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Home › Consular Services › Visa Services › E - Visa

1. Service of e-Visa involves a completely online application for which no facilitation is required by any intermediary/agent etc. Applicants are also advised to be careful of fraudulent websites offering e-visa services for India and only use the Government of India portal which is https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html .

It may be noted that Consulate does not process e-visas and any inquiries in this regard will need to be made directly on the e-visa portal.

In case if you stuck somewhere or face any problem please contact e visa help desk i.e.

+91 11 24300666

[email protected]

2. International travelers whose sole objective for visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives, attending a short term yoga programme, medical treatment including treatment under Indian systems of medicine, business purpose, as attendant to e-Medical visa holder, attending a conference/ seminar/ workshop organized by a Ministry or Department of the Government of India, State Governments or UT Administrations etc. & their subordinate/ attached organizations & PSUs and no other purpose/activity, can apply for e-Visa.

3. e-Visa has 7 sub-categories viz. e-Tourist Visa (for 30 days/01 year/ 05 years), e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa, e-Ayush Visa, e-Ayush Attendant visa and e-Conference Visa . A foreigner (other than those applying for e-Conference Visa) will be allowed to club activities permitted under these categories. Foreigners applying for e-Conference visa will be permitted to club the activities permitted under e-Tourist visa only (validity co-terminus with e-Conference Visa only i.e. 30 days). Only two e-Medical Attendant Visas will be granted against one e- Medical Visa.

4. For e-Tourist and e-Business visa, Applicants may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival.

5. For e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant and e-Conference visa, Applicants may apply online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 120 days. Example: If you are applying on 1st Sept then applicant can select arrival date from 5th Sept to 2nd Jan.

6. Recent front facing photograph with white background and photo page of Passport containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date etc are to be uploaded mandatory by the applicant. Additionally one more document depending upon the e-Visa type would also be required to be uploaded. The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded documents and photograph are not clear / as per specification.

7. The revised fee structure for e-Tourist visa is as under:-

8. Bank transaction charges of 2.5% will be charged additionally on applicable e-Visa fees. The fee must be paid at least 4 days before the expected date of travel otherwise application will not be processed.

9. e-Visa fee once submitted is non-refundable as the fee is for processing of the application and is not dependent on either Grant or Rejection of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).Applicant should carry a copy of Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) along with him/her at the time of travel. Please confirm that your ETA status is shown as 'GRANTED' on this website prior to commencement of your journey.

10. Biometric details of the applicant will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India. e-Visa is non-extendable, non-convertible & not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas. If you intend to visit Protected/Restricted/Cantonment areas, you would require prior permission from the Civil Authority.

11. The e-Visa fee payment status updation may take up to 2 hours due to technical reasons/network delays. Before re-applying, the applicants are requested to wait for 2 hours for payment status updating, after final submission of the application form and payment of the fee. In cases, where e-Visa fee has been deducted but status is not updated, the applicants are advised to verify their payment status by clicking on 'Verify Payment/Pay Visa Fee' tab or by clicking on the link Verify Payment.

12. Nationals of Yellow Fever affected countries or travellers arriving from these countries must carry YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CARD at the time of arrival in India, otherwise they may be quarantined for 6 days upon arrival in India.

13. You must travel on the Passport which you have applied for eVisa. Entry will be allowed into India on the new passport even if ETA has been issued on the old passport, however in such cases a traveler must carry the old passport on which ETA was issued.

14. The documents required for completing the eVisa application is indicated against each type of eVisa. Please keep all these documents ready at hand before beginning to fill your eVisa application. All documents including Business cards, Invitation letters etc. must be in English language, failing which the application would be liable for rejection. The entire process may take 10 to 15 minutes to complete the application and make the payment. Applicants must be fill eVisa application himself/herself and give correct information in each column and take responsibility for the correctness of information provided.

1. E-Visa has been made available by the Government of India to citizens of certain countries, including the United States of America. Details of the scheme are available on the dedicated website created for this purpose: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

2. International travellers whose sole objective for visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives, attending a short term yoga programme, medical treatment including treatment under Indian systems of medicine, business purpose, as attendant to e-Medical visa holder, attending a conference/ seminar/ workshop organized by a Ministry or Department of the Government of India, State Governments or UT Administrations etc. & their subordinate/ attached organizations & PSUs and no other purpose/activity, can apply for e-Visa.

3. e-Visa has 5 sub-categories viz. e-Tourist Visa (for 30 days/01 year/ 05 years), e-Business Visa , e-Medical Visa , e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa . A foreigner (other than those applying for e-Conference Visa) will be allowed to club activities permitted under these categories. Foreigners applying for e-Conference visa will be permitted to club the activities permitted under e-Tourist visa only (validity co-terminus with e-Conference Visa only i.e. 30 days). Only two e-Medical Attendant Visas will be granted against one e- Medical Visa.

6. Recent front facing photograph with white background and photo page of Passport containing personal details like name, date of birth, nationality, expiry date etc are to be uploaded mandatorily by the applicant. Additionally one more document depending upon the e-Visa type would also be required to be uploaded. The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded documents and photograph are not clear / as per specification.

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Address: Consulate General of India, 3 East 64th Street (Between 5th and Madison Avenues), New York, NY 10065

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Visitors Since (June, 2018): 9285566

Page last updated on: May 04, 2024

Visa Traveler

Exploring the world one country at a time

India tourist visa from the embassy in 2023: A complete guide

Published: June 7, 2023

This article is a complete guide to obtaining India tourist visa from the embassy or consulate. You can learn everything about India tourist visa types, requirements, eligibility, documents needed, fee and application procedure.

Indian missions around the world issue India tourist visas for those that require a visa to enter India. Most nationalities are eligible to apply for an e-Visa or Visa on Arrival. But there are a handful of nationalities that are not eligible. These nationalities must apply for a tourist visa at their nearest Indian embassy or consulate.

Nationalities that are eligible for India e-Visa or India Visa on Arrival are also eligible to apply for an Indian tourist visa from their nearest Indian embassy or consulate. There may be occasions where a tourist visa from the embassy is a better choice than an India e-Visa or India Visa on Arrival . For example, US nationals can get a 10-year tourist visa from the embassy vs an Indian e-Visa which is only valid for 5 years. So a tourist visa from the embassy is a better choice in this case.

There are three types of tourist visa categories T-1, T-2 and T-3. T-1 is for tourists. T-2 is for tour groups and T-3 is for cruise passengers.

Requirements for india tourist visa from the embassy (sticker visa).

Countries that require India tourist visa from the embassy

Who is required to apply for India tourist visa?

Following nationalities are REQUIRED to apply for an Indian tourist visa from the embassy in order to travel to India.

Congo, Dem. of
Congo, Dem. Rep. of
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
South Sudan
Turkmenistan

NOTE Nationals who are eligible to apply for e-Visa or Visa on Arrival can also apply for an India tourist visa from the embassy.

Pakistan citizens are restricted from obtaining Indian tourist visas from the embassy. They must apply for a special visa.

Anyone of Pakistan origin is granted only a 3-month single-entry tourist visa. Applicants whose parents or grandparents were born or ever lived in Pakistan are considered of Pakistan origin.

What are the different types of India tourist visas available?

Indian embassies offer three types of tourist visas depending on whether the applicant is an individual, a tour group or a cruise passenger. Below is a summary of the three categories of Indian tourist visas offered at the embassy.

NOTE For this article, we will focus only on the T-1 category meant for individual tourists.

What is the validity of India tourist visa?

India tourist visa is valid for 1 year, 5 years and 10 years. Your tourist visa validity varies depending on your nationality. Below is a summary of various nationalities and the corresponding tourist visa validity.

How many days can you stay in India on a tourist visa?

You can stay up to 90 days in India on a tourist visa. Canada, Japan and US nationals can stay up to 180 days. Below is the summary of permitted stay for your tourist visa depending on your nationality.

How many times can you enter India on tourist visa?

All tourist visas from India are multiple-entry, except for those of Pakistan origin. That means you can enter India as many times as you like. But there are some restrictions on how frequently you can enter India on your multiple-entry visa.

When can you enter India on a tourist visa?

You can enter India anytime during the validity of your tourist visa. You are allowed to stay 90 days on each entry (or 180 days if you are a Canada, Japan, UK or US national).

Even if you enter India on the last day of your visa validity, you will still be given 90 days of entry (or 180 days if you are a Canada, Japan, UK or US national)

When should you apply for India tourist visa?

Indian tourist visas can be applied for up to 180 days in advance. But the latest is 30 days as the visa processing takes 15-20 calendar days in some locations.

Where should you apply for Indian tourist visa?

You can apply for an India tourist visa from any Indian embassy/consulate in any country. You don’t have to be a citizen or resident of that country. You can be a tourist as well.

In case you are a non-resident or a tourist in a country, the Indian embassy where you have applied may consult the Indian embassy in your home country for the visa process. This usually does not delay the visa process.

Which airports or land borders you can enter India from using tourist visa?

You can enter India from all international airports, sea ports and land borders using an India tourist visa obtained from the Indian Embassy. There are no restrictions on where you can enter or exit the country with a tourist visa.

What is the minimum passport validity required for India tourist visa?

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival.

How many blank pages are required in the passport for India tourist visa?

You need at least two blank pages in your passport for your Indian tourist visa. One blank page is necessary for the visa sticker and another is for entry and exit stamps when entering and leaving India.

What are the documents needed for India tourist visa?

The following documents are needed for tourist visa.

Completed and signed India visa application form
One digital photo for the online application
One physical photograph to affix on the completed application form
Proof of residence (ID, passport or visa)

What are the India tourist visa photo requirements?

You must upload one digital photo during your online application. The photo must meet the following specifications.

Must be in JPG or JPEG format only
Must be a minimum of 10 KB and a maximum of 300 KB
Must be square in dimensions
Must not have any borders
Background must be white or light color
Must not have any shadows on the face or on the background
Must show full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin
Head must be about 1 inch to 1 ⅜ inches, i.e roughly 25mm to 35mm
Eye height must be between 1 ⅛ inches to 1 ⅜ inches

What is the current India tourist visa fee?

The visa fee varies depending on the visa period, the embassy’s location and the nationality. For example, the fee for a 10-year India visa for a US citizen applying from the US is $160 plus VFS charges. The fee for a 1 year India visa for Bangladesh nationals applying from Bangladesh is free of charge.

What is the current India tourist visa processing time?

The India tourist visa processing time is 3 working days the application is submitted directly at the Indian embassy/consulate.

The processing time is 15 calendar days or more if applied through a visa application center such as VFS.

Whether you must apply at the visa application center or directly at an Indian mission depends on your location and whether or not the Indian embassy/consulate has outsourced its visa application process.

INDIA TOURIST VISA APPLICATION PROCESS

How to apply for Indian tourist visa from the embassy?

The India tourist visa application is a two-step process.

STEP 1: Online Application

Step 2: appointment.

The first step in the Indian tourist visa application process is to fill out an online application on the India visa portal .

If you are a family or group, each person must complete one online application form. There is no family application. Similarly, each person must schedule one separate visa appointment for document submission.

In the online application, you must select the Indian embassy/consulate where you plan to apply for your visa.

After filling out the application, you must print and sign it.

If the Indian embassy/consulate did not outsource the visa application to a visa application center, then you can walk into the embassy/consulate any day to pay the fee and submit your visa application.

If the Indian embassy/consulate has outsourced the visa process to a visa application center, then you will have to go to the visa application center’s website and schedule an appointment. You may be able to pay the visa fee while scheduling the appointment.

On the day of the appointment, you must submit your completed and signed application form, photographs and original passport. You must also pay the fee if you haven’t while scheduling the appointment.

If there is no visa application center near you, you can also send your completed application and documents to the visa application center by mail.

Word of caution on India tourist visa fake websites

If you search on the internet, you will see that there are many Indian visa websites posing as “official websites”. There is ONLY one OFFICIAL website for Indian tourist visas. The rest are all fake. The OFFICIAL website is below.

India tourist visa OFFICIAL website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html

How to track India tourist visa application?

If applied directly at an Indian embassy or consulate: There is no option to track your application. But the processing time is fairly quick. The Indian mission where you are applying will tell you when to come back and pick up your passport, which is usually within 3 working days.

If applied at a visa application center such as VFS: You can track your visa application status on the visa application center’s website.

How to receive the approved India tourist visa?

If applied directly at an Indian embassy or consulate: At the time of submitting your documents at the embassy, the visa officer will tell you when to come back to pick up your passport. You will simply have to go back on that day to pick up your passport with your India visa.

If applied at a visa application center such as VFS: When your visa is processed, you will be notified by email to pick up your passport. If you have opted for returning the passport via mail/courier, your passport will have mailed to your address.

Is there a priority service for India tourist visa?

Unfortunately, there is no priority visa service for Indian tourist visas. You must apply at least 30 calendar days prior to your travel to avoid any delays. Or you can opt for an India e-Visa which usually is processed within 72 hours.

How to contact India tourist visa customer service?

You will have to contact your nearest embassy or the visa application center for any questions.

WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI

Thirumal Motati is an expert in tourist visa matters. He has been traveling the world on tourist visas for more than a decade. With his expertise, he has obtained several tourist visas, including the most strenuous ones such as the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen, some of which were granted multiple times. He has also set foot inside US consulates on numerous occasions. Mr. Motati has uncovered the secrets to successful visa applications. His guidance has enabled countless individuals to obtain their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. His statements have been mentioned in publications like Yahoo, BBC, The Hindu, and Travel Zoo.

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Purchase travel medical insurance for your trip from SafetyWing . Insurance from SafetyWing covers COVID-19 and also comes with a visa letter which you can use for your visas.

Need more? Check out my travel resources page for the best websites to plan your trip.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER We are not affiliated with immigration, embassies or governments of any country. The content in this article is for educational and general informational purposes only, and shall not be understood or construed as, visa, immigration or legal advice. Your use of information provided in this article is solely at your own risk and you expressly agree not to rely upon any information contained in this article as a substitute for professional visa or immigration advice. Under no circumstance shall be held liable or responsible for any errors or omissions in this article or for any damage you may suffer in respect to any actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the information in this article. Please refer to our full disclaimer for further information.

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Page last updated on: May 03, 2024

Here's how to get a visa to visit India

Dec 20, 2023 • 7 min read

From applying for an e-Visa to extending your stay, here's what you need to know about entry requirements for India © beavera / Getty Images

With its dense tapestry of cultures and landscapes, India feels like dozens of countries rolled into one, but a single visa will cover you for travel across more than 3 million sq km (more than a million sq miles) of territory, taking in everything from steamy jungles to the high passes of the Himalayas.

Every Indian state is as large and diverse as a nation, so take your time navigating this enormous and fascinating country. The good news is that visas are easy to obtain and allow plenty of time for exploring.

Here’s everything you need to know about visa requirements for India, from the application process for e-Visas to overland travel and extending your stay.

Rear view of tourist mother and daughter wearing a hat sitting at a step well (Toorji Ka Jhalra) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan

You'll probably need a visa to go to India

Almost everyone needs a visa to visit India , but for most nationalities, tourist visas are easy to obtain online or through your local Indian embassy or consulate. Citizens of 166 countries – including most nations in the EU and EEA, the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand, and many countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America – can apply for an e-Visa before traveling via a simple online form .

Applying online is a fairly painless process, and it will save you hours compared to applying in person at an embassy or through a visa agency (in countries where Indian embassies no longer issue visas directly). Tourist e-Visas are available with a validity of 30 days, one year or five years, with the one- and five-year visas allowing for multiple entries for a maximum stay of 180 days on each visit.

For one- and five-year tourist visas, applications are accepted up to 120 days in advance of travel. The 30-day visa allows two entries into India, which is handy if you’re planning a side trip to Nepal , and you can apply up to 30 days in advance of travel. All e-Visas take at least 72 hours to process, so be sure to apply in plenty of time (at least 4 days in advance is recommended).

Applying online is the most hassle-free way to obtain a visa

The Indian government’s online e-Visa portal can be used to apply for tourist visas, business visas, and visas for medical treatment and attending conferences. The cost and duration of the visa vary depending on your nationality, and you may need to show proof of return travel arrangements and sufficient funds to support yourself during your trip.

Rules for non-tourist visas can be complex. Business travelers usually need to provide letters of introduction from Indian companies and organizations that they plan to meet. Assuming you meet the requirements, business visas are usually valid for multiple entries over the space of one year.

Working for an Indian company is more complicated. You’ll need an employment visa and a work permit, and most people need a firm job offer and assistance from an Indian employer to complete the paperwork. As with all visa requirements, the situation is subject to change; contact your local Indian embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date information.

Applying for a tourist e-Visa is fairly straightforward

To apply for an Indian e-Visa, visit the government’s official e-Visa portal . You’ll need to upload a digital passport-style photo and copies of your passport ID pages, and pay the visa fee, which varies depending on your nationality.

Your passport must be valid for six months beyond the date of entry, and you’ll need two spare pages for the visa, which will be physically stamped into your passport on arrival. Assuming your application is accepted – which is the case for most applicants – you’ll receive a digital Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which you should print out and carry with you when you travel, so you can present it to the immigration authorities on arrival.

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Enter India via air or sea on your e-Visa

E-Visas allow entry to India through 25 designated airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Bengaluru (Bangalore), Hyderabad, Kochi (Cochin), Goa, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Gaya, Jaipur, Lucknow, Trichy (Tiruchirappalli), Varanasi, Kozhikode (Calicut), Mangaluru (Mangalore), Pune, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Chandigarh and Visakhapatnam.

They’re also valid for entry via the designated seaports at Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, New Mangalore and Mormugao (in Goa).

Apply for a visa before you travel to enter India overland

If you plan to enter India overland – for example, from Nepal or Pakistan – you’ll need a visa stamped into your passport before you leave home, which you’ll need to obtain from the Indian embassy or consulate in your home country, or through an approved visa application office.

If you plan to visit India and Nepal on the same trip, get a multiple-entry visa – it used to be possible to arrange a new Indian tourist visa through the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu , but the authorities may now insist on a two-month gap before issuing a new visa.

There’s no need to worry about applying for a visa for Nepal in advance – they’re available on arrival at border crossings (bring passport photos and US dollars to pay the fee).

If you can't apply for an e-Visa, get one in person in advance

Contact your local embassy or consulate to check the application process in your country; the Indian Ministry of External Affairs maintains a list of diplomatic missions online. It’s best to apply for a visa in your home country – obtaining an Indian visa from an embassy in another country can be tortuously slow, assuming it’s possible at all. Fees and the permitted duration of stay will vary depending on your nationality.

As an alternative to applying through an Indian embassy or consulate, you may be able to apply for a visa through a visa agency – however, this tends to be more expensive than applying directly. In practice, many of these agencies just collect together applications and then send over a staff member to the embassy to apply in person.

Student visas are available to those on full-time courses in India

Student visas are reserved for people enrolled in approved full-time educational courses in India (which can include training courses in yoga, meditation, and traditional Indian art forms). Student visas are valid for up to five years, depending on the length of the course, but the rules are strict, and you’ll need documentation from the institution where you are studying to apply. The Ministry of Home Affairs provides some information online, but contact your local Indian embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date requirements.

Extending your stay in India is for exceptional circumstances only

E-Visas cannot be extended, but other types of visas can, though only in exceptional circumstances, such as medical emergencies or theft of your passport. To apply, you’ll need to use the government’s special online portal , providing evidence of a valid reason for extending your stay in India (e.g., a letter from the hospital where you are being treated or a police report).

You may then be called in for an in-person interview at the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Delhi. If there is a fee, it will be made clear during the application process.

Some border areas in India require additional travel permits

Under a system carried over from British colonial rule, special permits (known as “protected area permits” or “restricted area permits”) are required to visit many areas close to India’s disputed external borders with China , Pakistan and other territories – a zone known as the “inner line.” Applying for these permits outside India is tricky, but you can apply locally in India without too much difficulty.

Permits are especially important for highly sensitive border areas (which tend to be off-limits to all travelers). Applications can be made through local government offices or local travel agencies; contact the state government offices for these regions to get the latest information. In some areas, you may need to register with the local Foreigners Regional Registration Office on arrival, but this is an easy process.

This article was first published Mar 12, 2022 and updated Dec 20, 2023.

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India's Visa Types, Explained

Applying for an E-Visa

Your Essential Guide to Getting an E-Visa for India

Understanding India's New Electronic Visa Scheme (Updated)

All visitors to India require a visa , except for citizens of neighboring Nepal and Bhutan. Visitors must either apply for a regular visa or an e-Visa (citizens of Japan and South Korea can also get a visa on arrival at six major airports in India). The e-Visa is hassle-free to obtain, and will be suitable for most tourists. Here's what you need to know about it.

Latest News as of September 2019

Three types of e-Tourist visas are now available with validity of one-month, one-year and five-years. The one-month e-Tourist Visa permits two entries. The one-year and five-year e-Tourist visas allow multiple entries but are subject to limitations on length of continuous stay. The fee for the one-year e-Tourist Visa has been reduced, while the fee for the new one-month e-Tourist Visa is discounted during the off-peak summer season from April to September.

The Indian government introduced a tourist visa on arrival scheme on January 1, 2010. It was initially trialed for citizens of five countries. Subsequently, a year later, it was extended to include a total of 11 countries. And, from April 15, 2014 it was extended to include South Korea.

Effective November 27, 2014, this visa on arrival scheme was replaced by an online Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme. It has been implemented in phases and progressively made available to more countries.

In April 2015, the scheme was renamed "e-Tourist Visa" by the Indian government, to remove confusion over the previous ability to get a visa on arrival without applying in advance.

In April 2017, the scheme was further extended to passport holders of 158 countries (up from 150 countries).

The Indian government has also widened the scope of the visa scheme to include short duration medical treatment and yoga courses, and casual business visits and conferences. Previously, these required separate medical/student/business visas.

The aim is to make getting an Indian visa easier, and to bring more business people and medical tourists into the country.

To facilitate this change, in April 2017, the "e-Tourist Visa" scheme became known as "e-Visa". Furthermore, it was divided into three categories:

e-Tourist Visa
e-Business Visa
e-Medical Visa

Two additional categories—e-Medical Attendant Visa and e-Conference Visa—have since been added. Up to two e-Medical Attendant visas will be granted against one e-Medical Visa.

The visa categories can be clubbed together. However, e-Conference visas are only permitted to be clubbed with e-Tourist visas.

Be sure to research the different types of Indian visas .

Who is Eligible for an E-Visa?

Passport holders of the following 165 countries: Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D'lvoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Island, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

However, do note that if your parents or grandparents were born in or lived in Pakistan, you will be ineligible to get an e-Visa even if you're a citizen of the above countries. You will have to apply for a normal visa.

What is the Procedure for Obtaining an E-Visa?

Applications must be made online at this website, no less than four days and no more than 30 days before the date of travel (for a 30-day tourist e-visa). A sample form with screen shots can be downloaded here .

As well as entering you travel details, you will need to upload a photograph of yourself with a white background that meets the specifications listed on the website, and the photo page of your passport that shows your personal details. Your passport will need to be valid for at least six months. Additional documents may be required depending on the type of e-Visa required.

Following this, pay the fee online with your debit or credit card. You will receive an Application ID and the ETA will be sent to you via email within three to five days (often earlier). The status of your application can be checked here . Make sure it shows "GRANTED" before you travel.

You will need to have a copy of the ETA with you when you arrive in India, and present it at the immigration counter at the airport. An immigration officer will stamp your passport with your e-Visa for entry into India. Your biometric data will also be captured at this time.

You should have a return ticket and enough money to spend during your stay in India.

