India
Tourist visa for India: documents, fees and steps
Tourism (short stay) · 29 nationalities · any residence · ordinary passport
Stay of up to 90 days · Verified on 15 October 2026
VisaGuideline helps you prepare your application. The decision belongs to the country’s authority: check the official page before paying or applying.
Document names stay visible. Open the details to read the conditions.
Documents requested
Visa application form filled out online, then printed and signedConditions and details
One form per person, filled out on the India Visa Online portal. Once submitted, it can no longer be modified. The Application Id generated upon submission is used for exchanges with the mission. The printed and signed form is submitted with the supporting documents and the passport.Passport, submitted with the signed form and supporting documentsConditions and details
Submit your passport to the Indian Visa Application Center or the Indian mission, according to the instructions of the submission location. It will be returned upon collection or by mail. Before submission, consult the mission for the minimum validity and blank pages required in your situation.Digital photograph uploaded with the online application (JPEG, from 10 to 300 KB)Conditions and details
Equal height and width; full face facing forward, eyes open; head centered, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin, measuring from 25 to 35 mm; plain light or white background; no shadow on the face or on the background; no border.Supporting documents requested by the competent Indian missionConditions and details
Consult the list of documents published by the Indian mission or the center handling your application. Attach the supporting documents corresponding to your situation to the printed and signed form and the passport.
Depending on your situation
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate, for the persons concernedRequired for persons coming from a yellow fever endemic country, or who have stayed there during the previous six days: valid certificate issued by an approved vaccination center.
Steps
- On the India Visa Online portal (Regular/Paper Visa), choose the Indian mission with which to submit the application ("Select Mission" tab).
- Fill in the online form, one per person, using exactly the name, address and date of birth; check it before submission, because it can no longer be modified afterwards.
- Keep the application identifier (Application Id) generated automatically upon submission.
- If the mission offers it, choose the appointment online and pay online; otherwise, print the submitted form and pay the fees to the external service provider or to the mission when submitting.
- At the appointment, submit the printed and signed form, the supporting documents and the passport to the Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) or directly to the Indian mission.
- Plan for payment of the fees: the amount displayed online is indicative, the final amount is collected at the counter when submitting the application.
- Track the status of the application online, then collect the passport and visa at the mission or the application center, or receive them by mail.
- Fill in the e-Arrival card within the 72 hours preceding arrival, then the Air Suvidha 2.0 health declaration within the 24 hours preceding arrival, preferably before boarding. Keep the downloaded declaration for the check
Where to apply
- Online "Regular/Paper Visa" form on the India Visa Online portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in).
- Submission of the paper application to an Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) or directly to the Indian mission, by appointment.
Good to know
Length of stayConditions and details
Each continuous stay under a tourist visa is limited to 90 days after arrival (180 days for nationals of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan). The total stay in India under a paper tourist visa, e-Tourist Visa or both cannot exceed 180 days per calendar year. The visa is neither extendable nor convertible.Interval between two visitsConditions and details
Nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iraq and Sudan, foreigners of Pakistani origin and stateless persons must leave at least two months between two visits to India under a tourist visa.Covered purposesConditions and details
The T-1 tourist visa covers leisure, visits to relatives, short-term yoga, short unplanned medical treatments and informal courses of six months at most without a qualifying diploma. Volunteering is limited to one month, without pay or compensation. Mountaineering expeditions fall under the T-2 visa and an authorization from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation; for the Himalayas, submit the detailed application at least four months before departure.Group travelConditions and details
Tourists from countries eligible for the tourist visa who travel in a group of at least four people, under the aegis of a recognized travel agency, must obtain a group tourist visa.- Pakistani nationals: no tourist visaThe tourist visa is intended for foreigners other than Pakistani nationals.
Afghan nationalsConditions and details
Afghan nationals have a "Visa for Afghanistan" portal offering specific categories and purposes. Consult this portal and the Indian mission for the appropriate route; this generic tourist list does not apply to them.Processing timeConditions and details
Upon receipt of the application, directly or through the Indian Visa Application Center, the mission needs at least three working days to process it and issue the visa, depending on nationality and excluding special cases.Indicative and non-refundable feesConditions and details
The fees depend on the type and duration of the visa; they include base fees, special fees and processing fees of the external service provider. The amount displayed online is indicative. The fees are not refunded, even in the event of withdrawal, refusal or a visa shorter than requested. The amount and payment methods are to be verified with the mission or the application center.Use official channelsConditions and details
Beware of intermediaries promising an urgent or express visa for an extra charge. For the regular visa, the portal provides for submission to the Indian mission or an Indian Visa Application Center: follow the official links and rates of this service. For the e-Visa and the arrival card, use the government portals directly.- Entry at the discretion of immigrationA visa does not confer the right to enter India: entry is up to the immigration authorities. The traveler must adhere to the purpose declared in their application.
Nationalities covered
This procedure applies to 29 nationalities.
- Algeria
- Burkina Faso
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Congo
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Hong Kong
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Macao
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Timor-Leste
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Yemen
Official links
- India Visa Online (new tab) indianvisaonline.gov.in
- India Visa Online (new tab) indianvisaonline.gov.in
- General Guidelines | Bureau of Immigration (new tab) boi.gov.in
- India Bureau of Immigration — visa terms and conditionsBureau of Immigration - Home Content (new tab) boi.gov.in
- Tourism in India | Bureau of Immigration (new tab) boi.gov.in
- Government of India — Bureau of Immigration (new tab) indianvisaonline.gov.in
- India Visa Online (new tab) indianvisaonline.gov.in
- India Visa Online (new tab) indianvisaonline.gov.in
- How to apply | Bureau of Immigration (new tab) boi.gov.in
- e-Visa (new tab) indianvisaonline.gov.in
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare — Press Information Bureau (new tab) www.pib.gov.in
Free, with or without an account
Free, no account needed
- The entry rule for your nationality
- The list of documents for your situation
With a free account
- Your saved cases
- Your documents to tick off: to prepare, in progress, declared available
- A summary to print or save as a PDF