, 4:13 pm
#286
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,338
I have a follow-up question regarding the single-entry 30-day visa.
I will be visiting one Indian port (Mumbai) on just one day during a cruise, which starts 12 days prior to my India visit. I will also be leaving home 10 days prior to the start of the cruise. Therefore, I won't have much buffer in case of issues with the online application process, even though I will apply exactly 30 days prior to leaving home.
Is it possible to use an earlier date of visit (e. g. a week before my actual visit to Mumbai on the cruise ship) so that I can apply online a week earlier (to give me a bigger buffer in case anything goes wrong during the application process)? Since the visa is valid for 30 days, I am thinking there should be no issue with that. After all, people's travel plans can and do change all the time.
Any insight or advice about this idea?
I will be visiting one Indian port (Mumbai) on just one day during a cruise, which starts 12 days prior to my India visit. I will also be leaving home 10 days prior to the start of the cruise. Therefore, I won't have much buffer in case of issues with the online application process, even though I will apply exactly 30 days prior to leaving home.
Is it possible to use an earlier date of visit (e. g. a week before my actual visit to Mumbai on the cruise ship) so that I can apply online a week earlier (to give me a bigger buffer in case anything goes wrong during the application process)? Since the visa is valid for 30 days, I am thinking there should be no issue with that. After all, people's travel plans can and do change all the time.
Any insight or advice about this idea?
Feb 11, 2023, 9:29 pm
#287
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
I have a follow-up question regarding the single-entry 30-day visa.
I will be visiting one Indian port (Mumbai) on just one day during a cruise, which starts 12 days prior to my India visit. I will also be leaving home 10 days prior to the start of the cruise. Therefore, I won't have much buffer in case of issues with the online application process, even though I will apply exactly 30 days prior to leaving home.
Is it possible to use an earlier date of visit (e. g. a week before my actual visit to Mumbai on the cruise ship) so that I can apply online a week earlier (to give me a bigger buffer in case anything goes wrong during the application process)? Since the visa is valid for 30 days, I am thinking there should be no issue with that. After all, people's travel plans can and do change all the time.
Any insight or advice about this idea?
I will be visiting one Indian port (Mumbai) on just one day during a cruise, which starts 12 days prior to my India visit. I will also be leaving home 10 days prior to the start of the cruise. Therefore, I won't have much buffer in case of issues with the online application process, even though I will apply exactly 30 days prior to leaving home.
Is it possible to use an earlier date of visit (e. g. a week before my actual visit to Mumbai on the cruise ship) so that I can apply online a week earlier (to give me a bigger buffer in case anything goes wrong during the application process)? Since the visa is valid for 30 days, I am thinking there should be no issue with that. After all, people's travel plans can and do change all the time.
Any insight or advice about this idea?
the only rules are
- you enter india via selected airports or seaports within the 30 days validity period of evisa's ETA
- once entered on date N, the true 30 days stay clock begins
- you must exit on date M, which is N+29. otherwise you will be considered overstaying
- the earliest one can apply for a 30 day evisa's ETA is 30 days before intended entry. the latest is 4 days before
- the expected processing time for an evisa ETA application is 1-3 days.
you can do whatever you want based on the above constraints
the above do not apply for other kinds of evisa duration. why india makes it so complicated I have no idea.
Last edited by gnomey; Feb 11, 2023 at 9:37 pm
Feb 11, 2023, 9:55 pm
#288
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,338
(all these are explained in the official evisa website FAQ, I am only paraphrasing)
the only rules are
- you enter india via selected airports or seaports within the 30 days validity period of evisa's ETA
- once entered on date N, the true 30 days stay clock begins
- you must exit on date M, which is N+29. otherwise you will be considered overstaying
- the earliest one can apply for a 30 day evisa's ETA is 30 days before intended entry. the latest is 4 days before
- the expected processing time for an evisa ETA application is 1-3 days.
you can do whatever you want based on the above constraints
the above do not apply for other kinds of evisa duration. why india makes it so complicated I have no idea.
the only rules are
- you enter india via selected airports or seaports within the 30 days validity period of evisa's ETA
- once entered on date N, the true 30 days stay clock begins
- you must exit on date M, which is N+29. otherwise you will be considered overstaying
- the earliest one can apply for a 30 day evisa's ETA is 30 days before intended entry. the latest is 4 days before
- the expected processing time for an evisa ETA application is 1-3 days.
you can do whatever you want based on the above constraints
the above do not apply for other kinds of evisa duration. why india makes it so complicated I have no idea.