What are the Fees?

The visa fees depend on the nature of the reciprocal relationship between India and each country. Citizens of some countries can get visas free of cost. There are also differing fees for e-Tourists visas and other types of e-Visas. The details can be found in this e-Tourist Visa Fee Chart and Fee Chart for Other E-Visa Types .

Citizens of the following countries are entitled to free visas:

Argentina, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue Island, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay and Vanuatu.

Citizens of all other countries, except Japan, now pay the same fees for e-Tourist visas. These are as follows:

One-month e-Tourist Visa (April to June): $10.
One-month e-Tourist Visa (remainder of the year) : $25
One-year e-Tourist Visa : $40.
Five-year e-Tourist Visa : $80.

Japanese citizens only pay $25 for one-year and five-year e-Tourist visas.

The fees for other types of e-Visas are as follows:

$100 Citizens of US, UK, Russia, Ukraine and Mozambique.
$80 : Citizens of the majority of countries including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
$25: Citizens of Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

In addition to the visa fee, a bank charge of 2.5% of the fee must be paid.

How Long is the Visa Valid For?

The one-month e-Tourist Visa is valid for 30 days from the date of arrival in India, with two entries permitted. One-year and five-year e-Tourist visas are valid for 365 days from the date the ETA is granted, with multiple entries permitted.

E-Business visas are valid for one year from the date the ETA is granted, with multiple entries permitted.

E-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas are valid for 60 days from the date of arrival in India. E-Conference visas are only valid for 30 days from the date of arrival. Three entries are permitted on e-Medical visas and e-Medical Attendant visas. Only one entry is permitted on e-Conference visas. The visas are non-extendable and non-convertible.

How Long Can You Stay in India?

It's important to note that although your e-Tourist Visa may be valid for one year or five years, this doesn't mean you can stay in India continuously for the whole time. The length of continuous stay must not be longer than 90 days—except for citizens of US, UK, Japan and Canada. Citizens of these countries can stay for up to 180 days at a time.

Citizens of all countries can stay in India for up to 180 days continuously on an e-Business visa.

Which Indian Entry Points Accept E-Visas?

You can now enter at the following 28 international airports in India : Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kochi, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Port Blair, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi, and Vishakhapatnam.

You can also enter at the following five designated seaports: Kochi, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai, Chennai.

In addition, separate immigration desks and help counters have been set up to assist medical tourists at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad airports.

Once you have the e-Visa, you can leave India (and return) through any immigration point.

How Often Can You Get an E-Visa?

You can apply as often as you want. The limit on the number of times in a calendar year has been removed.

Visiting Protected/Restricted Areas with Your E-Visa

The e-Visa is not valid for entry into areas such as Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India, by itself. You'll need to obtain a separate 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. You don't need to hold a regular tourist visa to be able to apply for a PAP. Your travel or tour agent can take care of the arrangements for you. If you're planning on visiting Northeast India, you can read more about permit requirements here.

Need Help with Your Application?

Call +91-11-24300666 or email [email protected]

Important: Scams to be Aware of

When applying for your e-Visa, do be aware that a number of commercial websites have been created to look similar to the government of India's official website, and they claim to provide online visa services to tourists. These websites include but are not limited to:

e-visaindia.com
e-touristvisaindia.com
indianvisaonline.org.in

The websites do not belong to the government of India and they will charge you hefty service fees.

Expediting Your E-Visa

If you do need to get your e-Visa in a hurry, iVisa.com offers 24-hour and 2-day processing times. However, this comes at a price— $100 for 24-hours, and $65 for 2-days. Their standard fee for a 4-day processing time is $35. These fees are all additional to the e-Visa fee. The company is legitimate and reliable though.

Visa Requirements for India

Visa Requirements for Australia

Visa Requirements For Thailand

Visa Requirements for the Netherlands

Visa Requirements for Cambodia

Visa Requirements for Vietnam

Visa Requirements for Canada

Visa Requirements for Macao

Required Documents for Travel to China

How to Get a Shenzhen Visa in Hong Kong

Permits for North East India and What You Need to Know

Visa Requirements for Italy

Visa Requirements for Myanmar

Visa Requirements for Sweden

Visa Requirements for Norway

Visa Requirements for France

India Revises Visa Fees for US Citizens and It is Applicable from April 1, 2017

Enough of USA visa and immigration updates, which have been making social media feeds and news headlines since the US elections 2016! Now we got something important to share about the visas to India for US citizens. The Indian Embassy in Washington DC publicized the new visa fees for US citizens, following the latest update on revision of visa fees by the Government of India. The revised fees for visas to India will be applicable from April 1, 2017.

visas to India, Indian visa fees, US citizens, Indian Embassy news

Image Credit: Universalweather.com/blog

From April 1, 2017, US citizens will have to shell out more for 14 different visas to India , including Tourist Visa (T), Student Visa (S), Entry Visa (X), Medical Visa (MED), Business Visa (B), Transit Visa, Employment and Project Visa (P), Journalist Visa (J), Missionary Visa (M), Intern Visa (I), Conference/Seminar Visa (C), Film Visa (F), Medical Attendant Visas (ME X), and Mountaineering Visa (MX).

India’s Tourist Visa Fees for US Citizens

The tourist visa to India with validity for up to 10 years will cost $100 to US citizens.

India’s Business Visa Fees for US Citizens

They will have to pay $160 for a single-entry business visa to India for a period of 12 months, and $270 for a multiple-entry business visa to India with validity up to 10 years.

India’s Entry Visa Fees for US Citizens

$100 is the new fee for entry visa to India valid for six months, while a multiple entry visa to India for 6 months to 1 year will cost $140 now onwards. The multiple-entry visa to India will cost $220 for 1 to 5-year validity.

India’s Employment & Project Visa Fees

The revised fee for India’s employment and project visa for US citizens is $100 for up to six months. The same visa with multiple entry and for 6 months to 1 year will cost $220 from April 1, 2017. The same multiple-entry visa to India for employment and project will come for $320 if validity is up to five years and not less than 1 year.

India’s Medical Visa Fees for US Citizens

The new fee for medical visa to India, single or multiple entry, is $100 for US citizens. The medical visa to India will cost $140 in case of validity from 6 months to 1 year. The same are the revised fees for medical attendant visas to India for US citizens.

India’s Student Visa Fees for US Citizens

$100 is the revised fee for student visas to India for US citizens if the validity is up to 5 years or as long as the duration of an academic course.

The revised fees will be applicable to visa applications received by the Embassy of India on or before April 1, 2017, though the applications were filed before that particular date. The embassy would collect an additional amount from the applicants based on the latest revision of fees for visas to India. Apart from this, the applications whose approval is pending due to additional documentation or investigation will be charged the new fee as per the revision. Check the complete list of revised Indian visa fees for US citizens here .

Travel Beats is a leading community portal by Indian Eagle, a trusted travel partner of Indians in USA. Travel Beats publishes the latest visa, air travel , immigration and Indian community news.

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How much does an India Visa cost?

This guide is your resource for a clear breakdown of the India Visa fees. We aim to equip you with the necessary information for a smooth travel experience, ensuring you're ready to soak in all India offers.

India Visa Cost: A breakdown of the fees

India offers various visa categories to accommodate different travel purposes. The visa fees vary based on the visa type, duration, and applicant's nationality. Here’s a cost estimate of the common visa types.

1. Tourist Visa:

Up to 1 year (single or multiple-entry): Approximately US$90.

More than 1 year and up to 5 years (multiple-entry): Around US$177.

2. Business Visa:

Up to 1 year (single or multiple-entry): About US$106.

More than 1 year and up to 5 years (single-entry): Roughly US$221.

More than 1 year and up to 5 years (multiple-entry): Approximately US$266.

3. Student Visa: Valid for the course duration or up to 5 years (multiple-entry): About US$72.

4. Medical Visa & Medical Attendant Visa: Up to 6 months (single or multiple-entry): Roughly US$72. More than 6 months and up to 1 year (multiple-entry): Approximately US$107.

5. Conference Visa: Up to 6 months (single or multiple-entry): Around US$72.

6. Transit Visa: Up to 15 days (single or double-entry): Approximately US$19.

Learn more about the India visa validity and how long you can stay in the country. For the most accurate and current information, it’s always best to contact the nearest Indian embassy or consulate before applying for your visa.

How can I pay the India eVisa fees?

For eVisa applicants, the visa fee is payable online during the application process. The accepted payment methods are credit or debit cards (Visa & MasterCard) via the SBIePay payment gateway. PayPal is also an accepted channel for payment.

For embassy visa applicants, the visa fee is usually paid at an Indian embassy, consulate, or visa application center. The fee can be paid using cash, bank drafts, or credit cards.

Are India eVisa fees refundable?

India Visa fees, once paid, are typically non-refundable. This applies regardless of the outcome of your visa application – whether it is granted, rejected, or even if you decide to withdraw your application. The fees are charged for processing the application and are not based on the final decision of your visa.

This policy is standard for most visa types, including eVisas and traditional embassy-issued visas. It's important to be certain about your travel plans and visa requirements before making the payment, as you won't be able to get a refund once the fee is paid.

In special circumstances, such as technical errors during the payment process, there might be considerations for a refund. However, these cases are rare, usually require proof of the error, and are subject to the discretion of the immigration authority.

How to apply for an India Visa with us

India eVisas are only available to eligible countries, and they include: India e-Tourist Visa , India e-Business Visa , India e-Medical Visa , e-Conference Visa, e-Medical Attendant Visa, and e-Emergency X-Misc Visa.

Use our Visa Checker Tool to find if you need an India eVisa.

Do you have questions about the India eVisa?

For more information, contact our customer support team via live chat or at [email protected] .

India e-Visa Validity: How Long is it Valid For?

Indian Passport Renewal: Everything You Must Know

India Tourist Visa for South Korean citizens: Apply for the India Visa now

iVisa is NOT affiliated with any government agency. This site does not provide legal advice and we are not a law firm. None of our customer service representatives are lawyers and they also do not provide legal advice. We are a private, internet-based travel and immigration consultancy provider dedicated to helping individuals travel around the world. You may apply by yourself directly on the various government websites. The source of information: https://boi.gov.in/boi/

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Passports, travel and living abroad
Travel abroad
Foreign travel advice

Entry requirements

This advice reflects the UK Government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in India set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the High Commission of India in London or another Indian consulate in the UK .

COVID-19 rules

There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering India.

Passport validity requirements

Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry into India.

Your passport must also: - have 2 blank pages for your visa

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Visa requirements

Apply for the right type of visa for the purpose of your travel.

You need a visa to travel to India unless you are an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder.

India has a number of visa categories. Make sure you get the right visa for the purpose and duration of your travel.

Penalties for having the wrong visa can include refusal of entry or deportation. This may also include not being allowed to enter India in the future.

For latest information on Indian visas and immigration requirements, see the e-FRRO online portal (part of the Indian Foreigners Registration Office), the Bureau of Indian Immigration website and Indian Ministry of External Affairs website .

Applying for a visa or e-visa

Find out how to apply for a visa from the Indian Bureau of Immigration Depending on your requirements you may be able to apply for:

regular (paper) visa
e-visa (make sure to check the website’s ‘FAQs’ for restrictions on airports and seaports of entry)

Check your eligibility and any restrictions before you apply and allow plenty of time for your application to be processed.

More information is available from the website of High Commission of India in London .

Applicants of Pakistani origin

If you are of Pakistani origin, a British-Pakistan dual national, or holding a National Identity Card for overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), the visa processing time will be substantially longer than other visa applications. More information is available from the High Commission of India in London .

If you are a British-Pakistan dual national, you must apply for an Indian visa on your Pakistani passport. If you have renounced your Pakistani nationality or cancelled your Pakistani passport, you will need to submit documentary proof of this.

Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders

If you hold a valid Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card, you can use this, along with your valid British passport to visit India. You do not need a visa. If you have a Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card, you will need to convert it to an OCI card. More information is available from the High Commission of India in London and the Indian Bureau of Immigration .

Arrival, registration, and extensions

If you plan to stay in India for more than 180 days and do not hold an OCI card, register within 14 days of arrival with the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) . You could be denied permission to leave if you do not do this. Check if you are required to register your arrival .

Overstaying in India on a visa is an offence. Make sure you leave the country before your visa expires or get an official extension if needed. More information is available on the Indian Bureau of Immigration website.

If you’re hospitalised

If you or someone you’re travelling with has a short-term Tourist Visa and is hospitalised, you may be able to extend or ‘convert’ to a Medical Visa .

Exit requirements

You will pass through immigration as you depart India. Officials will check when you entered the country. If you do not have an entry stamp, for example if you have a newly issued passport, you will need to apply for special exit visa before you travel. This must be done online and can take between five and fifteen working days for straightforward applications. Factor this into your timeframe to leave India when you are booking flights. For further information see the e-FRRO online portal (part of the Indian Foreigners Registration Office).

Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and vaccination certificates you may need on TravelHealthPro (from the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre).

Depending on your circumstances, these may include:

yellow fever

The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also provides vaccination guidance and data .

Accommodation

By law, hotels, hostels and other accommodation providers must register the stay of foreign guests with the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) using a “C Form”. Please ask your accommodation provider to ensure they have done so.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of India . You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Satellite phones and listening devices

It is illegal to possess and operate satellite phones in India without a licence. British nationals have been arrested for bringing them into the country without prior permission. You can contact the Indian Department of Telecommunication to request a licence .

You may also need prior permission from the Indian authorities to bring equipment like listening or recording devices, radio transmitters, powerful cameras, or binoculars into India. You can ask the High Commission of India in London for advice.

Taking money into India

There are restrictions on bringing Indian rupees into India.

Visitors, including tourists, must not bring any amount of Indian currency into the country. If you’re resident in India, you can bring up to 25,000 rupees into the country.

If you’re visiting India, you can bring cash, travellers’ cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in India.

You must declare any amount above 5,000 US dollars in notes, or 10,000 US dollars in notes and travellers’ cheques combined.

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India Tourist Visa Fees

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How Much It Costs To Travel In India

India is commonly known as one of the least expensive destinations for travelers, especially for budget travelers. Prices here can often seem shockingly low for anyone who has spent much of their time in North America or Europe, and even for those who have traveled to other regions of the world, India usually seems like an incredible bargain.

But just how much of a bargain is it?

For those of you on the tightest of budgets, you could survive here in India with a daily spending limit of $15 USD per day. This would enable you to stay in low-end budget hotels, to eat simple meals at local eateries and to utilize local and government buses, as well as 3rd Class trains to get around.

If you can manage $25 USD per day, you’ll be able to travel in significantly more comfort as you’ll soon see below. And for those who can spend more than $25 per day, your experience could involve the occasional 1st Class train, nicer budget hotels and a wider variety of eating options, and maybe even a yoga retreat in India too.

At the moment, the exchange rate for Indian Rupees (Rps) is:

$1 USD = 69 Rps 1 Euro = 78 Rps 1 GBP = 90 Rps 1 CAD = 52 Rps 1 AUD = 49 Rps 1 NZD = 46 Rps

And now, in order to provide a more thorough breakdown of the costs involved with a visit to India, here’s some additional information:

When it comes to India, just about every traveler will need to secure a visa before they arrive. This can usually be done at any Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad although, certain Embassies/Consulates sometimes will not provide a visa unless you are an actual resident in the country where the Embassy/Consulate is located. But for the most part, at least in my experience, most Indian Embassies and Consulates will issue tourist visas.

Of course, given that this is India we are talking about, getting a visa is often not the most straightforward of processes. There are usually several types of visas available (3-month, 6-month and for US Citizens only, a 5-year and 10-year tourist visa) and they usually cost different amounts depending on your nationality.

Also, if you are a citizen of the USA, Canada, UK or Australia, and you are applying for an Indian visa while in your home country, you must apply for that visa through the official visa outsourcing company that the local Indian Embassy or Consulate has contracted with.

– US citizens must use Travisa Outsourcing – UK citizens must use VFS UK – Australian citizens must also use VFS Australia – Canadian citizens must use VFS Canada – For other nationalities, just check the visa requirements on your local Indian Embassy website

Just to give an example of potential costs, for US Citizens, the 6-month multiple entry tourist visa costs $76 USD (including processing fee) and the 5-year tourist visa (which I obtained this time around) costs $166 USD. But again, prices differ for all nationalities.

So you get your visa…now it’s time to pay attention to the fine print.

First, your visa is valid from the date it is issued, not the date you arrive, so if you obtain a 6-month visa on March 1st and you don’t travel to India until May 1st, you will only have four months to spend inside the country.

Second, for most nationalities these days, once you leave India, you cannot return for two months. Even if you have a 6-month tourist visa, and your visa is still valid, you still cannot come back to India once you leave until two months have passed.

The only exceptions are if you are traveling to Nepal or Sri Lanka. In these cases, you can obtain a Re-Entry Permit at any immigration office in India that will allow you to visit these neighboring countries and then return to India without having to wait the two months. Re-Entry Permits usually cost around $30 each.

*The following countries can now receive a 30-day, single-entry tourist visa upon arrival in India: Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia

ACCOMMODATION

While there are some hostels that offer dorm rooms for as low as 50 Rps per night, budget hotels are more than plentiful and quite inexpensive as well, making such accommodation my accommodation of choice while here.

For the most part, in just about any town or city, you can get a somewhat grubby private room with a private bathroom in a budget hotel for around 300 – 500 Rps per night. In some locations you can find such a private room for 150 Rps and in others, especially Mumbai, you might have to pay closer to 1000 Rps per night if you want a room with walls that reach the ceiling and mattresses that are thicker than a piece of cardboard.

Here’s some more details about what kind of accommodation exists in India:

Dorm Room: As cheap as it comes at around 50 – 100 Rps per night, poor conditions, questionably clean toilet facilities, usually men-only

Budget Room: For 250 – 500 Rps per night you get a large bed with thin (often hard) mattress, sparse furniture, dirty walls, plug outlets that spark, somewhat clean private bathroom, sometimes with hot water shower (available during set times)

Deluxe Budget Room: 500 Rps – 1000 Rps typically gets you a more spacious room, with 24 hour hot water, more comfy mattress, television, some furniture and more of a ‘hotel feel’

Deluxe Room: For 1000+ Rps per night, you can get a nice room, usually still with some marks on the walls and less than sparkling bathroom, but with proper mattress, more furniture, perhaps a desk, large television, air-conditioning and hotel staff that are significantly more attentive

India is a dream when it comes to food, as you can barely walk two meters without facing another street stall or restaurant serving up some kind of snack or dish that you suddenly want to devour. Whether it be samosas, pakoras, lassis or momos, whether it be North Indian or South Indian cuisine…it is all so very tempting.

And luckily, for the traveler, most of this food is quite economical and so you can try as much as you wish (at your own risk of course…I’m not responsible for cases of Delhi belly!).

Here’s an idea of what it costs to eat in India:

Samosas or Pakoras from a street vendor – 10 – 30 Rps Sweet Lassi from a lassi stall – 20 Rps Plate of 4 Tibetan Momos – 10 Rps ½ kg of Bananas – 25 Rps Thali (meal consisting of a vegetable dish, dhal, rice, roti and more) – 80 – 150 Rps Dish of Matter Paneer (Peas & Cheese Curry) – 40 – 100 Rps Dhal and Rice – 40 Rps Chicken Tandoori (½ chicken) – 120 Rps Butter Naan – 15 – 30 Rps Masala Dosa – 50 – 100 Rps Chai from a chai vendor – 5 Rps Egg Sandwich from a street stall – 15 Rps

You get the idea…it doesn’t cost much to eat in India. And even a filling meal at the rooftop restaurant of a nice hotel in a touristy town will probably only set you back around 200 – 300 Rps per person.

As some may be aware, Indian cuisine varies quite a lot depending on the region and actually, what many of us know as Indian food is generally only found in the north of the country. The food of the south is of an entirely different variety, with items such as dosas, uttapams, idlis and more to be found on the menus.

For vegetarians, India is ideal with the majority of restaurants being ‘Veg-Only’ considering that a significant portion of the population is vegetarian. With that said, there is no shortage of restaurants that serve up chicken dishes and even mutton (lamb) can be found in most places as well.

However, with the incredible diversity of vegetarian dishes available in this country, few meat eaters that I know of actually end up missing meat while here as the vegetarian dishes are usually quite delicious and filling.

TRANSPORTATION

By now, it should come as no surprise that transportation, whether by bus, train, taxi or even flights, are also quite affordable.

Let’s look at the options…

Trains: Train journeys in India are more than transportation, they are complete experiences that are usually a memorable part of any traveler’s adventure here. If you want to truly rough it, you could travel in 3rd Class (no assigned seat, unbelievably crowded, people sleeping on the floor or in the luggage racks) from Delhi to Udaipur, a trip of around 12 hours, for as little as 50 Rps. If you want to move up to the much more popular 2nd Class Sleeper (assigned seats and beds, but no compartments or privacy, full open cars), you could travel the same distance for around 350 Rps. And if you want to experience 1st Class, you could choose the lowest level – 3A – which comes with a more comfortable bed, sheets, pillow and blanket, air-conditioning, plug outlets and a curtain to block off each section) for 1000 Rps. You could pay even more for 2A and 1A, the highest levels of 1st Class. But in general, if you stick with 2nd Class Sleeper, you’ll be able to travel around this great country for just a handful of dollars per trip while having a chance to meet and interact with all of the locals sharing the car with you.

Buses: Buses naturally vary in quality and you can use either government-run buses or private buses. Government-run buses are usually cheaper and they can either be quite decent or truly painful. However, the quality of private buses can vary as well and so that extra premium you paid might not get you much in the end. Unfortunately, it’s a gamble as there is rarely any way to know ahead of time what kind of bus you’re getting for your money. In terms of cost, a normal government bus (bench seats, no A/C, lots of stops, can be super-crowded) from Delhi to Dharamsala, a journey of 11 hours, will cost around 500 Rupees, while a private bus (with reclining seats, A/C, limited stops and no more passengers than the number of seats) costs around 750 Rps for the same journey. In some states, you can actually purchase a ticket for a ‘bed’ on long-distance buses. These beds are located above the seats and are small compartments that usually have a sliding window on the outside and a sliding door or curtain for privacy on the inside. While the single beds are ridiculously tiny, the double beds are a great value, whether for one or two people. There’s enough space up there for two people and two backpacks and you just might get some sleep during the journey.

Long-distance Taxi: Between some destinations, you may find it easier to just take a taxi, especially if you are several people traveling together. Usually, this will get you to your destination more quickly and you can stop wherever you want along the way. In general, it costs about 8000 Rps for an 8-hour journey although taxi prices can almost always be negotiated. With that said, the safest way to organize a taxi is to use the official taxi stands located in most towns/cities where you will be able to see the official rate in order to ensure you are not being ripped off. On the other hand, if you wish to take it slow and stop at several places along the way, you might want to use a car and driver from a reputable local travel agent as they will be able to customize the journey and hopefully give you a good deal.

Flights: The number of budget airlines in India seems to be growing all the time and as a result, the fares are often remarkably low. I was just online yesterday checking out a few flights and I found a flight from Kolkata to Delhi for $75 USD, a flight from Delhi to Kochi for $85 and Delhi to Mumbai for $75. I even found a flight from Kolkata to Guwahati in the Northeast State of Assam for $50, a flight that would save a traveler about 20 hours of travel time. So, flights are worth checking out these days, especially for long distances.

