You’ll have heard the stories by now, the stories of colorful India, and how incredible a country it is to visit. Arguably, no place in the world has more delicious street food, more well preserved history, and more spirituality and culture.

But, in order to get there and experience it all, there are a couple of logistics to sort out in advance; your flights, your accommodation, your itinerary, yes. But you’ll also need to organize your tourist visa.

Applying for a tourist visa to India has never been easier. Unlike in past years, an Indian e-Visa for tourists can now be applied in the comfort of your home. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at how to obtain an Indian tourist Visa online.

How To Get An Indian Tourist Visa Online

First Step: Eligibility

First and foremost, you have to actually be eligible for an Indian tourist visa to be able to apply online. This means that you must have sufficient reasons for obtaining a tourist visa.

Your reason to visit India using a tourist visa should be purely around sightseeing and recreational purposes, visiting with friends or relatives, and holiday visits. The only required documents you’ll need when applying include;

• PDF format of your passport
• JPEG format of a digital passport
• PayPal account, debit card, or credit card

India is now allowing applicants from more than 160 countries to apply for an e-Visa on medical grounds, business, and tourism. The e-Visa program allows you to apply online, pay any fees online, and wait for an electronic visa online.

The whole process is very quick, and typically you’ll have your visa in 72 hours, however we highly recommend giving yourself more time and not leaving it to the last minute. We recommend this should be done at least 5 days before traveling.

According to the Indian Ministry of interior affairs, the India Visa online for tourism program has helped to streamline processes of visa applications and this, in a way, has seen an increase in tourists visiting India.

Application Instructions

An application form will open up after clicking on the e-Visa page. You’ll then be prompted to fill out all the fields which are all very straightforward and self-explanatory.

The e-Visa website will also require that you fill out your contact details, application details, family details, the purpose of the visit, occupation, visa details, and so on.

While everything on the website is quite straight forward, you can always ask for help if need be. Next up you will be prompted to upload your passport in PDF format along with a digital passport-sized photo in JPEG format.

If you’ve scanned your passport as a JPEG and need to convert it, you can use a free online tool like smallpdf to change a JPEG to a PDF format within seconds.

Finally, you’ll be required to pay the necessary e-Visa fees, so have your credit card handy! On the subject of payments …

Indian e-Visa Fees

It’s important to note that the Indian e-Visa charges will vary depending on the kind of relationship your country has with India. Let’s take a look at the variations

• Countries such as South Africa, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mauritius to mention but a few will not be charged.
• Citizens of Mozambique, UK, Ukraine, and the USA – $75
• Citizens of Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Ireland, Spain, Kenya, etc. – $50
• Citizens of Sri Lanka, Singapore, and japan – $25

So while the charges for an Indian tourism visa will vary, expect to pay between $25 – $75 USD depending on your country. It’s well worth looking this up in advance to include the cost of your visa in your travel budget, especially if traveling with a group or family.

You may also have to pay other additional charges such as those associated with bank transactions. However, this depends on your country of origin.

Waiting Duration

After completing the transaction, you’ll be required to wait for the information to be processed after which you’ll receive a confirmation email.

Normally, processing an Indian e-Visa may take anywhere around 72 hours. Some people are lucky enough to have their e-Visas approved a day after applying. So, cross your fingers!

Of course though, as outlined above, we highly recommend organizing visas in advance.

Today, every foreign citizen needs to obtain a visa before visiting India. Unlike the regular tourist visa, the tourism e-Visa is easy to apply and in addition, the online process makes it less demanding and cheaper. As a tourist visiting India, the e-Visa is typically your best option.