Get 90 Day Indian Online Visa Easily: India eTA e-Tourist Visa Experience

This article has been written with direct inputs from my parents who came to India eVisa for tourism for 60 days. The same is available now for 90 days.

When my parents decided to come to India for my marriage, we weren’t sure whether to get regular India tourist visa for all of us or go for the Indian online visa(also known as eTA or e-Tourist visa).

We are all Colombian citizens. Since I made plans to live in India for a long time, I got a one-year tourist visa to India, but my parents wouldn’t stay that long. So, after a lot of digging around, I decided that a 60-day e-Tourist visa is the best way to go.

Getting the Indian online visa or India e-Tourist visa is a hassle-free affair. Please take your time to read the step-by-step process and you should be able to get one by yourself easily.

India Entry Restriction: Covid-19 Update

While India has more or less opened up by now, there are some restrictions still in place. Indian evisas are being issued for 30 days and some Indian embassies are issuing tourist visas as well.

Regular international non-bubble flights are to be resumed from 27th March 2022.

Will update the article when something changes.

India eVisa Application Online Process

1. Get Insurance

Many countries need you to have insurance for tourist visa applications. For example, if you need a tourist visa for Turkey or a Schengen visitor’s visa, you would need to get insurance.

India tourist evisa application doesn’t specifically need you to submit insurance proof. However, you should definitely get travel insurance

I recommend Saftey Wing which covers your medical expenses in case of hospitalization and a bunch of other things like when you lose your passport in a foreign country or in case of trip interruption.

I have purchased it myself.

2. Fill in India Visa Application Form Online

No matter where you are from, you need to visit the official website of the Ministry of Home Affairs of India to apply for the eVisa for India.  You can check whether you are eligible to apply for an India tourist eVisa there as well.

And do have a look at the sample e-Tourist visa application form for India before filling it out. You know, just for the sake of looking.

Firstly, you can register yourself on the official Indian visa application page using my details.

When you register, you provide your port of arrival and some other details, make sure that you choose the port of arrival that you would actually arrive at because you can’t modify it later.

Tips to fill in the application form for Indian eVisa

• Please know that you should choose your port of entry carefully as there are 28 official airports and 5 seaports where you can arrive with an e-Tourist visa.
• Try to keep the expected date of arrival close to the actual date you are planing to arrive.
• If you can’t complete the process in one go, you can save the temporary application number and use it later to complete the process.
• Make sure the photo that you upload is as per the specification. If the photo is different from what’s allowed, your application might not go through.

3. Online Payment for Indian eVisa

Once your application is completed, you can make the payment using your unique application ID. In order to make payment, you need to choose one of the three payment gateways: SBI, Axis, or Paypal.

We chose the SBI gateway. When I tried to make payments using my credit card, it didn’t go through.  So, later I checked with my Bank, and guess what? My father’s card wasn’t enabled for the international payment. Once the guys at the Bank rectified that, we were able to pay for it.

4. Receive the Indian Online Visa

We kept on checking the status of my application on the official visa website in anticipation. After 3 days, my father received the email with eVisa to visit India.

When you receive the eTA for India in your email , it must show the status as GRANTED.

5. Watch a Bollywood movie

If you enjoy watching movies with family, now would be the time to invite them all for a Bollywood movie night and surprise them with your visa. That’s what we did.

Indian Immigration: Entry/Exit Requirements

We landed at the IGI airport in Delhi. At the immigration, there is a separate queue for foreigners with India tourist evisas. There you will be required to provide the biometric details (pic and fingerprints).

You need to present a printout of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) sent through email by the Bureau of Immigration and get the entry stamp on your passport.

Questions on Indian Electronic Visa for Tourism

By When Can I Apply for the Indian Online Visa?

For India e Tourist visa, applicants may apply online minimum 4 days and maximum 120 days in advance of the date of arrival.

How Many Times Can I Apply for an Indian Tourist eVisa?

The limit on the number of times in a calendar year has been removed. But, in order to apply for second time, you need to exit India and come back. It’s not possible to apply for it when you are in India. Make sure that the date of the 2nd exit is on or before 60 days from the date of the first entry.

Can I Extend or Convert my Indian Online Visa?

An e-Tourist visa for India is not extendable, although you can get a new eVisa. An e-Tourist visa is non-convertible, although there have been instances when people have been able to convert it to a regular tourist visa or spouse visa.

Do I need to carry a Yellow fever vaccination card?

If you are from a Yellow fever-affected country like me, you need to carry a Yellow fever vaccination card with you when you arrive in India.

Can I Visit Restricted Areas with an Indian Online eVisa?

Although you can’t enter restricted areas such as Arunachal Pradesh on an e-Tourist visa, you can get a Protected Area Permit (PAP) or Inner Line Permit (ILP), depending on the requirements of the particular area. This can be done in India after you arrive, using your e-Visa. There is no need to have a regular tourist visa for this.

What to Do if Indian Visa Online Payment Doesn’t Go Through?

The Indian visa online payment status updation may take up to 2 hours due to technical reasons/network delays. You should wait for at least 2 hours before you pay it again.

If the Visa fee has been deducted but the status of your application is not updated, please verify their payment status by clicking on the ‘Verify Payment/Pay Visa Fee’ tab on the Home page.

In case of any problems with payment, you can reach out to the State bank of India or Axis bank.

State bank of India: Email:  sbiepay@sbi.co.in , Phone No: +91-22-2752 3816, 180022401.
Axis bank : Email: – ecom@axisbank.com, Phone no : +91 1800-419-0073 (24 x 7)

Indian Online Visa Help for Different Issues.

If there is any unforeseen issue with the visa, you can reach out to the e-Visa helpline for any India eVisa help.

Phone no: +91-11-24300666 (24 x 7)
Email: indiatvoa@gov.in

India is gorgeous and haunting. Full of melody and full of chaos. It’s a walking contradiction that never stops to amaze you. My parents were really happy that they got a chance to visit India.

The Visa Project’s Comprehensive Visa Series: Guides & Experiences

Visa requirements are always changing. Here on The Visa Project, they are kept up-to-date and should answer most visa questions.

And not just guides and tips, we also rely on real people’s experiences on visas, coz’ we know how much visas change based on your nationality, financial status, age, ethnicity, etc.

South Asia Visa Series: Experiences

Have you tried obtaining an e-Tourist visa for India?

If you have tried obtaining an e-Tourist visa for India, let us know in the comments. The visa process is constantly changing and it will help me update the article if there is any change. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.