Local Transport: When it comes to getting around towns or cities, you’ll basically have the following options…your feet, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, taxis and local buses. And once you choose your method, it’s best to understand that you will almost always pay more than the local fare but with some confident negotiating you can usually keep the foreigner premium to a minimum. You might get lucky and find a taxi or auto-rickshaw driver who has and is willing to use their meter but chances of that happening are slim. The ticket collectors on local buses should quote you the normal fare, which should be very low, around 5 or 10 Rps per trip. And with cycle-rickshaws, you just reach an agreement and go from there…local fares on this method are absurdly low and even if you pay double that amount, it’s an inexpensive way to get around. In cities such as Kolkata and Delhi, you can also use the metro to reach many destinations, making local travel relatively hassle-free.

ENTRANCE FEES

As with everything else in India, entrance fees are all over the map. The Taj Mahal costs 750 Rps for foreigners, the Red Fort in Delhi costs 250 Rps and the wonderful Bundi Palace costs 150 Rps. Some places might cost 5 Rps, others might cost 200 Rps, and many are free…there just doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern. One thing to note is that for many sites, there is a two-tier fee system where foreigners pay significantly more than Indians. Either way, the entrance fees are not too outrageous – almost always under $5 USD – and I can’t think of any place that is so overpriced that it’s not worth visiting.

INTERNET & MOBILE PHONE

The availability of internet for travelers in India has greatly improved recently, with free Wi-Fi now available at some budget hotels and at cafes that cater towards travelers. However, internet is often quite slow here and in many cases during my current trip, too slow to use at all. Another option is to purchase a local USB WiFi device from an Indian mobile network provider, but again, those travelers I met who had been using one were quite disappointed with the connection quality. In fact, their connections were usually much worse than the excellent connection I’ve been enjoying with my mobile WiFi router from Telecomsquare.com. So for those of you who really need reliable internet while traveling, you may want to check out Telecomsquare as well.

When it comes to using your mobile phone, India has now made it quite easy for foreigners to purchase a local SIM card. All you need is a passport photo and a photocopy of your passport and you can get set up at any mobile phone shop. On this trip, I bought a SIM card with the company AirCel. It cost me 100 Rps for the SIM card, 98 Rps for 1 month of unlimited data around the country and then I added 200 Rps worth of call/text credit. Not a bad deal at all.

Here’s a few more tips that I’ve learned during my many visits to India that might help you keep your expenses as low as possible…

– Bargain…for almost everything. Unless the price is listed somewhere, you’re generally free to try and negotiate a better price.

– If you’re at a stalemate while bargaining, politely decline the vendor’s final offer and walk away. You just might find that he’s suddenly calling you back, willing to sell you the item at the lower price that you asked for.

– Stay calm and friendly while bargaining as this is all part of how business gets done here. Anger won’t get you anywhere.

– Keep a small amount of money in one pocket and a larger amount in the other so that you don’t have to pull out all of your cash when paying for small items.

– When purchasing items from a normal shop (bottled water, packaged snacks, soap/shampoo, etc.) there is always a MRP (maximum retail price) printed on the package. This is the price that you should pay as these prices are set by the manufacturer, not by the shop owners, so be sure to check before handing over your money and never pay more than what is listed.

– There is no shortage of ATMs in India but do keep in mind that local banks charge 200 Rps per ATM withdrawal for foreign bank cards.

– Credit cards are sometimes accepted at higher-end shops and hotels but they usually add on a fee of up to 5% so make sure you ask before handing over your card.

– When checking into a hotel, be sure to ask if there are any taxes or service charges added onto the final bill. These extra charges vary greatly among hotels and sometimes, you can negotiate to have all of those taxes/charges removed. (Some restaurants also add on taxes and a service charge and I’ve managed to avoid paying these with a little negotiating.)

– Remember that no matter how much you pay for something, you’re in magical India, and that you shouldn’t let a little overpaying ruin your incredible trip!

I hope the above helps out those thinking about traveling to the subcontinent and as always, I wish you wonderful adventures ahead!

If you’ve been to India, or live there, do you have any additional tips/comments to share?

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213 Comments

I basically belong from India only but recently moved to Canada. Reading your content I saw that every point you considered writing was arguably true. I hope for sure you had a great experience in my home country, I feel on my behalf that only a portion on people in India are cunning and will harm a person. These are better to be just considered with the amount of population in this country. A country 12 times denser than USA. Btw only thing according to me i think you did not experienced that was community langar where every person away from his creed, caste, religion, sex and income have a meal together. Simply, it is like a person with cycle and a person with a Jaguar would be beside each other. WELL YOU DID A GREAT JOB, IT WAS FUN TO READ…

This blog was really helpful to look at just how far money can stretch. I’m guessing roughly $1,500 USD would get me by reasonably for two weeks?

Also, what tips can you offer for a young female solo traveler. I know India gets a bad rep for being a dangerous place for the female race. Is public over night transportation a safe option? What about transportation in general? What months do you recommend are a good time to visit as to avoid extreme weather conditions? Anything outside of just the Taj Mahal that is absolutely a must see? I’ve had friends tell me udaipur and Jaipur are just amazing.

Hey Mercy – If you want to send me an email through the contact form on my “Contact” page, I’d be happy to answer those questions for you. It’s more than I could put here into a comment!

Great and timely blog – thank you so much. Setting off in a few days – just wondering how to take money – cash / card / rupees / pounds and so on?

Thanks for this post.

I just received my Visa last night.

I have a question though. I will arrive in India July 28 evening and will travel from Lucknow to Agra to Jaipur and will leave Jaipur August 3 morning (pretty much 5 whole days and a few hours), I have paid for my hotels already and have saved up 300 US$. Will that be ok? That’s for the food and the trains and entrance fees only as I have already booked my hotels.

Also, how is the northern part of the country during monsoon? Taj Mahal especially. I have worries it will be raining for three days straight and I dont get to see Taj.

Thanks again!

Hey Mikko – $300 will be fine but you’ll have to watch what you spend. You’ll need to take the lower classes of trains and use the cheapest transportation when going to visit the sights. For example, to visit Amer Fort in Jaipur, you need to get there as it’s 25 minutes outside the city. You can make that $300 work but it will be close. As for the monsoon, it’s definitely not the best time of year to visit – it will be crazy hot up there in the north and yes, the chances of rain will be high. The thing is, when you buy your ticket for the Taj it’s only good for one day, and it costs around $20 USD. So I would wake up early, and if it’s not raining, go right away. If it is raining, wait until the afternoon, or the next morning…just go straight there when the rain stops!

Thanks a lot for the tips.

Guess I would have to revisit the finances and add more for a more comfy week.

Will 3000 usd be enough for two people to go to india for a week and stay at the best hotels?

Hey Eric – Sure, that will work!

This is so useful! I’m thinking of going for 10 days to 2 weeks when Diwali is on and now I know how much money I should need! Thank you!

I think £750GBP should be enough, shouldn’t it?

Hey Mitchell- That should be plenty!

Thank you so very much for replying almost instantly. I appreciate it. So I was thinking of budgeting maybe $1000CAD for in India and $1500 CAD (obviously having more flexibility is better than running out of money) for travelling to and from so that should definitely be within my budget. I don’t need all the bells and whistles but also I don’t want dirty rooms and shared sleeping spaces (I can barely share my bedroom with my girlfriend haha).

Trust me, with 1000 CAD, you’ll be fine for 2 weeks. You can stay in some cool places (old Indian mansions, for example) for that amount. If you want specific recommendations, depending on your itinerary, just send me an email through the contact me link above and I’ll assist!

Thank you so much for compiling this article. I was wondering what you would classify as having enough but not too much money while travelling in India for 2 weeks and what is the best way to exchange money (either while in India or before at a local bank) on a trip to India? And what are your experiences with bank cards when traveling?

Hey John – It really depends on your style of travel I guess. You could get by for $300 for 2 weeks if you stay at budget hotels, take local trains/buses and eat at local restaurants. Or you could spend anything above that depending on all those factors, also on how much you plan to move around. As for exchanging money, the best option is to use the ATMs or the money exchange offices that are located everywhere in India. The rates are always good, no commission is charged and it’s an easy option. I would recommend not exchanging money before you arrive because India recently got rid of some of their denominations and you risk ending up with old money that will be worthless inside India. You’ll have no problem using an ATM card in India. Hope that helps!

I also was in India in 2017 and found that it was difficult to pay with ‘not so perfect’ notes. if there is a small tear or has been stuck with sticky tape or is just plain old they will not take it. It is because they then cannot use it themselves to purchase or bank it. so when receiving change or changing money check the notes before accepting as you have every right to also ask for a better note.

Thanks Man – I was in Nepal trekking for a month about thirty years ago with my girlfriend. We crossed over into India for a few days before heading back to Thailand…I really enjoyed it and have always wanted to spend a month in Country. A professional editorial and documentary photography, India has so much to offer…..I carry expensive gear though really try to go with a small kit when travelling to such countries….any ideas on how to keep valuables more secure? dos and don’t sort of thing??? Anyway, great article, answered a lot of my question…I am now 53 and finally making it to India for the month of November….hope to sell a couple of illustrated articles upon my return…..cheers man , great info.

Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about the stuff too much. If you use the same common sense you use at home, the chances of anything happening qre quite slim. But you would want to make sure your gear is in bags that is well protected because whether it be on buses, trains, rickshaws or just walking down crowded streets, the chances are higher in India that your stuff could get banged up.

[…] from Wandering Earl (another great blog name!) recommends budgeting between $16-$27 per day while […]

What would you think about the language barrier? I know the consulate can recommend some great ‘tour guides’ that can assist if you’re not familiar with the languages, or dialects per region, but what are your thoughts on this?

Any recommendations – or what were you finding was the typical ‘Indian response’ when speaking English?

Hey Elizabeth – Most Indians speak English given the British history there. Unless you are in the most remote village, there will always be people around who speak English. Language barrier is definitely one thing you don’t have to worry about in India!

Derek – thanks really awesome to know! I know some brief English history on the area, but didn’t even think of this! Thanks so much!

Earl, this is really great as me and my wife are looking forward to our trip in India. I am just wondering how much things might have changed, since your last trip and maybe you have any additional/new info. Cheers!

Hey Klaudio – I go to India 3 times every year and everything is still pretty much the same in terms of costs!

The most help i have found so far with preparing for my 3+ months trip too india in 2018 🙂 first time international trip so alot of good info

Hey Earl, you’ve done such an amazing job on this! I had my time in India, and it was a beautiful place, filled with so much activities. We tried to save as much we could and got by around $25 a day! The thing about how you put in the details here you article is that you gave the travelers great options, ‘budget travel’ in terms on how far its’ stretched it subjective to a lot of travelers. This would totally be helpful for a lot of people looking into visiting India soon!

Very informative post! Thank you for that.

I was browsing through the web looking for the cheapest hotel/hostel prices in India. The cheapest, for example, in Delhi/Varanasi/Kolkata/Jaipur seemed to be something around 10 euros per night or more, on websites like hotels.com/hostels.com or even on tripadvisors hotel search. I searched for this february. Was it just that I was on the wrong websites/ are hotels/hostels in India just more expensive in winter months/ or is it a far more cheaper to book hotels/hostels on the go?

If I’m aiming for 1-5 euro price range per night, what would be the most realistic method to achieve that? I am going to travel to India next summer for three months, from June to September. My travel budget is 1400 euros total for accommodations, train tickets and food. I plan to travel a lot by train, preferably in 3rd Class/2nd Class. When it comes to food, I plan to eat always the cheapest way availabe; from street stands. And finally, quality is no requirement when it comes to accommodations. I prefer hostel dorms if available. Am I able to pull it off?

I hope you have time to answer at some point. (:

Best regards,

Hey Aleksi – It’s possible on 1400 Euros for 3 months but honestly, it won’t be too enjoyable. It would be better to stay for 2 months and spend a little more. Eating from street stands will probably get you sick and traveling on 3rd Class train is okay for one short trip but after that you’ll want to definitely travel in 2nd class, which costs more.

You can find hotel rooms for a few euros per night. They won’t be listed online though for the most part. You simply need to show up and look yourself, asking people and seeing what you find. If you can afford a 10 euro room, you’ll have a much nicer place though and can book ahead and will have much less hassle to deal with. It can be a big hassle to arrive in a new town and try to find accommodation by walking around as it will take a lot of time and who knows what you’ll find.

There are some hostels in India now but they are usually more expensive. A bed in a dorm is around 400 – 500 rupees per night. The reason is that they offer a very nice atmosphere so you’re paying for that.

Thank you so much for your help, Derek! I will take your advice in my heart and plan my trip accordingly. Will consider 2 months and make the calculations on how much more I’m going to be able to spend by doing that. This really was a life-saver for me, I truly mean that. Thanks again.

Amazing post that has really fed me with so much information, thank you for all the effort put into it.

My sister and I (both female) will be going to India for a month or so. We will be in Rishikesh for 2 weeks and would hope to do Agra and then head to Goa after. Would you recommend that we go Agra first before Rishikesh and fly straight to Goa after? Any places you’d recommend to visit and stay in these places? We currently have Taj Mahal on the list for Agra but that’s about it. In Rishikesh, we are staying in a ashram for a 2 week yoga programme and then hoping to find another place to stay thereafter to visit other attractions/sports in Rishikesh. I am quite fearful of roaches so that is a hinderance right now planning our transport and stays in India. I was told that only certain train company’s class systems can be trusted while the some are still very bad (for me, roaches) even in the 3rd/2nd/1st class cabins? Is that really true?

Any advice and contacts would be very much appreciated!

Best regards, Jamie

Hey Jamie – Thanks for the comment. If you want to send me an email through my contact page, I’d be happy to assist with your questions!

Hello Earl, I’m a 62 year old woman and I’ve never been to India but I’m thinking about going to Juhu, Mumbai to visit the Iskcon Temple and while I’m there I’ll like to buy a few Indian outfits. Then I’ll like to go to Delhi for a couple days too and visit the Taj Mahal and the Golden Temple. I’m thinking about staying at the Iskcon Temple when I’m in Juhu, Mumbai but I’ll like to know where will be the best and safest place for me, as a lone traveler and also as a woman to stay when I’m in Delhi. Can you please give me some info. If you can tell me how I can book a trip with you that will be fine too. Thank you so much and God bless.

Hey Sandra – If you want some detailed recommendations for India, please send me an email through the Contact Me link on my blog. I’d be more than happy to answer your questions!

I will be traveling to India for 5 days in the holidays ( Delhi, Agra, Jaipur’s) tours and 4 star hotels are booked with driver. Will need money for food and tips … How much should I plan for a day?

Solo female traveller here. Do you have some recommendations on how to find groups to travel with eg to Vaishno Devi in Jammu, Amritsar or anywhere really? Many thanks!

Hey Maya – I offer small group trips to India 🙂 WanderingEarlTours.com

Apart from that, there really aren’t organized small groups to go to places that are as off the beaten path as Jammu. You pretty much just have to get to India, hope to meet other travelers going there and then go together.

[…] but such journeys are priceless simply because of the experience they offer. Well, if you are a solo backpacker or a couple, instead of booking a cab alone you can just try to accommodate yourself with a group of […]

Can you recommend an inexpensive Ayurvedic resort in kerala

Thanks for the awesome info on this post , I’m travelling to India in 4 weeks for a month and just happened to stumble across your page …. It’s been an awesome read and answered a few questions I had about SIM cards and accomodation, I’ve already booked my hotels and internal flights so I’m pretty organised as I really didn’t want to leave to much to chance in India .. I was really pleased to see you ranked UDAIPUR and Varanasi as some of your favourite places you visited as I’m there for 6 days each and wondering if you had any tips of special places not to be missed and awesome little restaurants or cafes they you really enjoyed …

Thanks a lot mate and love your page

Hey Logan – Very cool that you’re heading to India! For Udaipur, I recommend going to a local restaurant called “Natraj Dining Hall”. It’s in the ‘new city’ and make sure you go to the original one. Super local but packed with people all day. You sit down, there is no menu, they just keep piling food onto your plate. Great place and experience! Also, try to head out to Animal Aid Unlimited, a great organization on the outskirts of Udaipur. Check out their FB page. And there are plenty of cafes in the old city to enjoy as well as rooftop restaurants with awesome views. For Varanasi, my favorite place to eat is a small place called Spicy Bites…weird name I know. The food in Varanasi isn’t so good but this place is excellent, cheap and super nice staff. I eat most of my meals there. Not really any cafes in Varanasi as it’s not quite that kind of city.

My partner and I are planning a trip to India for a few months. We would like to spend the majority of our time in Dharmsala but also visit Darjeeling, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, Hardiwar and Kolkata for a few weeks. We would like to stay in a decent room with a private bathroom and travel by train and air. Flights are looking at about $900 roundtrip, how much should we expect to spend while there? Also do you recommend getting travel insurance? Thanks

Hey Kate – It really depends on how much you move around, where you eat and what kind of ‘decent’ room you’re looking for as that definitely varies. You could spend as little as $35 USD per day (as a couple) without transportation. Add in trains and flights and you’re probably looking at closer to $1000 per person for a month, which would include good budget hotels ($20 USD per night), a couple of flights and second class trains. As for travel insurance, that’s always recommended!

You can get better class rooms around 1000 rupees (120 -150 $)per day, if you want more superior then it will range about 3000 rupees. Dont travel by general class train those will be very crowdy especially in North India.

sorry it is (12-15 $)

Thanks For the tips Shelby

This is a fantastic bit of luck I stumbled onto your site and posts. reading through what others have said is handy too. I am hoping to plan a trip for next spring, And it’ll be my first trip anywhere. Doing a lot of research, bit overwhelming all the stuff to keep in mind and look through. This is a great resource.

Thanks for all of the helpful information! I’m hoping to go over to India after some trekking in Nepal. As a solo female traveler, do you feel that it’s safe enough for me to go by myself? I’m quite an avid traveler, but I’m also a young female and might make for a better target. As interested as I am in going to India, I don’t want to be in danger!

Thanks so much for your post. Shelby

Hey Shelby – Thanks for writing and to be honest, I think you’ll be okay over there. As long as you use the same common sense you would use at home, you’re going to be just as safe. As a solo female you might have to deal with a few more stares and it might be less comfortable in crowded areas but as for overall safety, India is not a dangerous place. You’ll find many examples of solo female travelers who have been to India and who would recommend it. I also offer tours to India and the females on my trips always tell me that they had no problems and felt much safer than they ever imagined, including when they were out and about on their own.

Hope you are fine..

As you asked, Is it safe to travel to INDIA or specially for women.. so yes, it’s absolutely safe.

I believe that India is the only technicolour country. you could travel to some fascinating place over here.. India is in a class by itself. All life is here.

Come with an open mind and open heart and India will open up to you. India is as rewarding as it is challenging but ultimately your attitude will affect how much you enjoy and get out of the trip. You could even try starting your trip with a homestay or something where you can learn about Indian culture though your host family.

One of the most important things when travelling in India, or anywhere else really, is to be confident. assertive and hold yourself well. Forget about being polite, it may be taken as a sign of weakness, be prepared to stand up for yourself and don’t be afraid to speak out.

You can’t be naive and trust everyone.The best option is to just walk confidently past, ignore them all, don’t believe everything people say and be careful who you trust.

Finally Whenever you will be here in India my advice is to please visit Himachal Pradesh (The Land of God) too. is famous for its Himalayan landscapes, hill stations and temples.

If you have any query or want to know anything about the places in India’ Please feel free to ask me or shoot me an e-mail on [email protected] .

Warm Regards, Madan, India

Thanks for asking this question. Of late, there has been a lot of negative press about the safety of solo female travellers to India. However, generally India is safe. Compared to South and Latin American countries, we are far, far safer. Solo travel is actually picking up within India and now people are getting used to seeing a lot more women (Indian women) traveling around alone and are accustomed to it. Just a few tips for your safety:

– Think twice before trusting someone who randomly approaches you (male as well as female) especially in big cities (Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata; Bangalore and Hyderabad are much safer).

– It is always best to carry small amounts of money in your pockets while keeping the bigger portion of your money in an inner sling pouch (usually inside your shirt). Not that someone will be jumping on you to steal from you, but there are areas where there may be pickpockets. If you are from a country with random petty crimes, you have nothing new to worry about.

– You are likely to be much much safer in smaller towns than in big cities. For example, you will have a wonderfully safe and pleasant experience in the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh etc. But it is likely that you will find people much more rude or unpleasant in Delhi/NCR, Chennai, Mumbai etc type of big cities. Being a bit cautious would be good. Delhi is somewhat like London or Manhattan in terms of what to expect when taking precautions. If you’ve done well, you have no problems to worry about here.

– In the last two years, our new national government has brought about a lot of measures to improve safety for tourists including 24 hour helplines in 12 international languages and special numbers for tourist complaints. You will be catered to well.

– Don’t hitch-hike with random people on the highway. Or if you are in a situation where you have no choice, be a bit cautious.

– Don’t get excessively drunk at night in lonely areas. That is fine and cool in Mumbai and Bangalore it is fine but not advised for safety in other big cities.

– Transport is really not a problem and an overwhelming majority of Indians will be very helpful to you; men, women, kids, elderly almost anyone. If you wish to travel by road between states (they are pretty long journeys usually), you can book buses on http://www.redbus.in or on the respective state’s tourism transport. Here, ‘Volvo Bus/Mercedes Bus’ is usually the top tier bus with comfortable adjustable seats and for long travel.

– If you are sure to travel to India, make sure you make ‘belts’ of places to visit. It will take you about a dozen visits to fully enjoy India as our country is pretty vast in geography and culture. Hint: It is perfectly normal to find over a thousand types of dishes within a city. By belts, I mean based on the basis of what terrain you wish to enjoy.

For example, if you want to enjoy Himalayan beauty, target any one of the 5 Himalayan states of India (Kashmir, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh).

Similarly, if you wish to want to enjoy the lush green hills and coastal heavens, you might want to try Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka.

For a white and golden desert experience, Gujarat and Rajasthan will be delightful to explore.

To explore forests and rugged lands filled with ancient temples and rich spiritual culture Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh would be great.

For a cloudy/hilly bliss with greenery and peace around, the six northeastern states will do well (non-himalayan): Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Then there are of course the traditional tourist hotspots in Uttar Pradesh (Agra’s Taj Mahal, Varanasi’s Ganga banks etc) and Bodh Gaya (holiest Buddhist pilgrimage shrine in Bihar).

In short, your trip to India will be amazing if you just take a few smart precautions.

I humbly welcome you to my great motherland.

Hello Earl, Absolutely love your blog and have found it extremely helpful, I’m super appreciative! I’m heading to India later in the year with my partner and we would absolutely love to do a homestay or multiple homestay, more than happy to help the host family in any way possible. Do you know how we could find places or have do you have any contacts that could help? Thank you 🙂

Hi guys, there is a place called Mussoorie in India…i would suggest you guys go there….its a beautiful Hill Station….not many people know about it….its the place where i was born and studied….Being at an average altitude of 1,880 metres (6,170 ft), You will love Mussoorie, with its green hills and varied flora and fauna.From delhi you can get a train (6hr) or a flight (40 min) to Dehradun Valley…from there its just 45 Min drive…

As i already mention above on Shelby’s status,’ Come to India with an open mind and open heart and India will open up to you. You could even try starting your trip with a homestay or something where you can learn about Indian culture though your host family.

Homestay is not a big deal. You can do the homestay but it’s all up to you mean to say that it depends upon your perspective Nature, Behaviour, way to talk with peoples.

In India we consider the guest as god.The Host-Guest relationship in India is truly one of the most revered relationships. An integral part of the Indian culture, it says that every guest should be treated like God. No distinction should be made based on the guest’s caste, colour or creed and He/She should be showered with all love, care and affection.

