Do you need a visa for India?

All foreign national travellers will need a valid visa to enter India. There are two types of visas: the e-Visa, which you can apply for online and a regular paper visa. For sightseeing and visiting family or friends, etc. you may need to apply for the T visa.

When applying for a visa, you may be able to apply for either the e-Visa or the regular (paper) visa. This can depend on the requirements of your stay and your entry and exit ports.

Nationals from the following foreign countries are usually eligible to apply for an e-Visa: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the USA and the UK. The e-Tourist Visa can allow for entry for 30 days, 1 or 5 years. It is recommended that you apply for this e-Visa at least 4 days before your arrival in India and that you also carry a printed version of your approved visa along with you while travelling. You can learn more about the e-Visa from the government website.

E-visa eligibility and entry requirements

When applying for the T visa, you may need to upload a digital passport-style photograph to complete the application as well as a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport. You may also be required to provide one other document. This will depend on your visa application.

If you are applying for a regular (paper) visa, you will need to schedule an appointment at your relevant Indian Mission after you have filled in and submitted the visa form online. During this appointment, you will be required to have the required documents alongside your application which should be printed and signed. If and when your visa has been approved, you will then need to collect your passport/visa from the Indian Mission/Visa application centre or via post.

Please also note that some types of visas will require that you register with the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) within a specified time frame. It is recommended that you check to see if you are required to register.

To be allowed entry into India, you will be required to have several items, these include:

A valid visa
A machine-readable passport
At least two blank pages in your passport
A passport with at least 6 months validity at the time of making the application.

Travellers from countries or who have recently been in countries that are affected by Yellow Fever may be required to provide a Yellow Fever Vaccination Card at the time of arrival to India.

India visa fees

The fees during a visa application will depend on the visa type. The basic tourist visa can be around AUD $207. The e-Visa fee will be specific to your country/territory and a bank transaction of 2.5% may be charged in addition to the e-Visa fees.

The page is for general information only and may be subject to change. It is your responsibility to obtain relevant visa and travel information required for entry, departure and travel to each country or region you visit on your trip. You should confirm these with the relevant embassies and/or consulates.

Last updated: 22/06/2023

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