Do you need a visa for India?

If you are dreaming of the Taj Mahal, the colours of Rajasthan or the ghats of Varanasi, one of the first practical questions is simple: do you need a visa for India? For almost every nationality the answer is yes. The good news is that the whole process now happens online. The less good news is that the official government portal is not the friendliest website in the world — we know that from experience. So below we set out two routes to a visa and tell you which one we have been using for years.

Who needs a visa for India

India does not have visa-free entry arrangements with most countries, so you need a valid visa to enter. You cannot simply turn up at the border and sort it out there. For an ordinary holiday, the most convenient option is the electronic Tourist Visa (e-Visa), which is applied for entirely online with no embassy visit.

The e-Visa is open to citizens of well over a hundred countries, but the list does change and a few nationalities still have to apply for a traditional visa at an Indian mission. Before you plan anything else, check that your own passport is on the current eligibility list on the official portal.

Types of visa and which one to pick for a holiday

India issues several categories of visa, but as a tourist you are really only interested in one:

• Tourist e-Visa — for sightseeing, visiting family or friends and short recreational stays. Available in several variants with different validity periods and numbers of entries.
• Business and medical visas — for professional purposes or treatment; not needed for a normal holiday.
• Traditional sticker visa in your passport — applied for at an Indian mission. Unnecessary for most tourists, because the e-Visa covers everything a holiday requires.

Two routes to an e-Visa: on your own or through an agent

There is no single "correct" option here. There are two, and both are perfectly legitimate. Which one suits you depends on how much time and patience you want to spend.

Route 1 — on your own through the official portal

You submit the application yourself at the government site indianvisaonline.gov.in. You pay only the official fee, with no agent's margin on top. The downside? The interface can be clunky — payments that fail, photographs rejected for reasons that are not explained, error messages that tell you nothing. For some people it is fifteen minutes of work. For others it is an evening of unnecessary frustration.

Route 2 — through a trusted agent

Instead of wrestling with the government system, you hand your details to an established agent who files the application for you. You pay somewhat more than the official fee, and in return the whole thing is quick and someone checks that the application is correct before it goes in. This is the route we have used for years and the one we recommend to our travellers, because it simply works. One thing matters: it has to be a trusted agent, not a random website from an advert. More on that below.

What the application looks like, step by step

Whichever route you choose, the application is built on the same information. If you are doing it yourself, the process runs like this:

1. Go to the official government e-Visa portal: indianvisaonline.gov.in. Check the address in your browser bar before you type anything.
2. Fill in the form exactly as your passport reads — given names, surname, expiry date, letter for letter.
3. Upload the required files: a face photograph and a scan of the photo page of your passport. The system states the format and size it expects.
4. Give your intended date of entry and basic details of your stay, such as where you will be staying. If you are travelling with us, we will supply those details.
5. Pay the fee by card. Keep the payment confirmation and the application number.
6. Wait for the decision, which usually arrives by email within a few working days. Once approved, print the e-Visa and carry it with you.

At the airport in India you present the printed e-Visa together with your passport, and the immigration officer does the rest. It is worth keeping a digital copy on your phone as well, just in case.

What to watch out for

Using an agent is normal and convenient — but there is a difference between an established, recommended agent and a random site that merely looks official. The second kind can charge inflated fees and, in the worst cases, harvest your personal data. A few simple rules:

• Choose an agent on a recommendation or with a well-established reputation, not the first advert in a search engine.
• If you apply yourself, do it on the official government portal and check the address in the browser bar.
• Do not click visa links that arrive in unexpected emails or text messages.
• Be wary of sites asking for payment by unusual methods, or charging suspiciously high "express fees".
• Not sure which route to take? Ask us — we will point you to something we trust.

What about visas for Nepal and Sri Lanka?

We coordinate trips not only to India but also to Nepal and Sri Lanka. Both require a visa, but the rules are a little different and generally simpler than the Indian ones:

• Nepal — a visa can be obtained online before departure or on arrival at Kathmandu airport. Have a photograph and the fee ready.
• Sri Lanka — an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is required, arranged online before you travel.

Rules and fees in both countries are updated from time to time, so we always confirm them close to departure. If you are travelling with us to Nepal or Sri Lanka, we will help you pick the right route and keep an eye on the paperwork — exactly as we do for India.

Passport and documents — what to remember

Before you apply, make sure your passport is valid for at least six months from your intended date of entry into India and has at least two blank pages. The details on the application must match the passport letter for letter — a single typo can delay the visa. Check too that your photograph and scan meet the technical requirements stated on the portal.

Travelling with Lotus Tours & Travel? We do not leave you alone with the paperwork. We will tell you when to apply, how to fill in the awkward fields and what to put in the accommodation section. It is one of those small things that turns preparation from a chore into a formality.

Frequently asked questions