In the North of India, where I’m from, “a Guest is God. When someone comes to our home, we treat them with the highest of respect and love. Even if we have to miss eating, we make sure they are well fed. That’s our culture. It brings us joy.” Perfect.

If you still have any query Please feel free to ask me or shoot me an e-mail on [email protected] .

[…] It’s a beautiful, majestic country. And, if you know how to navigate your way around, you will be able to stretch your dollar to the max.A plate of hot dhal and rice, for example, can cost around 40 Indian rupees — that’s about 60 cents! And you can also get on a train and travel around for a few days at a time for just a couple bucks. Find out roughly how much other things cost here. […]

Hi Earl, I will be traveling to India in three months on a YWAM mission trip. My housing and food is already provided. How much spending money do you think I might need. It would probably be for meals, drinks, and souvenirs outside of our living space.

Hey Cade – It’s hard to say. In India you could live for as little at $5 per day and for much more as well depending on the kind of places you want to eat at. In general though, I would budget around $10 – $15 USD per day for extra stuff.

Thank you so much for all of the helpful information! However, while doing further research on re-entry, India has done away with barring re-entry (except for citizens of some Asian countries). Just thought future people who read this don’t get scared about combining side trips to neighboring countries.

I wish you well on all of your future travels!!

This was extremely interesting and helpful, glad you remarked the bargaining side. I would be travelling with two friends for 4 weeks in July, and would love to have some help with my itinerary by someone who knows his stuff like you! Any suggestions? I have read the comments below, but I am looking for maybe a more purer look of India. We will do everything at the lowest budget, with only a backpack each to live the country at its best. Would you care to give us a hand pointing us out some good locations and maybe some more info on real low budget, non touristy trip? Thanks for the help!

Hey Oliver – India is a huge country so it’s a bit tough to answer those questions quickly. So many places you can visit! If you want to get in touch via my Plansify profile, I’d be more than happy to assist:

http://www.plansify.com/derekbaron

For a real real budget trip, you can stay at Dharamshalas and Gurudwaras. You can find them on internet and contact them via phone to obtain a prior booking. I’m an Indian we sometimes stay at these places maintained by religious groups when we don’t get hotel bookings or when we are on an unplanned trip. India is huge and I have travelled far and wide here but am still not able to visit the whole of it!

Hey, Oliver what type of places do you want to see? I’m from India and I can help you

Don’t to be worry about the places and the budget.

As per your query you are looking for Low budget, so i recommended you to visit North of India(Himachal Pradesh) and South-east of India(Uttarakhand).

Himachal Pradesh is a part of the Indian Himalayas. It has wide valleys imposing snow mountains, limpid lakes, rivers and gushing streams. Himachal Pradesh is the land of eternal snow peaks abounds in exotic valleys, glorious green hill-slopes, mountains, streams and the hills of Himalayas welcome the tourists from all over the world. Himachal Pradesh is full of hill resorts, pilgrimages, adventure sports destinations, and wildlife that attracts a wide range of tourist traffic. Today, Himachal Pradesh is one of the most important tourist destinations in India.

Main tourist complexes are Shimla, Palampur, Dharamsala, Kulu-Manali, Chamba-Dalhousie. Temple at Bhima Kali, Sarahan, Hatkoti, Jwalajee, Chamunda Devi, Chintpurni, Renuka and Rewalsar, Deoth Siddh and Naina Devi are major attractions for pilgrims. Tourist complexes are also being set up at Keylong, Kaza, Sangla, Shoja, Kalpa, Khadrala, Kharapathar, Chindi, Bharmour, Chansal and Naggar castle. Solang Nallah slopes are getting popular for winter sports.

There is an art gallery in Naggar and museums in Chamba, Shimla and Dharamasala. The beautiful tourist resort of Khajjair in Chamba district has been christened as the Switzerland of Himachal Pradesh.

If you have any query or want to know anything about the places Please feel free to ask me or shoot me an e-mail on [email protected] .

Earl thanks for the information, it was really helpfull. I am going to India somwhere between August and November, for two to three weeks, so I wanted to ask which cities do you recommend as a must in India?

Hey Esteban – That’s a tough question because India has such a variety of places to see and every traveler has their own interests. You really just need to do some research to figure out what regions and destinations are best for you. All I can say is that my favorites include Varanasi, Bundi, Udaipur and some smaller locations in the mountains, as well as the state of Kerala. But in the end, there is an endless amount of things to see over there so you just need to figure out what’s best for you (what appeals to your interests) and go for it!

I will suggest, given your very short travel duration, to visit the desert state of Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, etc) for a week and then the Kashmir valley for the rest. Both can be accessed from Delhi as a base. You could visit the Taj Mahal in Agra as a daytrip from Delhi. Pushkar.

Thanks for the suggestions! Maybe I extend some more my stay in India cuz´there is so much to see!!

Thank You for your great post ! I found it very useful ! Oh and btw – Merry Xmas 🙂

I’m going to travel with my partner for 3 month (flying in 2 weeks) in India and i would like to ask a few question if its ok. 🙂

We want to travel as much as we can from Kolkata to down to Kerala than travel through the west coast to the desert than visit the big cities then spend the last few weeks in the mountains in Darjeeling and that area then we flying back from Kolkata in mid April. We got the visas and the flights sorted so my question is that How much £££ do you think we need after all /person for this 3 month – just for the basics for travel, food and being basically? We thinking spending around 500rupees for rooms or less if its an ok condition . We are backpackers so doesn’t have luxury standards really. And also wanted to ask that when you stay in hostels or guest-houses do you pay for per room or per person?

And last – we are both musical people and one of the reason we want to go travelling its because we want to get inspired and write songs out there together as well 🙂 Which city or area would you recommend to us – whats a must seen or must experienced between mid Jan and mid April?

Thank You very much for your time ! Looking forward to hear from you !

ps : if you want to have a look the music project what we gonna do – here’s a little crowed funding page about it, enjoy ! : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1064542965/exploring-ways-of-making-music-throughout-the-worl?ref=video

I’m doing exactly the same in a few months with a friend of mine and was wondering how much to budget for the trip.

How much did you end up spending on this trip can I ask, very confused at the moment as of how much money I should take

Thanks !! Hope you had a great trip xx

[…] India: For about $20 a night, you can get the most deluxe of rooms, or you can stay in a budget hotel room for $5. The cost of food is also quite low; you can have a nice meal on a rooftop restaurant for only $6 according to Wandering Earl. […]

My friends and I will visit India from mid-November till mid-December. The first two weeks are already planned out with a wedding in Delhi, and tours in Goa and Mumbai. Afterwards we will visit Rajasthan and then go back to Delhi/Varanasi (hometown of one of my friends). In between we will have a gap of 6 to 8 days. We are still undecided if we should go to Kerala or fly to the Andaman Islands.What are your thoughts? Or what would you recommend instead?

Hey Simon – I can tell you that with your current itinerary that takes you all over India, you’re going to be quite exhausted. Traveling in India is a bit more difficult than many other places and as a result, I always recommend not trying to cram too much into your trip, or else you simply won’t enjoy it. You really need to go slow and it’s better to visit a few places for longer periods of time than to try and visit a bunch of places quickly.

So, wherever you’ll be when those 6 to 8 days of free time begin, I would just go somewhere close by. There’s always somewhere fascinating to go no matter where you are in India!

Thanks for the article Earl, a month today and I will be landing in Mumbai to embark on a 5 month adventure around India.

Thanks for all the tips, I feel they are going to be very valuable! I’m actually planning to buy a motorbike so that I can explore more freely during my time there, have you got any insights or comments as to whether this is a good idea?

Also if there’s any travelers that will be in Mumbai around the end of November, my email is [email protected] , it would be great to team up with someone and get to grips with the place so don’t hesitate to hit me up!

Hey Josh – Enjoy your trip! I have no doubt it will be quite an experience. Buying a motorbike is a common thing for some travelers in India…I would spend some time there first and see how you adjust and whether you think it will make sense for you though. It’s not your normal driving and it can be quite easy to travel around by bus and train as well. Let us know how it goes!

This is my first time travelling and actually have no clue where to start. It is India after all.

I am planning to go to India and am feeling rather overwhelmed at the thought of travelling to especially India on my own. I would like to travel to both North and South India for roughly a period of 6 months. I actually have no clue where to start and have many questions such as where do I start looking for accommodation? How do I know I am choosing accommodation in a safe area? What if I find I cannot survive, will I be able to book a flight back even though I might have already come with a return ticket to the country? How do I prevent myself from getting ripped off?

Most importantly, what tips can you provide to a solo female first time traveller?

[…] about India they all focus on the hardship, with a side dish of beauty. Bloggers are usually on a budget when traveling India. They might not stay at the cheapest places in India (think $5 a night), but might stay at places […]

Hi Earl – great post! I see you’ve a contact for a great company that can organise Golden Triangle tours at affordable prices. Would you mind sharing? I’m planning to head there end Oct.

Hey Farah – Absolutely! You can contact Ajay Kumar at [email protected]

Let him know you found him on this site and he’ll take care of you for sure!

Hello Earl!

I saw in one of your comments here that you have contacts in Delhi who can arrange travels right? May I be hooked up with those awesome people? I think it might come in handy when I book my transportations when I go around 🙂 Thank you!

Hi Earl, thanks for the tips on the website and the replies to the comments also make for interesting reading.

I’ve got about two weeks and wanted to get a bit of a feel for at least a couple of different aspects of India, so was thinking about spending a week – ten days doing Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and then fly down to Goa for a few days from where i’ll depart back to the UK. Do you think this is 1 – viable, and 2 – sensible?

Hey Josh – If it were me, I would skip Goa, simply because going all the way down there for a few days won’t be much of an experience. It will be rushed, you won’t see/do much, you won’t have time to find the beach that’s the best match for you, etc. But that’s just me. Time wise, it’s doable, again, rushed but doable. I personally would just prefer to spend those extra days in the north and take it more slowly.

Hi I’m from Puerto Rico and I’m very interested in traveling but I have difficulty finding cheap airplane tickets. I was wandering what might you suggest, I tried using traveling agencies that give you packages but for distant places for example India, Asia places like that have really high price.

Hey Daphne – Maybe you can look for cheap flights to Miami or NYC and then look for separate flights from there to wherever you want to fly. That would probably work better!

Thank you for this info. We are trying to travel to India and my main concern is safety as I am traveling with my wife. We will be going for 10 days.

We are going to fly into: Ahmedabad We are going to spend 2 days there. Then we want to explore more places.

Do you have any recommendations on a 10 day trip?

Thanks, Brian

Hey Brian – As long as you use the same common sense you use at home, you won’t run into any issues in India. As for a 10-day trip, my recommendation is to visit only a few places. It can be quite tiring traveling around India and if you try to cram too many places into your itinerary, you won’t enjoy it as much. I would just do something like head up to Rajasthan…Udaipur, Ranakpur and Jodhpur or Jaisalmer, then back to Ahmedabad.

Me and my son (18) are travelling to India on a guided tour Withnall accomm and transport provided and entry into some stuff , my question is , do you think $2000 each Australia dollars is enough for 2 weeks spending money , ?? We are wanting to try most things that are on offer and engage In the local activities

Hey Rosalie – It always depends on your personal travel style but that should be plenty for 2 weeks in India.

I usually like to stay in really nice places but me and my son are wanting to just try the whole back pack experience , this blog has been an amazing help thank you

some other tips for our visitors 1. always drink packaged water or water from a water purifier 2. Avoid “over friendly” people who may be touts 3.If you need help , Ask a cops 4. Emergency no in india is 100 and not 911 5. Try all types of local food. Be sure to carry your tums 6.

Hi earl, Im traveling from Oman to India, i would like to visit delhi, agra and jaipor. and visiting all the important sites there for 7 days. Kinldy let me know if It is better to go and look for a guide there or take the package of the travel agency which will cost me almost 259 dollar for the guide only. total package is 402 dollar in 4 stars hotel. also, Is it safe to travel alone (im a woman)? thanks. Raja

Hey Raja – If you are going for only 7 days, I would book your trip ahead of time. I have a great contact in Delhi that can arrange a wonderful tour for you. They have great drivers and the price is very reasonable.

If you want his contact info just let me know and I’ll send it to you!

Wonderful article! I’m heading off for 3 months, travelling on an unfortunately tight budget. Your article has made me feel a little happier about the amount I have to travel with.

I’m Paul from Philippines! I stumbled on this site and found it to be quite informative! I’ve been planning to go to India for many years and on Feb 2016, I might just make that happen. Thing is, I only have 10 days to spare since I will be reporting back in school soon after. At the moment, what makes sense to me is see Delhi, Agra and more of Rajasthan including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer!

I want to ask your opinion if you think these are feasible within 10 days? Im still a student so it would be amazing if you could give me tips on where to stay in each of the cities as well as a good and sensible budget? I have no qualms in taking the public transportation, for accommodations, for as long as I get aircon and it’s clean, im good. For food, I dont plan on eating fancy! Just to sample really good quality Indian food for a bargain fits me best!

I know seeing the southern region would be hard considering I only have less than 2 weeks to spare. If u have other recommendations other than the ones I was thinking of, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance Earl! I wish you more amazing travels

Hey Paul – Thanks for commenting and as for your plan, I honestly think that is WAY too much for 10 days. You’ll spend more than half of your time on the trains. If I were you, I would stick to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and maybe Bundi or Pushkar. If you try to go to Jodhpur or Udaipur or Jaisalmer, you’ll be really rushed and India is not the kind of place you want to rush through. It can be exhausting traveling around so you need to move as slowly as possible.

hello Earl, My name is warren, form South Africa. My wife and I are heading to India, for about 3 weeks before heading over to South East Asia for another 2 months. We going to be doing the touristy part that is the Golden Triangle, and a toss up between Darjeeling and Dharamsala. We’ve been reading loads of travel blogs and have found yours to be fantastic. I wanted to get your opinion on accommodation. We found a website called agoda.com which suggests cheap accommodation with potential discounts. Can you recommend any other such sites or have any other advise for us? We have a rough budget of around $55 a day for the both of us. Should that be about enough for us to get by and still have a great time? Thanks for your time. I have the utmost respect for anybody who can get away with spending their life travelling. Nice work bro

Hey Warren – India is tricky because you can find plenty of great places to stay for around $15 USD per night that are hard to find on websites such as agoda.com. It really depends what you’re looking for. For Delhi, you could look at something like: Heritage Home Hotel in Paharganj. For Agra, something like the Dawaat Palace Hotel. In Jaipur, definitely try to stay at the Hotel Pearl Palace. And if you go to Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj, I can highly recommend the “Pink House” guesthouse.

All of those places range in price from $15 – $25 USD per night usually.

Hope that helps!

Great info. Seems like it might be a little less expensive now with the better exchange rate. But in general terms I’m considering a month on the Ganges Plain in 2016. Round trip tickets from Colorado to Delhi is $1500 or less. If one can live a month there for $700 USD, it seems that for a total of $4000 or $5000 USD one could fit in travel quite well?

Question: Do you know anything about a bare bones approach – camping, hostels, trekking on foot at times with backpack? Are there parks for camping? Does it get more expensive in Nepal? I’m considering volunteering there to help rebuild after the earthquakes. But in general, how’s roughing it in India?

Thanks! Great info! Jeff

Hey Jeff – Great to hear you’re headed that way! As for accommodation, the thing is, you can easily find budget hotels almost everywhere for around $5 per night (300 rupees), so there really isn’t much reason to try and find a spot to camp. It’s quite rare for there to be camping grounds over there. And there are a small number of hostels but again, a dorm room in a hostel usually costs more money than a private room at an ultra-budget hotel. Nepal is slightly more expensive I’d say but not too much of a difference.

Thank you for your wonderful blog.

I received an invitation from my friend to visit India this coming June for only just a week due to some event. I’ll be staying at their house and roam around the place for sometimes. My problem is that i don’t have any idea of how money should I bring during my one week trip. I’ll be availing a Tourist Visa on Arrival and I don’t know how much is enough to show the officers that I’m capable of staying on their country. Can you help me on this? Thank you Earl.

Hello, thank you so much for this information. I would like to ask or hope you can help me with this. Me and my boyfriend were planning to move in India. my boyfriend is indian and Im from philippines. Im confused what visa should I apply if i want to move there and ill find work there in india. Hope you can help me with the process or what to do first. thank you.

Hello Earl, i would like to ask if i have 2,000 USD. Is it enough to stay in India for 1 month. Because i will aquire a Tourist visa upon arrival. And i will stay in in Pathankot Punjab for 1 month in there house. So i dont need to pay for my accomodation. So 2,000 USD is my pocket money. Do you think they will grant me a tourist visa upon arrival with that amount of money in my account. Plz do reply. Thank you very much.

If you are excluding accomodation,then 2000USD is going to be enough. If you are an avid shopaholic,the case may be different(you may need more). Excluding shopping,2000 bucks is going to be enough for a good lifestyle in Punjab for a month. I am a student studying in Jalandhar ,Punjab.

[…] How much it costs to travel in India […]

Hello Earl, How are you doing? I hope fine!

I am goingo to India next March with my family and I am looking for how much I will spend there. I am talking with a guide from India and the price for a tour on Rajasthan with two meal, accomodation, transport and some some activities (elefant ride, camel ride…etc) it’s like $70,00 per day. I was thinking about is a good idea a guide only for the first days in India and than we can travel by ourselves… Do you think is that to expensive if you consider your experiense there?

After our trip in Rajasthan we are planning go to Varanasi and Rishkesh!

Thanks for your time.

Best Wishes Mayara

Hey Mayara – It depends on what kind of accommodation, what kind of meals, what type of transportation, etc. so it’s hard for me to say if that’s a good price. Just make sure you have as many details as possible before your trip so that you know exactly what to expect and there are no surprises when you get there.

Well its a great idea just be careful do not get ripped off by anyone. I live in delhi and i have been to rishikesh and rajesthan $70 is a decent amount, food and travelling can happen in it but accomodation depends on what type of place do you choose and one more thing rajesthan is a big state and there are many places to visit there so travelling though will not be costly but it will be exausting and then you will certainly need a comfortable place to rest so here you may have to shell out more but it will be worth it because the hospitality at rajesthan is the best so I hope you have an enjoyable journey here ***cheers***

Hi Mayara, Sorry that I am replying you very late But Dear today only I registered in wanderingearl.com and saw your post today. Dear would like to tell you that if any one is asking you for usd 70000.00 for a day for two time meals and transportation and accommodation and camel or elephant ride then he is charging you very very much for a day. So be ware before paying anyone this amount if you need a fair deal then please send me your requirements then I will qoute you amazing deals with all your package tour including air fare and accommodation and local sight seen and food. And Could advise to your friends for fair deals and comfortable stay give us a chance. Thanks and Regards Rahul pandey Mob no 09837482007 E.mail- [email protected]

hey! these were all the details, could u please tell me that if I have a 10 day trip to India how much would it cost for me? I mean if I have a luxurious life not much luxurious but some how near to luxurious, like if I want to go to three or four cities and do site seeing. looking forward for your kind answer. thanks

700 $ is enough. Excluding travel to/from India

Hey i was wondering if their might be any good hotels in New Delhi also which foods to stay away from?

This is sooo helpful Earl! I will be on a 10-day trip to India next April. Suresh, can I reach you through email? Thanks!

Hi jacqui Sorry that I am replying you very late But Dear today only I registered in wanderingearl.com and saw your post today. Dear would like to tell you that if any one is asking you for usd 70000.00 for a day for two time meals and transportation and accommodation and camel or elephant ride then he is charging you very very much for a day. So be ware before paying anyone this amount if you need a fair deal then please send me your requirements then I will qoute you amazing deals with all your package tour including air fare and accommodation and local sight seen and food. And Could advise to your friends for fair deals and comfortable stay give us a chance. Thanks and Regards Rahul pandey Mob no 09837482007 E.mail- [email protected]

thanks a lot for the explanation. I’m going to india next month and I’m organizing the all trip. I have on question though: how can I book the cheap and decent hotels, where I won’t be eaten up by bugs and bit to death by mosquitos? I can’t find any cheap places in the usual booking websites.

Hey Antonio – Don’t worry, that won’t happen. The thing with India is that it is difficult to find budget places listed on those booking websites. It’s much better to look online, at blogs and other articles from people who have been there. Simply search for blog posts about India on Google and contact the writers for their recommendations. If you let me know where you’re going in India, I can list a few good places too.

Excellent post, lots of great info for planning my trip in the coming months. I will be spending two months (May and June) in India, travelling from Delhi to Kerala. I am currently looking at Delhi-shimla/ladakh-Rajasthan-Mumbai-Goa- Kerala before returning home. I will be travelling with my partner and we are looking at mid-range hotels that comes with a private bathroom. Nothing too expensive (approx. 20AUD). Would really appreciate hotel recommendations for these places. Just a note: we will be travelling as an unmarried couple and I’ve heard some hotels can turn you away for this reason. Is this true? We’re certainly keeping this in mind when picking hotels 🙂 Cheers

Hey Anita – That doesn’t really happen in India. I’ve never come across it except in one city, Ahmedabad, which is more conservative than others.

so useful information, coz india such a crowded country that sometimes scared to visit…but its has so much wonderful place to travell… Very very useful Thank you

thank you for the information that you provided in this blog. i want to visit india next summer and i am in tight budget. currently i live in USA, but i am from Nepal and i am pretty knowledgeable in indian culture and language. I am planning to live in india for 2 months and 1 month in Nepal. how much do you think i need for whole trip? (including flight cost)

Hey Bhola – It really depends on your travel style but you could stay in that region for around $700 USD per month quite easily, if you don’t move around too much. And the flight depends on when you will go but you should expect to pay around $1500 for all flights.

Hi Scarlett…I am from Kolkata, India, so if u face any problem or need any info feel free to e mail me… [email protected] .

I am from Bangalore, India. I’ve recently stumbled on your blog and I have to say it’s really fantastic about India!!

There are few details about my country for your travel adventures (you can put it in your blog for future travellers)

Indian journey – where one lifetime of discovery falls short.

The most incredible thing about India is its diversity. We have so many languages, dialects, religions and festivals and yet we continue to co-exist in a reasonably peaceful way. At every turn, stepping from one state to other, one will find a different tradition, cuisine, attire and language. It is just amazing ….

