Travelling to India

This is a short information page about travelling to India. The aim of this page is to provide further information about the e-Visa system which was introduced in April 2017.

It forms part of our information section on travelling abroad.

Background

On 1 April 2017 the Indian visa waiver scheme was renamed e-Visa and introduced three subcategories of e-Visa:

1. e-Tourist Visa
2. e-Business Visa
3. e-Medical Visa

This information will concentrate on the e-Tourist Visa.

Eligibility for an e-Visa

International travellers can apply for an e-Visa if their reason for visiting India is for recreation, visiting friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visits. Travellers will need:

• A passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by Immigration Officers.
• A return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during your stay in India.

Applying for the e-Visa

An application for an e-Visa must be made at least four calendar days prior to arrival in India although it can be made up to 120 days in advance. The only way to apply for an e-Visa is using the online application form; there are no hard copies of the form available.

You’ll need to provide details of a sponsor such as a travel agent or hotel to establish your address whilst in India.

You will have to upload a recent passport sized photograph and a scan of the information page of your passport.

Questions about your criminal record

The online form asks you to tick ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the following questions relating to criminal convictions:

1. Have you ever been arrested / prosecuted / convicted by Court of Law of any country?
2. Have you ever been engaged in human trafficking / drug trafficking / child abuse / crimes against women / economic offence / financial fraud?
3. Have you ever been engaged in cyber crime / terrorist activities / sabotage / espionage / genocide / political killing / other acts of violence?
4. Have you ever by any means or medium expressed views that justify or glorify terrorist violence or that may encourage others to terrorist acts or other serious criminal acts.

If you answer ‘Yes’ to any of the questions you will be asked to provide further details.

More information

1. To discuss this issue with others – Read and share your experience on our online forum
2. Questions – If you have any questions about this you can contact our helpline.