Feb 13, 2023, 8:22 am
#289
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
I got a text alert about possible fraud, typed whatever option said it was fine, and then resubmitted payment immediately.
Feb 16, 2023, 11:24 pm
#290
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,777
Buggy, Need Help
Can't get beyond the second or third page, where it asks for passport information and more. After pressing "save and continue", it takes me back to the same page, now all blank, and I have to enter the information again. Fill in the information again. Same thing. Using Google Chrome.
So I forced exit, having made note of the application ID. Received an e-mail from the Indian Government confirming the partial application and the ID, which is 15 characters. I tried entering that ID, and am cut off after 12 characters.
Any suggestions?
Also, it says the 30-day tourist visa is double entry. Meaning I can enter the country twice in 30 days? For sure? I plan to do that. If there's any doubt, perhaps I should apply for a different duration?
Thanks...
So I forced exit, having made note of the application ID. Received an e-mail from the Indian Government confirming the partial application and the ID, which is 15 characters. I tried entering that ID, and am cut off after 12 characters.
Any suggestions?
Also, it says the 30-day tourist visa is double entry. Meaning I can enter the country twice in 30 days? For sure? I plan to do that. If there's any doubt, perhaps I should apply for a different duration?
Thanks...
Last edited by Explore; Feb 17, 2023 at 12:26 am
Feb 21, 2023, 8:41 pm
#291
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Can't get beyond the second or third page, where it asks for passport information and more. After pressing "save and continue", it takes me back to the same page, now all blank, and I have to enter the information again. Fill in the information again. Same thing. Using Google Chrome.
So I forced exit, having made note of the application ID. Received an e-mail from the Indian Government confirming the partial application and the ID, which is 15 characters. I tried entering that ID, and am cut off after 12 characters.
Any suggestions?
Also, it says the 30-day tourist visa is double entry. Meaning I can enter the country twice in 30 days? For sure? I plan to do that. If there's any doubt, perhaps I should apply for a different duration?
Thanks...
So I forced exit, having made note of the application ID. Received an e-mail from the Indian Government confirming the partial application and the ID, which is 15 characters. I tried entering that ID, and am cut off after 12 characters.
Any suggestions?
Also, it says the 30-day tourist visa is double entry. Meaning I can enter the country twice in 30 days? For sure? I plan to do that. If there's any doubt, perhaps I should apply for a different duration?
Thanks...
Feb 22, 2023, 3:14 pm
#293
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
For fun, I applied for some Indian evisas late Saturday evening and very early Sunday morning local IST. Got the evisa approval/granted emails less than 18 hours after paying. The visa granted emails came back clustered at around the same time on Sunday, and that was even as the applications were submitted and paid for across several hours. Very efficient to get the visas after getting the applications submitted and the payments to work. But for some people, it may take a bit of learning how to take an acceptable digital photo, right-size photos of the applicant’s face and get the right-sized PDF scan of the passport biodata page.
Feb 22, 2023, 3:38 pm
#294
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
For fun, I applied for some Indian evisas late Saturday evening and very early Sunday morning local IST. Got the evisa approval/granted emails less than 18 hours after paying. The visa granted emails came back clustered at around the same time on Sunday, and that was even as the applications were submitted and paid for across several hours. Very efficient to get the visas after getting the applications submitted and the payments to work. But for some people, it may take a bit of learning how to take an acceptable digital photo, right-size photos of the applicant’s face and get the right-sized PDF scan of the passport biodata page.