1. Architecture There are at present 22 cultural i.e. historical and five natural ‘world heritage sites’. Some 19 more are awaiting recognition for the last ten to two years respectively. We proudly highlights the UNESCO world heritage sites of India for you. Taj Mahal – Symbol of love, one of the seven wonders of the world. Agra Fort – Mughal emperor Akbar (1542-1605) made Agra his capital and commissioned the massive red sandstone fort. Fatehpur Sikri – 26 km from Agra, served as the short-lived capital of Mughal Emperor Akbar between 1571-1585. Qutub Minar – the 238-ft (72.5m) five storey high sandstone minaret in Mehrauli, area makes a travel guide icon in Delhi. Red Fort – When Mughal emperor Shah Jahan shifted the capital from Agra to Delhi in 1639, he built the lal quila (Red Fort). Humayun’s Tomb – The Mughal practice of building gardened-tombs began with Humayun’s mausoleum. Rock Shelter of Bhimbetka – 45 km south of Bhopal, harbor exquisite stone age rock paintings dating approximately 9,000 years ago. Buddhist Monuments, Sanchi – The great Stupa – or Buddhist relic mound-commissioned by emperor Ashoka became the nucleus of architectural and artistic enterprise that continued through Sunga, Satvanha and Gupta period. Temples of Khajuraho – The much publicised erotic sculptures of Khajuraho constitute a small niche. Elephanta Caves – The island called Gharapuri got its name Elephanta from Portuguese colonizers. Ellora Caves – One of the largest rock-hewn temple complexes in the world, the Ellora Caves mark the apogee of Indian rock cut architecture Ajanta Caves – the Ajanta caves are most renowned for their pseudo-frescos and relief sculptures. Champaner Pavagarh -50 km from Vadodra, is an awe inspiring complex where Hindu and Muslim Architectures jostle. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus – Formerlycalled Victoria Terminus or Bombay VT this grand British era railway terminus is one the busiest in India. Monuments of Hampi – Hampi ruins are the ‘remains of the day’ when the ‘never to be forgotten Hindu empire’ Vijaynagar succumbed to the Bahmani coalition on January 23, 1 565 at the battle of Talikot. Chola Temples – Cholas, the mighty empire builders, also erected some magnificent temples in Tamil Nadu between 10th and 12th century. Churches and Convents of Goa – The Churches and Convents of Goa, built in 16th and 17th century, include earliest specimen of European architecture in India. Mahabalipuram Temple Complex – Mahabalipuram temple complex is an alfresco museum of religious architecture and sculpting. Monuments complex at Pattadakal – 8th century-wonder of consecrated architecture, Pattakadal temple complex in Karnataka was primarily a work of Chalukya kings. Mahabodhi Temple Complex – Bodh Gaya (2002), Gautam Buddha (566-486 B.C.), famously attained his enlightenment below a Bodhi tree near today’s Gaya (Bihar) in 526 B.C. Sun Temple, Konark – a small coastal town in Orissa, is best known for its 13th century architectural wonder, the sun temple. Mountain railways of India. – When British developed hill stations in India, they were faced with the challenge to connect them meaningfully with the plains. This was achieved through construction of mountain railways that were an engineering miracle. 2. Adventure tours Plan an exhilarating adventure, eco tour, or jungle safari with its extraordinary pastiche of landscapes from pancake flat deserts to jagged mountain peaks- India offers a myriad of outdoor Pursuits: a blood-pumping Himalayan trek, an inspiring wildlife safari, an invigorating white water rafting trip, or a splash in the sun – warmed water of tropical southern beaches. There is no death of fresh air pastimes. Thrill -seekers indulge in everything from paragliding, kayaking, and rock climbing to scuba diving, skiing, and even the new sport to “Zorbing.” A brilliant way to explore India’s great outdoors- blessed with a stunning repertoire of flora and fauna- is by safari. Safaris – on foot , jeep, elephant, boat, or horse- are possible in numerous protected areas, where visitors can view some of the most exotic wildlife on earth, including endangered animals like the Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion, and India rhinoceros. Birdwatchers shouldn’t miss premier sanctuaries such as Keoladeo Ghana National park, near Bharatpur, Rajasthan, which attracts over 350 species. India has more than 80 national parks and hundreds of wildlife sanctuaries. No matter which type of reserve you visit, making arrangements in advance for accommodations and safari bookings as well as checking prime wildlife -spotting time – is advisable. 3.Wildlife Tours If you have yen for wildlife and wish to capture it on your camera, then make your travel plans to some of India’s finest wildlife parks… India’s wealth of plant and wildlife can be best savoured in its national parkls and wildlife swantuaries. Some of the famous national parks of India are Ranthambore national park, Jim Corbett, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Periyar, Kaziranga, Gir Forest. Judging from statistic, India is concerned about it’s flora and fauna -we have 80 national parks, 441 sanctuaries, 23 tiger reserves, which house the largest number of tigers, Asiatic Lions, one-horned rhino, elephants and birds in the world. 4. Shopping Paradise India is a treasure for shopping lover. India is known for its Handicraft, Jewelry, Textiles, Carpets, stones, spices and many more items. The artisans of India have been in business since the days of Indus valley Civilization (2500 BC). Like in pre-industrial medieval Europe, craftsman were organized into various corporate guilds in ancient India. Every craft was sub-case e.g. weavers, potters, carpenters, goldsmiths that gave them a hereditary genius. From Kashmir to Kanchipuram (Tamil nadu) and Kutch (Gujarat) to India’s north-east almost every state of India has a flourishing craft culture. The art of silk weaving in India is said to be one of the finest in the world. 5. Peoples and culture The people and their genuine warmth is what attracts everyone to India. Treat the guest like ” Atithi Devo Bhavah” hold absolutely true here. This is something you won’t find anywhere in the world. The optimism in us is what keeps us going. It’s only in this land where you will stumble upon people playing marbles and flying kites, juxtaposed with ascetics meditating on the riverbanks and the Himalayas. India is a land of contrasts. Here, the past rubs shoulders with the present and great architecture, a rich culture, history, diversity and magnificent natural splendour make this country the preferred destination of many. 6. Festivals India is a rainbow of festivals. In a land of diversity, each of India’s many diverse groups exult in their own special revelry. Be it the vibrancy of Ganesh Chaturthi, the beautiful classic poses of dancers during the Chennai dance festival, the clarion call of muezzin during Eid, the furious rowing of the boatman during the snake boat races of Onam, the gourmet spreads laid out during Navroz, the chanting of hymns in white-washed churches or the tribal festivities of the Hornbill festival. The biggest fairs and festivals to be enjoyed in India from the months of August to December. Travelers are coming from all over the world for festival tours of India. 7. Indian Cuisine Indian cuisine is famous and relished all over the world and enjoys a reputation at par with other cuisines of the world. The culinary of Indian cuisine is a science, which has developed over thousands of years. The classic range of regional cuisines from North to South and East to West reflects the great size of India and its un parallel cultural heritage. The Indian Cuisine in both vegetarian and Non Vegetarian Indian food, has an unmatched charm because of the extravagant spices used in Indian Cuisine, thus India is better understood as “HOME OF THE SPICES”. The art of preparing authentic Indian Food does not involve an overdose of spices, but the delicacy and mixing of right spices in right quantities. India is a land of diverse religions, customs, festivals, culinary flavors and climatic conditions. Thus each part of India has added and enhanced the flavor of its dishes by blending spices, herbs and condiments to make the dish more exquisite, exotic and heavenly. 8. Wellness and Spa Wellness in India, has different forms, connotations and techniques. From Yoga to Ayurveda (the science of healing) to Indian medical systems, the most famous way of keeping fit is perhaps Yoga. The recent surge of different forms of yoga and its popularity in almost every generation of fitness enthusiasts has proved one thing: India is going back to its roots and leading the world too. In recent years peoples are visiting India for yoga and wellness tour. India has variety of Ayurveda and Spa resorts. South India is famous for its Ayurveda Packages. Destinations like Rishikesh and Ananada in the Himalayas are very famous for their ashrams and yoga learning centers in India. 9. Spiritual India Spirituality, like an ageless rhythm, has travelled through the ages, enveloping sages, kings, reformers and devotees in India. Some kept it hijacked, as a tool to power; some coined it in difficult texts and kept it carefully guarded from ordinary men; some liberated it from the clasp of priest; some transformed it into melodious rhyme and song; some gave it the freedom to curl on lips the way nature intended it to be … Pilgrimage Tours of India gives an opportunity to communicate with the creator, it opens up the bright vistas of positivism as one begins top expect, it renews the will to live. Spiritual India brings comfort to the soul. 10. Landscapes No destination in the world beats the landscapes of India. Where else in the world you can find deserts and mountain ranges together. India is blessed with natural beauty and a land of topographical contrasts. India is, undoubtedly, the ideal and affordable destination for those looking for a relaxed holiday in a cool and pollution-free setting. So some and explore the nature, beautiful landscapes and snow covered peaks.

“If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow, in some parts a very paradise on earth, I should point to India.”Professor Max Mueller (1832-1900)”

Fantastic information!! Thanks so much. We are planning on going in March from the UK. So incredibly excited and your blog has just made me that bit more excited!!! So reassuring that we are able to do it on such a cheap budget aswell. The only thing a couple of 23 year olds are worried about really…!

Hey Scarlett – Is is one of the easiest countries to visit on a cheap budget so I don’t imagine you’ll have much of a problem!

What if we can’t speak Hindi language? What do we have to do if that situation comes up? Are there any Translating Companies? I am always thinking of traveling to India but I get really disappointed while thinking about not being able to speak the language.

Hey Siana – English is widely spoken in India so you’ll be okay in just about every place.

I really needed this info. thank you so much. I will definitely visit India. expecting to be shocked by many things 🙂 .

I’m looking into traveling India next Christmas and am curious about visas. I’d only be there about 3 weeks. As a US citizen, for a short time period, do I need to get a longer visa anyway?

Hey Mackenzie – The minimum visa for US citizens is a 6 month tourist visa so that’s what you need to apply for no matter how long you plan to stay. Also, keep in mind that the visa is valid from the day it is issued, not the day you arrive in India. So if you got it now and went to India in 3 months, you would only have 3 months left.

Hey Earl, Great blog, glad I found it! So my wife and I are heading out to India in three weeks, we think for three months. We’re on a budget, so it seemed like a good place to get bang for our buck!

Would you recommend landing in Mumbai or Bangalore for our first stop and entry point? We were going to spend a month taking it easy in a beach area before making plans, maybe Karnataka?

Hey Gav – Either Bangalore or Mumbai works…they are both big cities so it doesn’t really matter. My advice would be to get out of either as soon as you arrive though as many people get a bit overwhelmed when they stay in one of the major cities for a few days. If that’s your first India experience, it can definitely be intense so it’s better to go somewhere smaller and save the cities for a time when you’re more comfortable. As for the beach, Karnataka works….there’s always a place like Gokarna which is nice, or else just head to Goa. There are dozens of beaches in Goa and you can definitely find one that suits your interests.

I want to visit north india specially himalaya & uttaranchal I am alone, in month of feb’14 so what you suggest, transport, hotel, guide etc

Hey Yasmin – It’s going to be tough to visit much of the himalaya in February. Many of the roads will be blocked because of snow 🙂

Hi Earl, We are leaving October 31 for three weeks to Bangalore, Mysore and Poontthatham for a Ayuveda week. Any must sees? Two philosophies I am hearing, plan every second with tours and the other from my world travelor friend saying relax, take it day by day with very little planning. This is my only time going to India and I want to make the most most of it. Would love your suggestions. Thanks

Hey Linda – I personally wouldn’t plan but that’s how I like to travel. I find India far more rewarding when you just show up, see how the adventure goes and take it one step at a time. You won’t see everything, and in 3 weeks, you’ll barely see a tiny fraction of the country so the best thing is to accept that, try to visit a few destinations and immerse yourself as fully as possible in those few places you do get to experience.

woooow! thanks for the info earl. be going to India in a not so long Future! lol 😀

Hi Earl! This guide was extremely helpful in confirming my budget plans! I’m getting ready for 3.5 months in India and 2 weeks in Vietnam starting November 21. Seven weeks of this trip is dedicated to yoga in Mysore, but the rest is travel time. I’m excited but apprehensive about doing India alone for the first time. What are your thoughts on tours? I’ve been looking at an Intrepid Travel tour for the first three weeks of my trip to get a bit acclimated before I strike out on my own.

Hey Katie – It really depends on the individual as some people are more comfortable on a tour and others get excited about traveling independently, even if it will be challenging. I see nothing wrong with tours if that’s what you prefer and if you think that will make your adjustment easier but at the same time, if you take it slow and do enough research, India doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as many people make it out to be!

Hi Wandering Earl, I’ve recently stumbled on your blog and I have to say it’s really fantastic!! I will be travelling solo for the first time to India in Sept, actually doing some volunteering in Rishikesh for a few months. For the most part I have heard that there is little too worry about me being a solo female traveler in India but I know I should still be vigilant. My question is, in your opinion, where is the best place to exchange your USD for Rupees? And if I plan on being there for a few months how much money should I exchange? While volunteering I will be staying at an Ashram so my accommodations will be covered while volunteering. I don’t want to take to many trips to the ATM or banks for security reasons. Any thoughts? I look forward to following your blog!

@CGV – I personally would just take money out of an ATM as you don’t want to travel around India, or stay in India, with a large amount of money on you. That’s never a good idea in any country as it simply increases the risk of losing a large amount of cash. And there are ATM machines all over India so you can take out what you need whenever you need it (just check with your bank about how much the international fees are to take out money overseas). This is much more secure than carrying cash with you for sure.

But as for how much you need, it really depends. Food is quite cheap but if you want some more Western food, it will cost more. I always say you could travel in India for around $500 per month, especially if your accommodation is covered.

Hi Earl you wrote exactly what happens in India But also need advice (we Indian give free advice everytime) you opted wrong mobile network here Aircel a new born to india You should go for Airtel or BSNL with 3G (you can put it in your blog for future travellers) For food I must remember E coli travellers diarrhea so packaged food only and water only from branded company like bisleri Pepsi or Coca-Cola try Indian cuisine but careful only standard hotels only transport never hire a 3 tyre auto they always unfair with you I have seen many times 5 times price prepaid taxi or Indian tourism department taxi are better for long distances hire cars (runs as per kilometer) or govt buses never get into 3rd class or general class of Train never you got crushed in crowd and your luggage surely stolen(depends on which part of India you travelling) other then this next time

Hey Yatinder – Thank you for the comment. The thing is that I think you are looking at India from a local perspective, where I am looking at it from a foreigner’s perspective. There was nothing wrong with Aircel at all and their rates were extremely cheap…I can highly recommend them. As for food, eating at hotels is not something that travelers want and it is perfectly easy to eat in restaurants all over the country and not get sick. Packaged food is not good for you either as that is typically full of preservatives and additives. And auto-rickshaws are also good for foreigners. Yes, we might get charged more but we can negotiate and in the end, if we get charged a little more, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve taken hundreds of auto-rickshaws during my travels in India and I’ve never paid more than a prepaid taxi! Third class trains are also a cultural experience for foreign travelers.

Derek, I used a different website for getting my India visa and didn’t have any problems at all while I was in Chiang Mai so perhaps it could be added to your post above to offer more options? (you mentioned US Citizens have to use the Travisa Outsourcing site) I’ve included a link to the service and process I followed here – https://destinationgrowth.com/how-to-get-a-visa-for-india-while-in-chiang-mai/ Happy travels, thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences, and of course – be well. And namaste.

Hey AJ – In regards to the visa, I was simply showing how US Citizens must get an Indian visa when applying in the US. There are no other options for applying in the US than using this website I mentioned. There are other options for applying when applying at an Indian Embassy/Consulate overseas.

What about racism in India it seems a great place to put on an itinery but I heard of one black backpacker getting stones thrown at them. I am mixed race myself but it would still be a concern.

Hey Ashley – I’ve never really heard of anything like that happening in India and have met plenty of people from diverse backgrounds – religious, racial, ethnic, etc. – traveling there.

[…] than waste a single second worrying. It’s pretty comforting to know that quite literally everything in India is inexpensive. I mean, $8 for a dorm room? $1.50 for a meal? […]

Thank you for this post! I will be traveling through India for a year on a roughly 20 dollar per day budget beginning in early August. I am open to working here and there to suppliment income. Any specific ideas about quick jobs that you can pick up? Are there any cities/sites/experiences that you think are must sees for anyone with a highly flexible plan?

Hey Brandon – That’s a tricky one as India is not an easy place to find work, especially paid work, since it is a developing country. There just aren’t many opportunities for foreigners when there are so many locals that need work and the wages are on the low side. I would check out helpx.net and look for opportunities there although keep in mind that most of these will offer room/board in exchange for a few hours of work per day. They generally won’t be paid positions.

[…] Wandering Earl – How Much It Costs To Travel In India […]

I earl – I really thought your post on costs was great. However, I am planning to travel around India with my partner and 2 kids (7 & 10) and I wondered how your rough costs multiplied when considering children? Sometimes it is hard to find accommodation that sleeps 4 and this can increase price as well as difficulty. Assuming 25 USD/ day per person should I estimate for 100 USD for a family of 4 or do you think I will be able to secure ‘group discount’. 🙂

Hey Don – You wouldn’t need to increase the price that much at all. Many hotels, especially budget hotels, will let you have a family in the same room for the same rate as two people, or in some cases, they might charge an extra couple of dollars and they will add a couple of mattresses. Otherwise, most budget hotels have larger rooms with three or four beds and these are usually not too much more expensive than a double room. Of course, it depends on your overall travel style but a family of four that shares one room could probably get by on about $60 – $70 USD per day in my opinion. So there will definitely be a group discount involved!

Talk to a local resident! Nothing like asking someone [who looks approachable -perhaps a college kid] what the local rates of a certain commodity or what the fare ideally would be from place to place – this is most effective in bigger cities like Mumbai and Delhi. If you have the time, ask a couple of people. You’ll find they are happy to help and speak fluent english.

Very often I’ve seen foreigners get asked to pay 3 times as much as what I was asked to pay – specially at flea markets and in places like Goa where they have a frequent flow of tourists. Its very rare that a local will step in and tell you what the actual cost is or what you should be paying.

[…] fee (minimum charge of £2). So withdrawing £200 costs you £8.98! That’s a days budget in India or a night in a hotel with a pool in Thailand! You need to find a better option if you don’t want […]

Very useful information! Thank you for offering it. It would be interesting to write a bit about how women travelers are treated in India.

Hey Izy – Well, I should probably find a female traveler to write about that topic 🙂 However, I can say that there are solo females traveling all over this country and the overwhelming majority don’t seem to have any problems beyond the frequent stares, marriage proposals and the occasional wandering hand of a stranger.

India, I agree, is very cheap to travel in. I did find that there was very much a two tier sytem for almost everything I purchased, even packets of chips/crisps. The foreigners would pay one price, and the Indians a much cheaper price. Bargaining was very much a daily activity, so much so that when I got home to the UK I was still bargaining with vendors!

Hey Elle – The key is to always check the packaging as the official price is printed on things such as chips/toiletries/cold drinks/ or pretty much anything else that comes in a package. You should never pay more than that price!

I have not gone to India at all but — I’m going to bookmark this post as a guide when I go there in the next year or so. And $15/day is definitely a budget friendly trip 🙂

I can’t believe my luck on stopping by your blog by chance.

I’m travelling to India this February for the first time and have set up a travel blog (another first), called A Geordie Up The Ganges.

http://www.ageordieuptheganges.com

I’ve just scrolled quickly down your list of posts in India and can’t wait to read the posts properly – I think the information you have posted will be very helpful to me – I’ve got so many questions running round in my head.

Just wanted you to know you’ve got another follower.

Enjoy your time in India.

Hey Elaine – Welcome to the site and hope you enjoy the reading, and more importantly, your trip to India!

Its amazing to read such a detailed post on India from a foreigner. You seem to have cracked the nut here. But one thing I noticed common throughout your Indian blogs is that you rarely mention anything about south India. In case you haven’t explored this part, I strongly suggest you spend some time in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad. Although there aren’t a lot of ‘places to visit’ like the Taj Mahal or Palaces of Rajasthan, the western ghats in Karnataka and Kerala are amazingly beautiful in terms of natural beauty. I’m sure that with the amount of travel you do every year you wont mind relaxing for a while in the backwaters of Kerala enjoying excellent Ayurvedic Spa sessions.

Considering this is my first comment on your site, I must say you really know how to keep your audience entertained while giving away a lot of information which inspires quite a number of aspiring travellers like me. Cheers!

Hey Shreyas – I have been to the south of India two or three times I believe but it’s been a few years since my last visit there. But if all goes well on this current trip, I do plan to return to Kerala/Karnataka/Goa in January!

You have defined that better than most of us Indians could have. This is hugely informative! 🙂

Lien, those were fantastic looking men, weren’t they? Something out of an adventure novel—they looked like fierce warriors to me!

Thanks Earl for the great information. India is on my list. Who are those great looking men you were sitting with? Best, lien

Hey Lien – Those were some Sikhs that were having a celebration for one of the Sikh holidays and I just happened to be walking by. They are actually the ones who called me over to have a photo taken!

Thank you so much for this fantastic post. We have recently startingto think about India, once we are done with Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam. Had always wondered about the internet quality, since its essential for us. So thank you for your advise there.

Hey Regina – Internet quality is actually decent here…it’s just not everywhere. But it’s much better than it was several years ago!

I’m heading there in 5 days! Cannot wait.

This practical info would have helped me immensely while planning my trip to India and it’ll be good for a good brush-up if and when I make it back. It’s Interesting that Finland and Luxembourg are the two European lands whose citizens can get 30-day visas on arrival, and New Zealand too, and US citizens aren’t eligible for this yet it’s the only citizenship that qualifies for five and ten year visas.

@Earthdrifter – It is bizarre and who knows how all of these visa rules/regulations come about…I can’t imagine who makes these rules!

Awesome! I posted a blog really similar to this about the costs of travel in Cambodia last week. Laos is coming up next week. Great minds, Earl, great minds 🙂

Hey Ava – Indeed they do 🙂

This is so helpful to me as I am going to India for the first time in March. Thank you!

Glad you find it useful Lucy!

This is perfect timing. I just found out I was accepted into a program that’ll allow me to study/work in India for a year. I’m so exited and just starting to figure out a budget for the year.

The last time I was in India, we went to Nepal and came back a few days later without any issues. Every country has some strange restrictions on something. You just have to learn to roll with it.

Hey Preeti – Congratulations on the acceptance! Where will be in India?

I’ll be in Delhi for 6 months, Mumbai for 3 months and Goa for 3 months. I’ll pretty much be all over the country and I am so exited. Its going to be awesome year.

Hey Preeti – That sounds ideal and will certainly give you a great variety of experiences!!

I’m actually in the middle of getting my visa application ready to apply in Houston (fingers crossed for 10 years!).

Per Travisa’s page regarding re-entry:

“Permit to Re-Enter Restriction Lifted

Travelers on a Tourist visa were previously required to have a gap of at least 2 months between two separate visits to India. The restriction has now been lifted except for nationals of China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, foreigners of Pakistan and Bangladesh origin and stateless persons.”

https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/homepage

Hopefully that will prove useful to you and your readers!

Hey Stephen – Thanks for sharing that and if that’s the case, traveling here will be much easier and more hassle-free! Good luck with getting your visa 🙂

I thought you did a great summary of travel in India. After my first trip. I went ahead and got a 10 year visa as I knew I would be going back again and again. Planning my 5th trip for 2013 now! One thing that took me by surprise my first time was the number of times there was a camera fee when visiting destinations. Not always a lot of money but I always wanted the photo memories and others might want to add it to their budgets too.

Hey Sarah – The camera fee thing always surprises me too. Usually it’s reasonable though…except at the Jama Masjid (the big mosque in Delhi) where they charge 300 Rps.

Now that’s what I’m talking about, Earl! Great post and very informative. Boots on the ground info is invaluable. Thanks for the heads up on internet and phone. Less than $4 for ATM fee…ha! I am currently paying $8 in Panama.

Hey Deb – And I think I figured out the other day that if you use the official State Bank of India ATMs, there are no fees! I need to confirm this again though.

Great info for travelers, when we went there a few years ago, we were travelling more like holiday makers, and ended up going the slightly “posher” route, paying as you say around 1000 rupees a night for acommodation. On a budget now I wouldn’t dream of spending that much if I didn’t have to.

Hey Tyrhone – Luckily, if you do come back to India, you won’t have to spend that amount as there are plenty of cheaper options around!

Good summary, Earl! One think I’d like to mention for those who hail from the West is that luxury is surprisingly undiscounted in India. If you want to live an Indian lifestyle, that is eat what locals eat most of the time and shop for what you need in street bazaars, it’s indeed possible to survive on a very low budget. I’ve noticed, however, that as soon as one wants to live in a way that’s slightly more Western, prices increase dramatically. For example, in Delhi a cup of chai generally costs Rs. 5, but a cup of coffee is Rs. 70 and up. Malls such as Saket offer anything you’d find back home, but also at the international prices you’d find back home (if not more). Alcohol in states such as Delhi or Mumbai are relatively expensive, unless you avail of happy hours which generally involve getting a free beverage for each you order before a certain time. People who have money in India are absolutely fine with spending it on goods they proudly display to enhance their status. Anyone who expects finding comfort levels that are comparable to those of the West are better expecting to pay just about as much as they would in their country of origin. For those willing to rough it though, India remains an incredible bargain, especially when exchange rates are on your side!

Hey Jonathan – Thanks for all of that information! And I think that India is still a great bargain for those who are okay with a couple of steps up from ‘rouging it’ as well. I’m in a nice cafe right now drinking a medium cappuccino that only cost me 50 Rps 🙂

I will definitely save this!

My mothers cousing and his partner spend 3-6 months out of every year in India….perhaps I am missing out on a great place to see.

Hey Scott – Indeed you are missing out 🙂

Having been to India several times I can say that this is a GREAT breakdown of the expenses associated with traveling through this awesome country! Thanks for putting this info together… I will share it with others who may be interested!

Thank you for reading Jenni!

Actually (in New Zealand anyway) you can only get a six month visa and can stay 90 days then have to leave for two months then stay another 90 days….a recent change apparently to visa rules. Not sure how that works by going to Sri Lanka then returning immediately – I am about to apply for my visa and find out! Also how is using your cell for skyping on a local data plan? I’m a journalist and need to work while I travel interviewing people by phone. The internet provider you mention in your article is very expensive US$12.95 for just 150MB per day so not really practical for long term travellers like me.

Hey Karen – The data plan is okay, but usually not strong enough for clear skyping of more than a minute. It does cut off, especially if you’re outside of major cities, which is most of India 🙂

Perfect timing! Just started a roundup of all the good budgeting resources I can find for travel. I’m putting yours on the site as we speak.

Thanks for that Gigi…I shall check out your post right now!

[…] Budgeting for Asia: Two months in Southeast Asia Another experience in Southeast Asia Budgeting for India […]

The photo of the hotel is from Ooty??

Hey Shashank – The hotel is actually from McLeod Ganj up in HP.

Fabulous work you did on the blog. I hitched through Europe in 1972 following the book “Europe on $10 a day”. It worked great—-super little hotels, the restaurant and travel deals – tres bon!

I STRONGLY feel you should flesh this out a bit and publish your own book on traveling to India. It would be a hit! You are close to halfway there—-India on $25 a day (with side notes on the $15 a day). Oh Yeah, big seller, I see it now! Peace, Patricia

Hey Patricia – Thanks for the recommendation and it’s not a bad idea at all 🙂 All I need now is some free time to make it happen!

I so badly want to go to India. It sucks that I can only get 6-months as I would also love to actually live there for a year or two, still you can’t have everything :).

Thanks for the comprehensive breakdown of costs. I expect i’ll get there in 2014 and I wonder how much prices would have changed by then.

How quickly have prices been rising since you first visited?

Hey Forest – You’ll get there eventually I’m sure 🙂

And prices haven’t increased too much. Ultra budget rooms back in 2001 cost around 200 Rupees per night and that’s about what they cost now. Food is still around the same prices too. Transportation has increased but with the 2nd Class Sleeper trains, it’s still a huge bargain to get around. I’m researching a trip for next week that will take 13 hours by train and the 2nd Classs Sleeper ticket is only 300 Rps (less than $6 USD).

That is fantastic information, thanks. We are going next year, taking the kids for the first time. India is my favourite country too. I’ve spent a fair bit of time there, so I’m semi comfortable with taking the children, but it will be challenging. Last time we went, 11 years ago, our daily budget was $10, that was as a couple, obviously cheaper than 2 individuals, and covered rooms, food, transport and a fair amount of beer. Accommodation was patchy, some places were better than others, only one place, in Goa, was so full of cockroaches that we had to leave. We ended up in a fairly luxurious hotel that was cheaper than the backpacker place as it was the off season and the package tourists weren’t around. Prices have obviously gone up a bit since then, it’s still looking pretty budget friendly though, thanks.

Hey Alyson – It’s definitely still budget-friendly and your mention of staying in a luxury hotel for the price of a budget hotel is something for any traveler to take note of. I did the same on my last visit to India and it’s one of the benefits of traveling during the off-season 🙂

Thanks Earl! Ill be bookmarking this for my future travels!

5 year tourist visa! I don’t think that’s available to UK citizens… ? 🙁 Indian food – it may be cheap but there is no meal that I would rather have.

Hey David – The 5-year and 10-year visas are only available to US citizens for some reason as there is some kind of deal that was worked out 🙂

Visa application fees

1 select the country you are making your application from.

Change this answer

2 Select the visa category you would like to see fees for

3 select the visa type you would like to see fees for, standard visitor visa - for uk, isle of man, jersey and guernsey, short-term study visa, parents of children at school, child visitors.

Find out about visa application processing times

Global Gallivanting

The complete guide to applying for an indian visa (for uk citizens).

FAQs and a complete step by step guide on how to apply for an Indian visa from the UK.

2019 update, 1 year online tourist, business and medical indian evisas are now available for citizens of 161 countries hooray, so you may not need this post anymore read this new post about how to get your 1 year india evisa online.

Nearly all visitors need to apply for a visa before traveling to India (apart from citizens of Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan) so applying for an Indian visa is an essential part of planning your trip to India.

Sadly the process can be tedious and over the recent months new developments have made it even more confusing, especially for UK passport holders. From statutory biometric testing and finger printing to visas on arrival ! What’s going on!?

I’ve just applied for my 5th Indian visa in as many years, each time the process has been slightly different but equally confusing, so I thought it was about time I guided you through the process of how to apply for a tourist visa to visit India. Despite the frustrations with the visa process it will be worth it! India is probably the most incredible place to travel in the world!

Please bear in mind this is from the point of view of a British / UK passport holder (and this is just my experience, I’m happy to answer your queries but I’m not an immigration professional and I am updating this post regularly to ensure all information is correct but guidelines and costs can change frequently and suddenly. Requirements and processes for other nationalities are different so I cannot comment on the process for other nationalities. If you’re from the USA read this post , if you’re from Australia read this post and if you’re from Canada read this post.

How to Apply for a Tourist Visa to India

So what’s going on and how do you get a visa to visit India?

UK passport holders must apply for a visa before visiting India, even if you go for an E-Visa or Visa on Arrival. Some important things to note before you start is that Indian tourist visas are valid from the date of issue not the date of your entry to India so being prepared and applying months in advance will waste the time on your visa.

Short term Indian visas – visa on arrival and e-visas.

How to get an indian visa on arrival/ e visa.

There has been a lot of talk about India introducing Visa on Arrival ! Horay! This would be a great step towards increasing tourism in India but the visa on arrival is deceptive – it is more an E-Visa / electronic travel authority. Y ou must still apply for the visa in advance before you travel but it does make the visa process quicker and easier for short visits.

Citizens from 161 countries are eligible to apply online for an E Tourist Visa to India , including UK and Ireland, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and many European Countries.

At first the ETA was only valid for 30 days and was only single entry (1 month) but now you can get a 60 days (2 months). The cost of the E Visa depends on nationality. For UK citizens the cost of the E Visa has recently increased to USD $75 (about £54) plus a small admin charge. The application process is fully online, you can apply a minimum of 4 days before you travel to India.

Update April 2017: The E-visa now has three subcategories; e-Tourist Visa, e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa. Double entry is permitted on E-Tourist Visa and E-Business Visa. Triple Entry will be permitted on E-Medical visa. The e-visa facility has been extended to the nationals of 161 countries for entry through 24 airports and 3 Indian seaports. The seaports are Cochin, Goa and Mangalore and the window for application under e-visa scheme has been increased from 30 days to 120 days.

How to apply for an Indian E Visa online

You can apply for an E Visa to India on the government website here , You then collect your visa on arrival at one of the major airports in India.

Sounds easy but bear in mind that there is still quite a lot of paperwork to fill out and if you make a mistake on the forms you could be rejected and have to apply again. The fee for the visa and for processing for the application is non-refundable, even if the visa is not granted.

If your parents or grandparents were born in Pakistan, sadly you not be eligible to get an E-Tourist Visa whatever your current nationality so unfortunately you will have to apply for a normal Tourist Visa.

To take the stress and hassle out of applying for your Indian visa let iVisa sort everything out for you. They charge a service fee but make the process simpler and easier to follow and offer a zero frustration policy. They can process your application and send your E Visa via email in only 18 hours. They also have a window for arrival of 120 days meaning you can get your visa sorted well in advance of your trip but remember you still need a apply online no later than 4 days in advance of your arrival date to India.

The ETA is not extendable or convertible and you can only apply for 2 ETVs in 1 year. As the process is fully online (you are not required to send off your passport and wait for 2 weeks for the visa to be processed) the E Visa makes a quick holiday to India much easier.

British Passport holders are now eligible for an E Visitor Visa for India!

Applying for a 6 month or 12 month Indian tourist visa with VFS Global

If you want to visit India for longer than 1 or 2 months (which I highly recommend as there is so much to see in this huge, diverse country and its not a place you can rush) then you will still need to apply for a visa by sending away your application and passport.

The Indian visa application process in the UK has been outsourced to VFS Global, the website and instructions for applying for the visa are confusing to say the least.

If you want to make the process easier for the longer visa then you can use an agency like Visa HQ or read on and I’ll guide you through the process of applying for an Indian tourist visa with VFS Global.

Which Indian visa should I apply for?

Basically most UK citizens travel to India on a tourist visa valid for 3 – 6 months. You can get single, double or multiple entry, 3, 6 or 12 months. Tourist visas are non-extendable and non-convertible. You may as well apply for a 6 month or even 12 month multiple entry tourist visa because the price and process for applying is still the same. However, even on a 12 month visa you are still not allowed to spend more than 180 days (6 months) in India but you can leave for a day and come back without having to go through the hassle of applying again!

You can also try for an upto 5 year multiple entry tourist visa. Again there is a maximum stay of 180 days per visit and they say that biometric enrollment is mandatory for the 5 year visa, although this is yet to be fully implemented. You will need to also provide a letter stating why you require a 5 year tourist visa. The duration of visa granted is at the discretion of the authorities and they do not refund the difference if the visa is rejected or given for a shorter period of time. Again there is a maximum stay of 180 days per visit.

Tourist visas are only granted to foreigners who do not have a residence or occupation in India and whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives, etc. No other activity is permissible on a tourist visa. There are different visas for volunteering, studying, journalism, employment, business, research etc which require more documents and biometrics.

When you fill out the form there are many questions where your answer may cause the rejection of your visa. If you’re parents or grand parents are from Pakistan or if your occupation is linked to the armed forces or media/ journalism. Any media or journalist related occupations will likely be rejected and you would need to apply for a different Journalist visa which is only valid for 3 months and provide biometrics. If you work in the media, police or armed forces, commercial pilots/crew members, charity/social workers, researchers, and priests you will need a letter from your employer stating the purpose of your travel.

However, the duration of the visa is at the sole discretion of the Issuing Authority. The High Commission of India do not always give you the exact length and entries of visa that you have asked for so you never know what you’ve got until you receive your passport back. All visa fees are non-refundable even if your visa is rejected or the duration granted is shorter than what you asked for. Also, the validity of the visa begins from the date of issue by the High Commission of India and not from the date of travel on your application form.

For the best chance is getting the longer visa it’s always best to apply in your home country. You can apply from places like Nepal, Sri Lanka or Bali but often they will only grant 3 month single entry visas.

How much does a tourist visa for India cost for a UK national?

A tourist visa for India costs £112 for UK passport holders.

But then after you add on other processing fees, the cost for postage and to get special passport photos taken the total cost for applying for an Indian tourist visa adds up to £119.44 in total. The 5 year visa costs £339.44

The fee is also non-refundable—even if your application is denied the fee is not refunded.

So can I apply online for an Indian visa, through the post or do I need to attend an appointment and submit biometrics or fingerprints?

The most confusing thing is that it is hard to find information that tells you how to apply by post as all the information on the website seems to say that you need to make an appointment to physically go to London and apply for the visa in person. In March 2015 it was announced that:

“All Applicants will be required to book an appointment online to submit their applications at VFS Application Centres (14). Applicants will be able to book an appointment on VFS Website www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/ at the time of filing online application forms. Biometric Data collection, including fingerprint data and facial imagery will be a mandatory requirement for all visa applicants soon. As a result, all visa applicants will need to first apply online and, thereafter, be physically present (mandatorily) at India Visa and Consular Services centres, by appointment, for submission of visa application and biometric data enrolment.” And it goes on to say that “ No applications will be accepted without appointment after 16th March 2015.” And “ No applications will be accepted by post.”

Seriously! What a way to encourage tourism! 🙁

As much as I love India I can see why people would choose to visit somewhere like Thailand or Sri Lanka to save this kind of hassle and expense.

After searching around the website and in forums a bit more I am relieved to find that actually Biometric data collection has not been introduced for tourist visas (apart from the 5 year one, but even so this is not always the case, or if you are a journalist) and applications can still be received through post/courier but need an additional processing time of at least two weeks and I successfully received my visa through the post.

So it seems like the plans to make attending an appointment and submitting fingerprints and biometric data appear to have been shelved for a while thankfully. But, it could have been made a little clearer, on the website.

How to apply for an Indian visa by post

When applying for an Indian visa, either by post or by appointment, you need to start by filling out the form on the VFS Global website.

The first mission is working out where to start the application and where to find the online application form, to save you the trouble here is the link.

Click on this and then click on the red tab that says ‘regular visa application’ – https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/info1.jsp

The first hurdle to over come is which ‘mission’ you select. All postal applications are only being accepted in Hounslow so pick UK London but if you did find it more convenient to attend an appointment there are several other offices across the UK.

Then continue to fill out the ridiculously long form – I’ve never been asked so many questions from my religion, education, any visible identification marks, occupation, place of birth of mother and father and whether my grandparents were born in Pakistan, details of previous visits to India and the previous visa number and all the countries that I have visited in the last 10 years.

References for applying for an Indian Visa

The form also asks you for a reference in India – if you don’t have any friends in India you can use a hotel or tour company as a reference . If you haven’t booked a hotel yet (because you are still figuring out how to get a damn visa!?) you could always book provisionally on Booking.com and cancel or change the booking later. Or just pick a hotel as I doubt that they even check the reference anyway.

Next you need to provide a reference in the UK – I always just use my Mum!

Once you have answered all the questions, confirm the details. It then gives you your application number – it’s a good idea to make a note of the application number incase the website crashes because you have the application number you can log back in, if not you’ll have to start again. The website often crashes or does peculiar things! Sometimes it gets stuck at the part where you print off the form and won’t progress to make the payment or appointment. If that happens to you use this link https://www.vfsvisaservice.com/IHC_UK_ONLINE/(S(xfl0pvli34mrlyqhjyidyu2v) to get there!

Then you need to print off the application form. Make sure you sign it in the right places (on both pages) and attach the right size photos. You also need to print off and include a signed declaration form. You can find that here – http://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/pdf/Declaration1_240815.pdf

Photos required for the Indian Tourist Visa Application

The Indian visa application also requires 2 passport photos but they are a different sized passport photo to normal UK passport photos – 50mm x 50mm, the same size as USA passport photos so you can quite easily get these done in most photo booths for £5 for 4 or a specialised photography shop in the UK.

You can also check the specifications and take a photo yourself and upload a photo to the application for a service cost of £10 or you can get them printed out at Boots for less than £1.

It’s a good idea to get some extra ones because you will need them if you want to get a sim card for your mobile phone. See more on this (also overly complicated process) on how to get a Sim Card in India

Cruising the backwaters in a house boat in Kerala

How to submit the Indian visa application

Click on the button to ‘make appointments and payments’ and select your mode of submission – either you want to make an appointment or send by post.

Then go to the tab at the top – ‘Visa Fee and Pay Details’ and you can make the payment. The payment page looks a bit dodgy but I’ve never had any problems with it.

Money Saving Tip – Watch out for the extras. Untick the extra charges for uploading a photo and delivery. VFS will ask you for £14.95 per application to return your passport instead, when you go to the Post Office to send off your application (I always send mine special delivery) get another special delivery, prepaid envelope and self address it – this should cost only £7.25. Half the price!

Where to send your Indian visa application

Check you have everything:

Printed and signed application form
Declaration form
2 sized passport photos
Return signed delivery envelope

Don’t send it to the address on the top of your Indian visa application form – send it to:

Indian Visa and Consular Application Centre,

The Vista Centre,

First Floor, Part A, Block 50, Salisbury Road,

Hounslow, TW4 6JQ

Sunset over romantic Udaipur in Rajasthan

How long does the Indian visa take to process?

Officially it states that the processing time for an Indian tourist visa takes a minimum of 2 weeks. I’ve had mine come back in anything from less than a week to a bit over 2 weeks, so allow enough time but remember it’s valid from the date of issue not the date of entry.

You should get an email or text saying something along the lines of ‘a decision has made on your application … your processed application is ready for collection or courier’ Once you get this your passport should be back with you in the next few days after that. You will not know until you open the post whether your visa has been granted or refused or if it has been granted for the full amount of time and number of entries you have asked for.

Do I need another permit?

Until late 2012 you were not allowed to leave and renter India within 2 months (you had to wait 2 months even if your visa was still valid!?) To enter without the gap of 2 months you had to apply for a permit to re-enter and to get this had to compile an itinerary for the whole trip. Thankfully a re entry permit is no longer required and that restriction has been lifted.

However, certain restricted areas including most of the states in the far North East, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some border areas still require permits. Usually the easiest way to obtain these through going with a travel agency or on a tour.

Can you apply for an Indian visa outside of the UK or your country of residence?

Although it’s always better to apply for a visa in your home country or country of residence, it is possible to obtain and Indian visa in neighbouring countries, although since the introduction of the E-Visa is has become harder and travellers have reported difficulties recently in obtaining Indian visas, especially in Bangkok, Thailand and often only get single entry 3 month visas are given out when the travelers asked for multiple entry, 6 month visas. Now the E Visa is valid for 60 days and is much easier to obtain you might want to try that if applying for outside the UK.

I’ve heard that places like Cambodia , Laos and Myanmar are now good places to get an Indian visa, but this is just what I’ve heard from friends and other travelers. By getting the visa in your country of residence means you have the best chance of being accepted and getting the longer term visas, but it’s still possible to get one in Southeast Asia but its a good idea to check online forums and ask around before deciding which place to do it.

If you want to get your Indian visa in Nepal heres a good post on the subject or read here about the process in Sri Lanka. I recently got an India visa in Bali too – here’s how to do it.

Incredible India will be worth it

As with everything in India really, the visa process requires a bit of patience and persistence but you will be richly rewarded and with proper planning your first trip to India will be memorable for all the right reasons!

Make sure you check out my Complete Step by Step Guide to Planning for your First Trip to India and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime!

India is a country like no where else on earth, it will challenge, enchant, surprise, captive and transform you! It will be worth it!

Need Help with Applying for your Indian Visa?

I’m happy to try and answer your questions but bear in mind I am not an immigration professional .

If you need professional assistance contact iVisa for the E Visa or Visa HQ for 6 month visa . You can also contact VFS Global with any queries by emailing [email protected] or call +44 203 793 8629 or +44 203 788 4666 (Monday – Friday 8:30 – 15:30 (except for Consular Holiday) You can also call 09057570045 from Monday – Friday 8:30 – 17:30 (except for Consular Holidays) but this number charges 95p per minute from a BT landline and more from a mobile.

Want more India travel tips and stories?

Read more and prepare for your trip to India:

THE COMPLETE STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR FIRST TRIP TO INDIA

HOW TO GET A VISA ON ARRIVAL OR E TOURIST VISA FOR INDIA 3 MONTHS BACKPACKING INDIA – TIPS FOR 1ST TIMERS AND THE PERFECT ITINERARY 10 TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST TIME TRAVELING IN INDIA 11 TIPS FOR WOMEN TRAVELING IN INDIA INDIA FOR BEGINNERS – WHY KERALA IS THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO TRAVELING IN INDIA TYPICAL COSTS AND BUDGET TIPS FOR BACKPACKING IN INDIA THE AVERAGE DAILY BUDGET FOR BACKPACKING IN INDIA THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAIN TRAVEL IN INDIA.

The Ultimate Guide to Backpacking Goa, India

How to teach english in south korea: an interview with lianne.

The complete guide to applying for an indian visa (for canadians), 6 absolute best places to visit when backpacking delhi, ultimate guide to beach huts in goa – insider’s tips (2024), 189 comments.

Hi Anna, thanks for the post, it has been so much more helpful than everything else I’ve found online.

I need just one piece of help though! I’ve followed your instructions (sort of, I unfortunately found this useful blog after completing most of it)

I’ve filled in the form, paid, printed the application and got a payment receipt. I don’t recall the option of making appointment/send by post. I want to post my application.

The tab is still open and when i click on the ‘appointment’ menu it takes me to a calendar of available appointments and has no option for posting the application.

Have I gone too far now and committed to making an appointment rather than posting?

If you can help me here I would be most grateful

Thanks again for your great post.

Yes, it can be really confusing trying to apply by post rather than appointment. So when you started the application did you select London and your ‘mission’? London is the only place that accepts postal applications.

If you’ve done that then under the ‘make appointments and payments’ tab you should be able to select your mode of submission as sending by post.

Pay, print off, sign and send all the documents to Indian Visa and Consular Application Centre, The Vista Centre, First Floor, Part A, Block 50, Salisbury Road, Hounslow, TW4 6JQ.

If there is no option for that then maybe you selected the wrong ‘mission’ at the start and I’m pretty sure if you’ve made the payment you can’t get a refund or change your application.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

hey! thank you so much for this help..it has allowed me to get so far. now im just struggling to pay…cant see a ‘make appointments and payments’ tab..i have submitted the form, printed off the other pages, now feeling lost! help!

Why didn’t I find this before! I’m currently crying in my room because I leave on the 6th January yet I can’t do my own signature from my passport. Nightmare.

Oh no! I hope it all goes ok for you and you have an amazing trip to India! Let me know if you got your visa OK in the end?

Thank you so much for this! I have been scouting the internet for so long for this information. We are currently in Philippines and were hoping to get our indian visa from here or would we have to apply when we were back in the UK?

Thank you, yes the official info can be a bit confusing so I’m so glad you found it helpful. You should be able to pick up an Indian visa in neighboring countries. I’ve personally not done it but know people who have. Sri Lanka and Thailand are good options. Perhaps it is also possible in the Philippines too?

This scares me I am an elderly British national,currently visiting my daughter in Australia I shall be calling into Chennai on April 10 & Cochin on April 13 on a cruise liner & thought it would be a piece of cake getting an evisa online.No such luck.The drop down ports of entry only offered me airports.Secondly I could not apply more than 34 days before my proposed date of entry Ill try emailing the Indian visa people online for advice !! I wonder what will happen if I fail to get a visa.Perhaps they will throw me off the ship

Hi David. I haven’t any experience in entering India on a cruise – surely there must be something set up to assist cruise passengers with this – Perhaps call your cruise loine for advice or try the VSF Global (they are the ones who process visas to India for UK citizens) helpline +44 203 793 8629* +44 203 695 9849* or there is also an email address: [email protected] Good Luck! I’m sure they will be able to sort something out for you.