Feb 22, 2023, 4:06 pm
#295
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Given how Sunday in India is traditionally the day with fewest government employees in the offices, I wanted to see if applying between late Saturday evening (IST) and the earliest hours of Sunday (IST) would mean slower turn times on Sunday IST. But within less than 20 hours of the last application, the evisa approvals/granted emails got sent out in a batch — that too with less than 121 seconds between the email send times.
Feb 22, 2023, 4:28 pm
#296
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Was that IST?
Given how Sunday in India is traditionally the day with fewest government employees in the offices, I wanted to see if applying between late Saturday evening (IST) and the earliest hours of Sunday (IST) would mean slower turn times on Sunday IST. But within less than 20 hours of the last application, the evisa approvals/granted emails got sent out in a batch — that too with less than 121 seconds between the email send times.
Given how Sunday in India is traditionally the day with fewest government employees in the offices, I wanted to see if applying between late Saturday evening (IST) and the earliest hours of Sunday (IST) would mean slower turn times on Sunday IST. But within less than 20 hours of the last application, the evisa approvals/granted emails got sent out in a batch — that too with less than 121 seconds between the email send times.
Feb 23, 2023, 11:52 pm
#297
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,777
For fun, I applied for some Indian evisas late Saturday evening and very early Sunday morning local IST. Got the evisa approval/granted emails less than 18 hours after paying. The visa granted emails came back clustered at around the same time on Sunday, and that was even as the applications were submitted and paid for across several hours. Very efficient to get the visas after getting the applications submitted and the payments to work. But for some people, it may take a bit of learning how to take an acceptable digital photo, right-size photos of the applicant’s face and get the right-sized PDF scan of the passport biodata page.
So I went to a visa expeditor service, which got me the 5-year visa in a day, for around $200 more. With all the IT expertise in India, I'm surprised the government couldn't do better, but I guess it is the government.
Feb 24, 2023, 3:55 am
#298
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
No luck with the Indian government website. Couldn't get beyond about the second screen, where after pressing "save and continue" on multiple browsers, multiple times, it just takes me back to the same screen to fill in the same stuff. And this is after clearing cookies etc.
So I went to a visa expeditor service, which got me the 5-year visa in a day, for around $200 more. With all the IT expertise in India, I'm surprised the government couldn't do better, but I guess it is the government.
So I went to a visa expeditor service, which got me the 5-year visa in a day, for around $200 more. With all the IT expertise in India, I'm surprised the government couldn't do better, but I guess it is the government.
I suspect that there are also some internet and database security settings used by the Indian government that sometimes come into play with the traffic problems and other bugginess I experienced on Saturday/Sunday too.
Paying a visa facilitator 3-8x the cost of a functional evisa isn’t for me, but sometimes it makes sense to pay the extra money to get results in a way that may feel less frustrating.
Feb 27, 2023, 11:23 pm
#299
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 2,338
We just applied for our 30-day eVisa, no payment problem at all using our visa credit cards (from a bank in the US). Fingers crossed we'll get our approval emails soon, as others have reported on this thread.
Update: visa approval email arrived the next day, about 20 hours after the application was submitted.
Update: visa approval email arrived the next day, about 20 hours after the application was submitted.
Last edited by sfvoyage; Mar 9, 2023 at 6:59 pm
Mar 9, 2023, 3:53 am
#300
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA EXP & 1MM, SkyTeam Gold, *A Gold, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold, mother's favorite son
Posts: 333
Hello everyone,
I was in the process of applying for the e-visa (for a trip in October), and after filling out the visa application, I encountered the following error when I went to pay for the application:
"Please fill a new e-Visa application as the application format is changed."
Has anyone encountered this before?
Maybe they actually were fiddling with the site around the time of my application (though it was ca. 5 AM in Delhi).
Maybe just some strange unfortunate error.
I was in the process of applying for the e-visa (for a trip in October), and after filling out the visa application, I encountered the following error when I went to pay for the application:
"Please fill a new e-Visa application as the application format is changed."
Has anyone encountered this before?
Maybe they actually were fiddling with the site around the time of my application (though it was ca. 5 AM in Delhi).
Maybe just some strange unfortunate error.