Hi Anna! Do you know anything about how to apply for the 6 month visa when you’re abroad? Im in new Zealand at the moment but I’m from the UK.. cant find much info!!

Cheers, Clare Xx

Hi Clare, yes it can be a bit confusing applying out of your home country. I’m not really sure about applying from NZ but I do know that you can Indian visa in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal etc in person by going to the embassy there or you could apply online but you will only get a 30 day visa and its not extendable. Good Luck 🙂

I have been trying to find out how to get my father a visa to visit Indian. He is a British subject (born in Indian) and now lives in the USA (on a green card). He is planning to come back to get a indian visa in London in July to travel there in September. He is elderly and unable to get to anywhere in the USA to sort this out, we suggested he came back and did it here with us helping him. Do you know if London will provide him with a Visa?

Hi Tracey, if he is a British passport holder then the best place to get the visa would be in the UK. Hope this helps and enjoy your trip to India 🙂

I found this post really helpful for the very confusing indian visa application – thank you! Just one question – do you know if the price quoted at the end of the application is in dollars or pounds? My application came to 110 but it does not quote a currency.

I would imagine its in pounds if you are applying as a uk citizen from the uk website. Mine normally comes to that amount after they add the other fees on.

Hi Great!I’ve been searching google for several hours looking for relevant info on this. I am very happy to comment here and thank you so much for sharing this. I am going to suggest this to my UK friend.

Thanks, I’m so glad it was useful 🙂

What a fantastically (is that even a word!?) informative blog post – definitely adding to my bookmarks. Thank you ☺️

Thanks so much, glad it was useful!

This has been really helpful. My girlfriend and I are thinking about Goa in mid August and have both quit our teaching jobs. We were thinking about doing some teaching work whilst in India, whether it is paid or volunteer work where some expenses are covered.

What would you recommend? We plan to be away for a year and doing several months in India.

Excited to hear you are planning a trip to India. To be honest Goa in August will be in the middle of monsoon so not the best time to come. Maybe have a look at this post first – http://www.global-gallivanting.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-visiting-goa-in-monsoon-season/ As English is one of the official languages in India there are not as many teaching jobs for foreigners as there are in other places in Asia although one of my friends did find a paid job and wrote about it here – http://www.global-gallivanting.com/how-to-teach-english-in-india-and-get-paid/ Of course there are many volunteer opportunities but you may need a work/ volunteer visa for them. Have you seen websites like Workaway and Helpx they have opportunities where you work in exchange for food and accommodation. Hope this helps. Good luck and hope you have a great time in India whatever you choose to do!

Hi Anna, so to be clear, if I want to visit for less than 30 days, it should be quite a simple process with the e visa option? as opposed to anything longer where the process becomes more time consuming?

Hi Paul, Yes if your visiting for less than 30 days the e visa is a much cheaper and easier way to get an Indian visa – you don’t even need to send your passport away but you do still need to fill in the paperwork online and then print off and take it to the airport with you. Getting a longer visa usually takes 2 weeks as you have to send your passport away for processing. Hope this helps and hope you have a great trip 🙂

Hi The above 6 months visa is true for All British passport holders going to India with the exception of Srilankan born British passport holder. Be aware, If you are born in Colombo but holding a British passport by naturalisation, Indian visa authority treats you differently, you only get 3 months maximum visa with single entry only. Don’t know why ? All Sri Lankan are not terrorists, past is past , India should rethink and change the rules and treat all British passport holders equally. Any comments.. Please write. Thank you. Anand, Colombo born UK citizen [email protected]

Hi Anand, I didn’t know that sorry to hear you’ve had trouble getting a visa 🙁

Thank you for this blog, it is really useful. I had a quick read of it, and couldn’t see the answer to my question.

I was wondering if you have ever applied for the Indian Tourist visa from Nepal? And if so, do you know if it is possible to apply for the 6 month visa? I am seeing mixed messages, with some people saying you can only get 3 months from visa if you apply for it in Nepal. Its a mind-field of confusion, which is why blogs like yours are so great!

Happy travels 🙂 Jess

Happy travels 🙂

Hi Jess, I haven’t applied for it in Nepal and its always best to apply in your home country if possible but my friends at Nomadic Boys have and wrote a really useful post about it that you should find helpful. 🙂 Happy Travels http://nomadicboys.com/getting-indian-visa-kathmandu/

Hello Anna,

I am so grateful for your blog! I will be travelling around India on my own starting in November, for 3 months and you’ve covered almost every question I had, so thank you! I have a particular question about the visa though.. I am applying for a postal visa application from the UK and have a UK passport (I’m Scottish) however for the past 2 years I have been living in Berlin and have been registered as living and working there. I am still currently registered there as I have a bit of work to finish but have an appointment to de register at the start of October. Do you think I should wait to send the application off after I de register from Berlin or is it enough that I have my mums address in Scotland (where the visa application will be posted from) and am on the voting register in Scotland also? In your experience would any of this affect me getting approved for the tourist visa? Also do you think this leaves me enough time to get the visa in time for travelling on the 8th of November?!

Sorry for the long winded question and thanks for your help! Nicola

Hi Nicola, excited to hear that your planning a trip to India and so glad to hear that my blog has helped. I’m not an immigration professional but, in my experience, I would say that it’s always better to apply from your home country and where your registered to vote. Applying with your Berlin address may make things more complicated, I love Berling though! 🙂 I would say if you are registered to vote in Scotland then that is your permanent address and the one you should use. Mine usually takes 2 weeks, so maybe apply 1 month before you are due to go to be one the safe side. Hope you get your visa without any worries and hope you have a great trip to India! 🙂

Hi Anna! Your blog is great – so helpful. I am currently trying to fill my visa application in but I am a little stuck on the port of entry and exit question. I haven’t booked travel yet as I was waiting for my visa to be processed so not sure where I would be entering – was going to compare prices for different cities. Does it matter if I enter and exit from different places stated on my visa application? Any help would be appreciated as I can’t seem to find any info online. Thanks!!

Hi Sam, yes I don’t book my flights until I have the visa. I don’t know if it will cause you problems if you select one place and then enter at another but maybe it’s best to check the flights and think more about your itinerary first so that you don’t write the wrong thing. I’m not sure to be honest but I don’t think it matters that much – I mean I don’t think they check the references so maybe it will be OK. Good luck and have a good trip 🙂

Hi again Anna,

Thanks for your reply, I will apply from my UK address and send it off at the start of October!

Another question, I have just completed the application form online for the tourist visa station UK London as my mission as I want to post it. When I got to the end I made the mistake of choosing save and print form rather than make appointments and payments.. So now I have my form saved to be printed out but I haven’t paid for it yet! Or stated that I want to post it.. When I tried to check my visa status using the application ID it says the information cannot be found? Is there a way I can get back into my application to finish it off or should I fill it all out again? Stress! Thank you!

Hey Nicola, glad to help. Sorry but I think if the application ID can’t be found it hasn’t done it properly and you probably have to start over – I’ve done it myself a few times sometimes the website is a bit dodgy 🙁 Hope you get your visa OK in the end and have a good trip!

Hi Anna thank you for this, I understand the e-visa application process from the uk and that is starts from the day you apply, i assume that the visa has to be valid for the whole time you are there we go on the 8th October, can we complete the application now with a company and would they hold onto it and not process it until nearer the time…..I’m worried that if I do it wrong I will run out of time to re-apply but don’t want to do it too soon either unless they hang onto it and issue it nearer the date. Thanks for your help.

Hi Alison, yes the visa starts from the date of issue and you can only apply 33 days before travel and yes it has to be valid for the whole time you are traveling in India. If you overstay your visa you could face a fine and a ban on visiting India! 🙁 I think if you use iVisa https://www.ivisa.com/india-visa-application?utm_source=global_gallivanting&country=GB they can organise the timescale for you so you can apply now through them and they will lodge it at the right time so that you don’t have to worry about your visa expiring too early or forgetting to apply later on! Hope this helps and have a great time in India! 🙂

hello, thanks so much for this informative post. id never have been able to complete our visa applications without it! i am applying for visas for myself, my partner and our children (including one from a previous relationship)

do you know what supporting documents i have to send along with the children applications?

and also, if i can post all applications together in the same envelope?

thanks again 🙂

Hi Nina, Glad it helped! It can be a bit of a tricky process. I’m not really sure to be honest as I’ve only ever applied for myself but the website says that the documents required are:

“For Minor Child (Under 16 Years of age):

A copy of the child’s birth certificate showing both the parent’s names. Consent letter addressed to the HCI, London OR its respective consulates signed by both the parents Photocopy of Parent’s passports along with the copy of their current Indian Visa, if already holding one. If parents are Indian citizens, copy of the resident status in the UK would be required. In case of Divorce, Child Custody Letter from court in respect of the child is required. In case of Single Parent, Solicitor’s Letter and Child Benefit letter will be required. In case of Minor’s Application/Declaration either of the parents can sign the application form.”

I’m not sure if you can post them together sorry, perhaps email them to ask if you have any more doubts. Their email address is – [email protected]

Hope this helps 🙂

i can’t seem to find the declaration form you link to? sorry if I’m being silly! my brain is a bit fried from this whole visa process 🙂

Hey, sorry they must have changed the link to the declaration form – here it is http://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/pdf/Declaration1_240815.pdf Hope this helps 🙂

Thanks so much! got it now 🙂

sorry to ask more questions… hopefully my last! do you know how long i have to submit all my documents from the date i paid online? and I’m just getting a little panicky after reading on the vfs site that “all applicants must make an appointment” and “only urgent visa applications will be accepted via the post”? really appreciate your help x

Anna I think I love you a little, this is exactly what I have spent the last few hours searching for. Thanks so much for writing it, will certainly help with my application now. Wishing you the best karma filled weekend. Namaste! X

Hi Dave! Thanks so much – so glad it’s helped 🙂 Happy Travels 🙂

Hi there, love your blog! It’s helping me final make sense of this whole process haha!

Sorry if you’ve already covered this and I’m being dim, but my partner and I are planning to go to Sri Lanka in December, we’d like to stay there for 2-3 months before flying over to India. We’d like to apply for the 6 month visa but if we do this before we go then we will only be able to actually get 2-3 months in India as the visa will begin when we get it, before we go to Sri Lanka! can we apply for a 6 month visa from Sri Lanka? Are we just as likely to be able to get a 6 month visa to India from Sri Lanka as if we were applying from the UK? We’ve already booked our flights to Sri Lanka and now we’re kinda panicking because apparently we need exit flights from Sri Lanka to get into the country but I don’t want to book flights to India until I know we will be able to get a visa…

Hi Gemma, generally it’s always best to apply from your home country as you will get the maximum visa validity from there. If you’re from the UK you could try applying for a 1 year visa – they recently introduced them and its the same price.

You can get a visa for India in Sri Lanka but I haven’t done it myself. I’ve heard they sometimes give out 1 month or 3 month or maybe 6 months. You can never be sure how long they will grant you.

Maybe try to get a 1 year visa for India while your in the UK and then you don’t have to worry so much about the timing and you know you have your visa sorted.

Hi Anna thanks for your advice, I just realised you’d replied so sorry for my late reply! We did end up applying for the 1year visas from home, just waiting on them coming through now so fingers crossed!!

Thank you so much for your post.

Please can you tell me if it is still possible to send the application by post without the need to attend an appointment in-person?

Many thanks, Chris

Yes it is possible to apply by post – all the details and the address are in this article.

Thank you for this great post. This is very helpful. I recently heard of a 5 year tourist visa. Do you know anything about it? I did see it mentioned somewhere on the site, with a 300 pound fee. As I intend to visit India a few times over the next few years it seems like a good investment.. It’s not clear if additional documents are required. How risky do you think it is? Of course I understand you’re not an immigration officer, just wondering if you’ve heard anything about it..

Hey Rfe. Yes, I have heard of it but I have also heard of people applying for it and being refused or only getting 1 or 2 years but not receiving any refund. I’ve heard that its harder to get than the shorter visas and riskier for the chance of denial but this is just what I’ve heard from friends. If your from the UK I think you can get a 1 year visa quite easily now for the same price as the 6 month visa. Hope this helps and hope you get your visa fine.

wow, am I grateful for your post, without your advice, I would never have understood the very complicated website, you explained eveything so well!! ( I am a technophobe)

I now have my application form, all ready for posting, and I cannot wait for my trip to India, and yeah I intend to take my time and soak it all up!! – months – if they send me the correct visa, of course!

keep up the good work, much appreciated,

cheers, Steve

Hi Steve! Yes its a bit complicated isn’t it! So glad that I could help – hope everything goes smoothly and hope you enjoy India! 🙂 Happy Travels

Great advice, thanks so much!! I am now slightly freaking though as I am leaving on 4th Nov and won’t be able to send my application until Thursday – eg. 15 days before I leave… Do you have any idea if I will be able to have the address on the envelope as where I am staying in London just before I leave..? Or if there is any way to contact them to go and pick up my passport from the office?? Aaaaah!!

Hey, 15 days might be enough time but it’s cutting it fine. Maybe try to make an appointment instead of doing it by post that could be quicker. I guess you could put any address on the return envelope – I’m not sure I think you need to allow more time really to be on the safe side. You can contact VFS Global to check by emailing [email protected] or call +44 203 793 8629 or +44 203 788 4666 .. Hope this helps

Thank you very much for very clear advice. I can now be more confident in making an application. I would have missed including a Declarstion Form, if I had not come across your blog. The online form does not ask for name of hotel, etc but after printing there is a blank space for it. I did not write and add on the printed form. I hope it is okay.

I am retired so have no current employer as requested in form . I cannot proceed further without filling that. I have just entered my home address. Is that okay or will I be denied a. visa because of this. Very confusing.

Your advice to each question is excellent and very clear. Most useful

Hey I’m glad that you found it the post useful. I’m really not sure what happens if you don’t add the hotel – maybe it is OK as maybe they don’t check that anyway but with all these things its always best to read the form really carefully and answer every questions otherwise they might deny the visa. I’m sure there is an option to say that you are retired or unemployed on the form.

I’ve just received the email from VFS Global saying that my email is ready for collection/Courier

Now this might be a silly question, but if i’ve attached a return signed delivery envelope when i sent my Visa off, Do i still need to pay for a courier?

Many Thanks

Hey Micheal. The email/ text from VFS Global just says the same thing every time so don’t worry if you have included the return envelope then your visa should be posted back to you like this.

Hi Anna, really useful post, thank you! Just wanted to check what you mean by declaration form?

Never mind, I found it! Thanks

Hi Anna, on the form there is one space for a photo to be pasted. Do you stick it on with glue? Also, where do you put the other photo? Thanks,

Thanks for this post, I’ve read both of them and they’ve been so helpful! I’m a UK citizen eligible for an ETV – I just had a few questions about this and I haven’t been able to get hold of anyone on the phone! Would really appreciate some advice 🙂

I’m flying in to Mumbai and getting on a connecting flight to Kochi. At what stage will they issue my ETV? If it’s in Mumbai I’m wondering if there’ll be enough time as I only have an hour or two before the next flight.

Is an ETV also valid on inbound flights? After arriving in Kochi, I’m heading to Madurai then Delhi so will the visa still be valid?

Lastly, when it’s advised to apply for a visa no less that 5 days before departure, does this include weekends or is it just working days?

On the reference and declaration form, do you have any links to any templates I could use? 🙂

Hi Charlotte, glad the post was helpful.

To be honest it depends on which carrier you take if you have to switch airports in Bombay then you will need to clear immigration and get the E Visa there or somethings you can transfer straight through without changing airports and do immigration at your final destination so I cannot say but if you ask your airline they will be able to tell you.

The visa will be valid and if your flying domestically within India you do not have to go through immigration for those flights.

I’m not sure if it’s 5 working days or all days – maybe best to ask the professionals – If you need professional assistance contact iVisa for the E Visa or Visa HQ for 6 month visa. You can also contact VFS Global with any queries by emailing [email protected] or call +44 203 793 8629 or +44 203 788 4666 (Monday – Friday 8:30 – 15:30 (except for Consular Holiday) You can also call 09057570045 from Monday – Friday 8:30 – 17:30 (except for Consular Holidays) but this number charges 95p per minute from a BT landline and more from a mobile.

Happy New Year to you!

Thank you for this wonderful website- its answering so many of my questions !

I’m currently filling out my visa application form ( also seems like they have made changes very in the last week but anyway) …. and my question is..

Do you know how important it is to have the correct Port of Entry? I think I will fly into Cochin, but haven’t booked flights yet as want to make sure I get the Visa first! Should I hold off submitting it until i’m 99% sure or just go for it anyway now?

Many thanks,

Glad you’ve found my site helpful – as I say I’m not an immigration professional so I can’t say for sure but no ones ever checked my point of entry – I’m not sure oif it really matters so much but don’t quote me on this – if you want professional help the numbers to call are listed at the bottom of the post.

Hope you have a good trip – Kerala is a great place to start! —> http://www.global-gallivanting.com/india-for-beginners/ 🙂

Great post which has cleared up many of my questions. Just to confirm however, I am from the UK and will be visiting India for 3 weeks in April. Am I right in saying I simply need to apply for the E-tourist Visa online?

Also, I will be flying domestically a couple of times during my stay in India. Surely this wont affect my one entry visa as I wont actually be leaving India during these flights?

Glad that the post helped you 🙂 Yes if you visit for less than 30 days then an e visa is the easiest and quickest option and if you are flying domestically it will be fine as you won’t be leaving the country.

Hope you have a great trip 🙂

Honestly this post is such a life saver. I am planning on visiting India after Sri Lanka and SEAsia this year however I’m already travelling so it will be tough to get it by post unless I stay in the same place for a while. I’m definitely reading your other India posts! X

Hi Charlotte

Glad that you found it useful! You can get the 30 day e visa online anywhere in the world and you should also be able to get an Indian visa in Sri Lanka quite easily.

Hope you have a great trip! 🙂

Hi Anna, thank you for the post very helpful!! We are planning on travelling south east Asia , just finishing selling up our life here in Devon. We have our flights booked to Sri Lanka for June 1st for 30 days and flights booked to India at the end of June I’m still a bit confused as to what to do for the best, we want to travel through India, including Goa :), for a few months so will need the extended visa not the E-visa. But when do we apply for it, if i do it now and it is issued by say April will we have until next April to use it? or might they randomly give us only 3 months in which case it won’t be long enough. why is it so confusing and difficult? Thanks in anticipation of your help 🙂

Yes, it is a bit confusing and a bit of a risk as the visa starts as soon as it is issued and there is no guarantee the length of visa you will get. You can apply for a 6 month or 12 month multiple entry visa which should cover you for the time you want to spend in India. Btw if you are planning to go to Goa in July you may not want to spend much time there as it will be raining and most things will be shut by then. Maybe read these posts – http://www.global-gallivanting.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-visiting-goa-in-monsoon-season/ and http://www.global-gallivanting.com/where-to-travel-in-july-and-august-to-avoid-monsoon-in-india/

I think more often than not they will give the longer visa (assuming you are from the UK and all your documents are correct and you don’t have an occupation in journalism or the military or any connections to Pakistan or anything else that brings up a red flag for them.)

It’s also possible to get the visa in Sri Lanka ( but usually they only give 3 months I think but I’m not 1005 sure) however, it’s always better to apply in your home country. You could just apply before you leave, if they did give you a shorter visa you could go to Nepal or Sri Lanka and get a new one – it’s a difficult situation I’m not sure what to suggest.

Hope this helps and hope you have a good trip.

Thanks Anna, we already read about the monsoon so we are starting on the south east coast in Chennai and then across and down to Kochi and pretty much following your suggested route for travelling India 🙂 in the hopes that we will be constantly behind the rain, fingers crossed lol but we are brits so used to a bit of rain. I am going to apply for the 12 month visa in April and go with whatever happens. thanks for your help x

Thanks, sounds good, hope you have a good trip 🙂

I’m planning my first trip to India and am not even sure how I would have started to navigate the visa process without your amazingly helpful guide!

I’m completing the online form and can’t progress any further without checking a couple of things. Can I just confirm that as a British passport holder I don’t have a Citizenship/National ID No.? Also, is the place of passport issue what appears under ‘Authority’ on the photo page? Mine says HMPO. If this is correct, is HMPO enough or would I need to write HMPO UK.

I really hope you’ll be able to provide some insight, Google seems a little undecided!

Thank you so much 🙂

Hi Becca, Yes it can be confusing so I’m glad my blog has helped Your passport number is your ID so you don’t need one. Yes, Authority means the place where the passport was issued. I just write what it says, mine says IPS but if your says something different under Authority just write whatever it says there I think. Hope this helps, have a great time in India 🙂

Thanks so much for this 🙂

I just have one more question. I’m a little confused about which online form I need to fill in. I’ve nearly completed the form via the linked you provided: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/index.html . However, I’m confused about the difference between this form and the one on the Vfs Global website. I want to book an appointment in London rather than posting the application and on Vfs Global it says ‘For Visa: Applicants are advised to follow the instruction for “Appointment & Online Payment” upon completion of online form.’ So I am assuming that I actually need to complete the form on the Vfs Global website rather than the one on the Indian Visa Online website.

Hope you can help!

Thanks again,

Hi Becca, there are two different forms and companies depending on which visa you want – the 30 day e visa/ online visa or the longer term visa. If you want to longer term visa you need to go through VFS Global and complete the form online there before printing it and either posting it or taking it to the appointment with you. Sorry if it wasn’t clear.

Ah that makes sense, no problem I’ll just copy the info over from one to the other! Thanks again for your help, it’s appreciated 🙂

Hi Anna – i am a Uk citizen resident in Italy for more than 2 yrs & plan to apply for a multiple entry one year visa for India – would this be granted (or one for 6 mths), if i go on a one way ticket, or do they require evidence of a return on arrival, if not before ? – many thanks, Steve

Hi Steve, normally they do not ask for a return ticket when applying for the visa but often the do at the airport so it’s best to have one.

I need to visit India on an urgent basis.I am facing a marital discord making me depressed to an extent where i need my familys support.

Also, both me and my husband are unemployed(even if i fill in my status as a housewife.

Will our unemployed status affect my application. Can my visa application be rejected as I am unemployed.

Also, will I be having to show my bank statements for same.

Hi Ananya, sorry to hear about your situation. If you are a UK citizen applying for an Indian visa in the UK then I don’t think you need to show bank statements – I have never been asked but as I am not an immigration professional I can’t really advise you on this. It would be better to contact VFS Global directly – the details are on the bottom of the post. Hope you can get your visa soon.

Hi Anna, influenced by “The Marigold Hotel ” film and series, a group of 8, 65+ uk wrinklies are planning 40 days in and around Jaipur leaving 19th October. As I am organising the trip I have booked flights and hotels via booking.com (Cart before the horse) and now for the visas. Your blog was terrific, very helpful and my idea, as I travel a lot and need my passport, is to complete the application online and send it in when i’m back in Uk in August which i hope will then take two weeks to process and I will have a 12 month multi entry visa. I read somewhere of a guy who took his application and everything needed to London and then collected it a week later with no agro is this also the place in Hounslow?

Hi John. Great to hear you are planning a trip to India and glad that you found my blog helpful 🙂 You have plenty of time to apply for the visa as it starts from the date of issue not the date you arrive in India so it’s better to wait. Yes you can apply online and either post your passport off (usually takes 2 weeks) or make an appointment in London – sometimes it can be done in as little as a week but I would allow at least 2 weeks to be on the safe side. You can either collect your passport or have it sent to you by post. Hope you have a great trip – I’ll be writing more about Rajasthan soon hopefully in time for your trip 🙂

Thank you so much for this useful and helpful blog! Being from London, I wandered if you had any idea as to whether it was possible, to go to the Indian embassy in London, apply and get a 30 day or more visa on the same day? All the best Candace (www.360honeymoon.com)

Hi Candace, I don’t think it’s possible to get a visa the same day, but check with VFS Global as things can always change. If you only need a 30 day visa you can apply for an evisa online. This post explains more about e -visas – http://www.global-gallivanting.com/how-to-get-a-visa-on-arrival-or-e-tourist-visa-for-india/

Thank you so much for your useful post! I visited India for two weeks and totally fell in love with the Country. Since being back (2 days) I’ve decided to go back for a long weekend next week.

Only thing is I can’t work out if I’m allowed to. My visa was the single entry visa. Am I able to apply for a new one so soon. When I’ve researched it, I’ve found different views on it and can’t work out if they will give me a visa so soon after the last one.

Thanks in advance for your help 🙂

Hi Char – you should be able to apply for a new visa as soon as you want. The gap of having to wait 2 months for re entry to India was lifted

Thanks for the detailed information @ Anna. Travelers always face problem regarding the VISA when they want to travel abroad. Each country has their own rules and regulations. So it is mandatory for the tourists to read all the instructions written on the official websites, because the information change from time to time. When you have the latest information, you will do the right thing. However, it is always best to know from a similar person who has experienced the whole lot of thing already.

We are doing a cruise next year January and February 2018 taking in Mumbai , Goa and Cochin . Having researched the internet and your blog ( great info ) It is my understanding that whilst Goa and Cochin accept e visas whilst on a cruise ship , Mumbai does not . So what sort of visa do we need and where do we get it from as I think the VFS global service only does e visas . Many thanks Julie

Hi Julie, VFS Global is for the longer term visas not the E visas. The rules on E visas were recently changed (see here – http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/foreign-tourists-visiting-india-with-e-visa-can-stay-up-to-2-months/story-PmllWUXHitBzWUHZgD9BkO.html ) You can now enter at seaports in Goa, Cochin and Mangalore but I’m not sure about Mumbai, perhaps if your first entry to India is via one of those eligible then maybe it’s OK but then how many entries are allowed and what constitutes as an entry if you are traveling between different ports in the same country. To be honest I have never taken a cruise and I’m not an immigration professional so you should seek professional advice – at the bottom of the post there are the contact details or I would check with the cruise company – they should know what to do. Hope you have a good trip 🙂

I am going to India in October. Do I get an E-Visa at the airport or should I apply for a visa before going.

Hi Shirley – you MUST apply for the E visa online before traveling to India – all the info on how to do this is in the post

I’m wondering if you can offer any advice on my visa situation for India. I have a 6 month multiple entry tourist visa which expires on 1st September. I spent two and a half months in India (April-mid June) and wish to return at the start of August and stay until mid-late October. I know you cannot change or extend existing visas, but I’m wondering how to go about it or if my travel plans are possible. Would be able to apply for a new visa even though my current one isnt up? Or do I have to wait for this one to end before getting a new one? If that is the case, would I be able to simply leave India for a few days to somewhere such as Nepal and apply for a 60 day e-visa? I hope you can help a little!

Thank you 🙂

Hi Megan – you can apply for another visa even if your old one is now finished but you cannot extend your visa. If your visa expires halfway through your trip you could go to Nepal or Sri Lanka and apply for a new one the traditional way or you could leave and apply for an e-visa from anywhere and then go back to India.

Hello Anna 🙂

I made a post yesterday but it didn’t seem to work so I will try again!

I’m hoping you can offer me a little advice. I currently have a 6 month tourist visa which expires on 1st Sept. I only spent 2 and a half months (April-mid June) in India and wish to return at the start of August and stay until mid to late October.

I obtained the visa in Bangkok as I was living in Thailand at the time. I will be returning from the UK where I am visiting family for one month.

I have spent hours doing visa research and finding your blog has helped calm my mind a little; so thank you very much!

I know that the 6 month tourist visas are non extendable, so that is clearly not an option. I can think of two other options and I am wondering if they are possible; 1. Cancel the current visa and apply for a new 6 month visa whilst in the UK (although I’m slightly worried that could backfire and mean I cannot return at all this year!) 2. Return at the start of August, stay the month to finish off the current visa and then get out of there to somewhere such as Nepal and either apply for another tourist in Kathmandu, or apply for the e visa (which is now 60 days?!)

…I’m thinking option 2 would be better…IF they would grant me an e visa so soon after my 6 month visa.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Megan – some people make spam comments so your post did work but I was travelling without access to internet so I was not able to approve it. Your right that the visas are not extendable but I think it doesn’t matter if you apply for a new visa before your old one expires. You could apply for a 6 or 12 month visa from the UK – you still have to leave every 180 days (6 months) You could also go for option 2 and get another visa in Nepal but the duration would be less and maybe only single entry than if you apply in your home country. You can also get the e visa from anywhere. I’m not an immigration professional but I’ve applied for a visa the day after my old visa expired and had not problems. Hope you sort out your visa whichever you decide to do and have a good trip 🙂

Thank for you all your advice. I just wondered if you knew. I am flying to new Delhi in a few weeks. I have already been granted an E-tourist visa. However I shall be volunteering at an orphanage for 10 days before travelling for 15 days on am organised tour. When I rang the E-visa contact number, he expressed you should be fine with that of your main purpose is travelling. I’m a little worried as I want to make sure I have the correct visa. Do you have any recommendations or suggestions ? It would be gratefully appreciated. I am leaving in 12 days time. So not too much time left. I even amended to ring the high commission in London however was on hold for 40 minutes.

Many thanks

I understand your confusion, officially you do need an employment visa for volunteering but at this late stage you are unlikely to be able to get one as it is more complicated to apply for than a tourist e visa.

However, you are also traveling on a tour and for a longer duration that you are volunteering and many people come and volunteer for short periods on a tourist visa (I think its a bit of a grey area) so my advice would just be do not mention the volunteering if they ask you your reason for visiting India – just tell them about the tour you are going on and I wouldn’t think you will have any problems.

Hope you have a great time!

Hello i need help getting a visa is your entering india via land. And can i apply for it now? I am planning to get into india the 7th of november but will be leaving the UK from september the 10th and not returning to the UK until AFTER my india trip? Please help i am very confused.

Hey Caroline. The Indian visa starts from the date of issue not the date of entry so if you apply now and are only given 3 months then your visa may run out before your trip ends and they are non extendable and you can get a fine or ban from India if you overstay. If you are going to be in India for 2 months or less then you could apply for an E Visa while you are on the road. http://www.global-gallivanting.com/how-to-get-a-visa-on-arrival-or-e-tourist-visa-for-india/ You could also apply in Sri Lanka, Nepal or Bali if you are going to be visiting those countries first. Hope this helps

hello, so i cannot apply for the e-visa because e-visa’s are only for when you fly into india which you then sort out at the airport, but i will be entering india from nepal via land so need a normal visa and i need help with appying for this one, how long it lasts, when i should apply, what the process is, can i pay to get it done quicker? thanks!

Yes e visas are for when you fly into India but you can now also enter from a sea port on an evisa so maybe it’s possible. I’m not sure maybe you can enter overland – its best to ask the professionals. I would advise you to contact http://www.iVisa.com – thats who I use for e visas and they will know if you can go overland with an evisa. For more info about getting the visa in Nepal check out this post – https://nomadicboys.com/getting-indian-visa-kathmandu/

Hey Caroline, it usually takes between 1 and 3 weeks to get the visa. You can apply for a 6 month or 12 month visa but the duration issued is up to them- you never know until you get the visa and also I’m not a visa professional so I cannot say anything is 100% guaranteed – it never is with visas they can reject the visa if you don’t sign in the right place for example. It is always better to get the visa in your home country but many people get it Nepal. Call the numbers listed in the post to seek advice from a professional visa agent and check out the post about getting the visa in Kathmandu https://nomadicboys.com/getting-indian-visa-kathmandu/

Hi thanks for this post, this is really helpful and reassuring – I’m worried I’m going to send off my passport and not get it back! I’m heading to India in October and applying for a 6 month tourist visa via post – I can’t find anywhere on the website where I can pay online – do you know if they have stopped accepting this now? I can’t find anything like you described – I have also uploaded a digital photo, so does this mean I don’t need to send physical photos too? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

If you have uploaded digital photos then you shouldn’t need to send in photos as well. The bit where you pay online is only after you’ve finished the application, it kind of takes you to another page that does look a bit dodgy but I’ve never had any problems with it. You click on the button to ‘make appointments and payments’ and select your mode of submission – either you want to make an appointment or send by post. There should be a tab at the top thats called ‘Visa Fee and Pay Details’ and thats where you can make the payment. I’m sure it will be fine – they process lots of visa applications all the time allow 2 – 3 weeks to get the visa back. I’ve haven’t personally needed to do it for a year now though but I can’t imagine they would take away the option to pay online. Hope this helps, good luck 🙂

Hello, I wondered how you go about what you need to do to live there permanently and either get residency or a business visa. I spent just a couple of weeks touring India last December and I love it there and would like to give up my life in England to live a more simple life in India. Possibly Goa. A yoga retreat on a beach resort would be great! I really can’t find much information on moving to India though. I know I would need a business partner who is Indian too though – that’s another hard thing that I can’t find information on anywhere. I have capital, I have business acumen (I work for an investment bank) and I have the desire and capability to really do this, but the starting block seems so hard. Thanks Kristy

Hi Kirsty – sounds amazing but yes its a bit complicated, buying property, starting a business or getting residency is really hard without an Indian partner. You can see info about how to get a business visa here – http://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/Business.html

Hi Anna. Great blog. Most helpful. We travelled to India 3 years ago and spent 8 fantastic weeks travelling in the north. We are going on a cruise in December and calling in at Mumbai and Cochin. We only stop for two days at each port and we need to apply for the full tourist visa which is a very costly four days but apparently there is no alternative unless you can advise otherwise. Since we loved India so much the first time and plan to go back to explore the south, I was thinking of going for a 6 month, multiple entry visa and planing a trip next year. Is there any way I can be guaranteed getting a 6 month visa instead of a 3 month? Also, how far in advance can I make the application. We go on the cruise in December but I need my passport for other trips in October and November.

Hi Micheal – Theres no way you can be guaranteed anything with Indian visas! The length and number of entries they issue is up to them and also the visa will start from the date of issue. But I’m pretty sure that recent changes mean that you are now allowed to enter India through these seaports with an E Visa. Check with https://www.ivisa.com/india-visa-application?utm_source=global_gallivanting&country=GB who should be able to confirm this and can give you professional help. Hope you have a great trip

Hello thanks for all this infomation. Its very helpful! Just wondering if you knew if I could apply for a visa from Cyprus. I live in the UK but am working in cyprus until late Oct and want to go visit a friend in India in Nov. Can I apply while I am here or should i wait until i am back in london?

Hi Kelly, if you are going to visit India for no more than 60 days then you could apply for an e visa online from anywhere. Otherwise you will need to send your passport off for about 2 weeks to get the visa and it’s best to do it from your home country.

Thank you for the information it’s been really helpful. I seem to have run in to a problem though .. I’ve submitted the application and now there seems no way for me to access it again; I haven’t paid any fees yet but there isn’t any way to get back in to the application to select a mode of submission or make a payment. I can however track the application using a ref number that was given but this only tells me that the application is in progress with no further options.

Do you think I should start the process again as perhaps I’ve missed something? Given how strict they seem to be I’m worried that a duplicate will affect my application. Any help would be appreciated!

Once you submit the application you go to another page to made the payment/ appointment. Do you have the temporary application number? You should be able to get back into the application if you have that. Otherwise, I’m not sure what went wrong but it sounds like if you have not made a payment or an appointment your visa application won’t be able to go any further so maybe you’ll have to start again.

Thanks Anna,

My partner just went through the same application process and again there was no payment option once the application was submitted, and no way to retrieve the application other than to reprint the pdf. I have since been emailing their helpdesk at info.inuk but the information I am getting back from them is similarly frustrating in it’s lack of clarity and despite asking them for confirmation of what I should do next they only seem to want me to refer back to the vfs site for help. I have asked to send a postal order instead but even getting confirmation that this is acceptable has been a struggle! Anyway thank you for your help, I am sure that this hassle will be worth it in the long run!

I think there is a problem with their site as I’ve heard this has been happening to alot of people this last week or so where it doesn’t take you to the payment and appointment screen and the only thing you can do is reprint the application form.

Make sure you note down your application number and try going to this link for the payment and make appointment screens – https://www.vfsvisaservice.com/IHC_UK_ONLINE/(S(xfl0pvli34mrlyqhjyidyu2v) )/Index.aspx

There you should be able to type in your application number and passport number and make the payment or appointment.

If it doesn’t work one day you can try the next day and sometimes it will work then.

The link has worked first time – what a relief!

Thank you for all your help Anna we really appreciate it, I’ll certainly be coming back to the sit for more tips.

All the best, Andy

Glad it worked for you 🙂 Sometimes the site can be a bit dodgy! :s

I just like the caring information you provide to your articles. I will bookmark your blog and take a look at again right here frequently. Thanks for sharing this so valuable post!

Hi Anna Thank you for your useful blog. It’s a long story but in essences I want to take my 13yo son to Goa for at least 3 months this winter. He’s dyslexic and would greatly benefit from one to one intensive English and maths lessons. Our schools have failed him. I would appreciate any links or advice. Thanks in advance Chris

Hi Chris. Sorry I’ve only just received your message. I don’t have kids myself but have heard good things about the yellow school in Anjuna. https://www.greenprophet.com/2018/03/re-schooling-in-goa-at-the-holistic-yellow-school/ Hope this helps

Hi Anna, thanks for your advice and tips on how to complete this dreaded visa application for India. Ive been on my PC for nearly 4 hours now and after finding your page just by accident , I have moved a bit forward with the visa application for India that I need, however I am kind of stuck again. Here are my problems and inquiry, I hope you can help or point me to someone who can help. Im a UK citizen as is my mum who is elderly and frail. Her brother in India is quite ill and so I am taking her over to see him just for 8 days, so we dont require long period visas. We are travelling mid October. Im not very good with a computer so thought Id go for the print and post option and chose LONDON as my mission. I have got as far as printing my visa application . I have been able to print it out and also printed the declaration form via link you provided. My questions now are as follows .

1. I cant seem to be able to pay for the visa. I followed your instructions and went onto the pay visa processing fee screen option ( on indiavisaonline.gov site), however, after I entered the details required, I got a a messege in red saying “Please fill a new e-Visa application as the application format is changed” . HELP!!! Do I have to do this all over again and does it mean I cant do this application by post? Im not entirely sure how to upload photos to the format they want and hence wanted to do this by post or in person. 2. Do I not need to scan my passport somewhere, is giving them passport details on the form enough? 3. If I am successful with getting my visa done,( god help me!!!) I will have to do my mums visa too. Just wondered, can I use the same email address I used for my visa to apply for hers as she isnt on email? Mind you the application i submitted is logged as submitted and being processed despite me not paying yet AND weirdly, I havent got any email acknowledgement to say its even been submitted!!!! what do i do!!!

Sorry for a million questions.. hope you can throw some light my way! thanks a bunch!

thank you so much for the help! I have completed my application form and paid for it but i cant seem to work out where to print the application form off! Can you help?

Thanks so much

never mind! it was a fault on my computer!

Hi Anna, I’ll be calling the helpline tomorrow to clarify a few points of uncertainty on the 6-month tourist visa application form; however, in case you can answer me before they can: In the section asking about “visible identification marks,” what are they referring to? To physical marks of identification on my body/face, or what? I have a protuberant nose and quite sharp features generally, with medium-length blonde hair and a mole just below the left side of my collarbone – but do I say any of this, or just enter “none,” which is what I have temporarily entered? Thank you in advance for potentially answering my question.

And one other thing that I forgot to ask: When it comes to the passport photos, do I have to upload them onto the application in digital format, or can I send in two loose paper pictures taking at a photo-booth – if I can do it the latter way, can they be loose or do I need to glue them to the application? Thank you again, and great post.

Hi Anna, I’ve just received approval of my Indian evisa but I was surprised to see that the ETC has a place to fix a physical photo, just across the page from where it shows the electronic version of the photo. Do I need to put a physical picture there or can I get away without it? Thanks, Ben.

Hi Ben – I would always carry several passport photos with you when travelling in India. When you arrive at the airport they can confirm what they want you to do

Hey, so it looks like I have cut it too fine to send off my passport for a visa longer than 60 days! If I want to spend more time in India could I leave to say Sri Lanka, apply for another e-visa and then return in a couple of weeks? Thanks!

You cant extend the visa and you can only get 2 in one year but you could also apply for another regular visa in Sri Lanka or Nepal

The article is really captivating to me especially the information you providing in applying for visa to UK citizen. I do have a lot of UK friend that wants to travel in India.

Glad its helpful

Hi Anna I see on the visa application form for. 6 month visa they ask have you ever visited India before and if so when and what was your visa number I was there 9 years ago but now have a new passport and no record of the number Is it important or not and will it affect my being granted a new visa

If you have it I think it’s best but I’m not sure what happens if you don’t. Maybe you can comment back and let me know? It may help other travellers with the same question

Hey, Really helpful article thanks! Was just wondering, with the 6/12 month visas, after the date of issue, is there a date you have to be in India by? Like do you have to get into the country say, a month after it is issued or anything like that? I will probably get a 12 month visa as I will be travelling in SE Asia for about 4 months before I get to India and then be in India for about 6/7 months. Would it still be sensible to get the visa before I go? Because I do have enough time with my plan but is it still easier doing it in England than somewhere else while I’m away already? Thanks

Hi Ciara – the visa starts from the date of issue not the date you enter India. You can go anytime after its been issued but you need this into account when you apply so that you get enough time on your visa for your India trip. It’s always better to apply from your home country but you can get a 60 day e visa online if you are already traveling.

Site is so useful!

I’m flying on Jan 4th and I’m hoping to finish my application by tomorrow.

With this Xmas holidays coming up I’m getting slightly worried that I’ve not left myself enough time :/

Is dropping the application form off at a centre quicker than posting it?

And if I do this what do I select when I select my mode of submission?

It’s quicker to make an appointment to submit the visa than posting it. You select this after you’ve done the form

Site is so useful! But when I’ve tried to post a question it’s saying it’s a duplicate and won’t let me post!

Sorry – its because I have to moderate the comments before they show

Hi Anna, I completed the online visa application and then went on to ‘visa fee and pay details’ section. I unticked the ‘photo upload service’ and went to payment. It was £135.24. When I looked at the breakdown of the payment though it says £12.33 is for “courier charges” I was planning to send a SAE as you suggest in the blog but am I right to say I’ll be wasting my money now as it will be sent by courier on their part?

Thank you for writing this blog. We followed your advice and our 6 month Indian tourist visas came back in under a week. My Mum has recently passed away so we are coming to Goa, as a family, in January to heal, relax and reconnect. We are going to try and rent somewhere and will take your advice (again) and wait until we arrive. Thank you, the Astall family

Hi Kate, sorry to hear about your Mum passing but glad to hear that you found my blog useful. Hope you have a good trip! 🙂

Thanks for writing this, it made using the websites heaps easier. Got my 6 month visa back in like a week. Thanks again! Jess

Great! Glad to help Jess. Hope you have a great trip 🙂

Hi there, can you tell me if we can use the E-visa service please? we have 2 sons and in the past we have had to send in marriage cert and birth cert before getting their visa’s…I want to use the E-visa service but it does not say anything about this on the website

Hi I’m sure children can get the e Visa but I’m not an immigration professional. If you need professional assistance contact iVisa for the E Visa or Visa HQ for 6 month visa. You can also contact VFS Global with any queries by emailing [email protected] or call +44 203 793 8629 or +44 203 788 4666 (Monday – Friday 8:30 – 15:30 (except for Consular Holiday) You can also call 09057570045 from Monday – Friday 8:30 – 17:30 (except for Consular Holidays) but this number charges 95p per minute from a BT landline and more from a mobile.

Hi Anna Thankyou for this, so helpful! I’m probrably going to come across stupid but I am worried that my visa will get rejected most likely like everyone esle! I’m applying for a 12 month multiple entry visa mainly so I have the option to leave and come back maybe go elsewhere in Asia and back but I have no itinerary let’s just say I never think ahead or organise anything and I don’t like making set plans. I have seen on other forums that when applying for multiple entry they want full details of your itinerary, flights to and from and back to India, train tickets and the places you are staying!! I dont know any of that, is that something I would have to make up? Will they really want proof of all those plain tickets that all sounds like it would cost so much for an itinerary you don’t want to stick to! I’m probrably over reacting but would love to know your thoughts on this. Thankyou Lids xx

Hi, a few years ago they were asking for itineraries but I haven’t heard of them asking recently so you should be OK. Have a great trip 🙂

Hello Anna. My wife and I are on a cruise in April and we are moored in Cochin for just 6 hours. I understand that if we wish to go ashore we will require a visa each; the process you outline seems very long-winded for such a short visit. Do you know if there are any concessions for very short visits by cruise passengers? We have also been told that Cochin is not geared up to process the volume of eVisas that a cruise might deliver all at one time and that we should apply for a passport visa / stamp. Do you know if this is correct (sorry, I know you are not an immigration official). Many thanks.

I haven’t personally been on a cruise so can’t really comment but you def do need a visa to enter India and its a little different when entering from sea. I would advise you to check with VFS Global or iVisa – the details are in the post. Sorry I can’t help more but hope you have a great trip

Hi Anna Hope you can advise me please. We are visiting Goa on 10th Nov 2018 for two weeks and then going on a cruise in March 2019 which visits Goa, Kerala, Mangalore and Mumbai returning on April q0th 2019. If I apply for a multiple entry visa in October 1018 will I be able to apply for a 12 month visa. Is there an option to put details of our second cruise holiday itinerary on the application form? I don’t really want to pay for two visas. Thanks Susan.

Hi susan. Yes a 12 month visa is the same price as a 6 month one so if I was you I would apply for a 12 month visa but I don’t think there is anywhere on the application form where you could write it but you could include a note with your application.

such a helpful blogpost thanks so much, you’ve made the application process way easier for me! i have realised i have missed out a few bits of info on my printed application 1) i visited morocco a few years a go and have a stamp in my passport 2) in the box where you should fill out all the places in india you expect to visit i just put delhi and goa, although my reference is in Kasauli. Should I begin the process again? Is it possible to edit and print again? Thanks for your help!

Glad its useful. Yes it should be possible to start again if you made a mistake. Good luck 🙂

ihave client who allready has got 6 month multiple visa but he wants to stay on india for 2 more years what should i do plz help

Tourist visas cannot be extended

Hi so if I get thiis online evisa for 2 months (60 days)…. Could I leve the country for a few weeks, and apply again, then come back into India again for another 2 months afterwards…. Is this possible…. Or its only 60 days and there’s nothing you can do about it?

Hi Tom, you can extend the visa and you can only have 2 e visas in 1 year. I’m not sure if you can apply for a new visa while you old visa is valid and by leaving the country the time on your visa would still be running and you would not be able to get it back. Probably better to spend the 60 days in India before moving onto a different country.

i also struggle from that situation Glad you share it. Good luck everyone.

Hi, I am a little concerned about my Indian visa application. I think I have filled everything out correctly on the forms, but when it came to ‘Expected date of Arrival’, the calender opens up but would only allow me to select dates up to January 2019. I am cruising to India on March 20th 2019, so I tried to enter the date manually, the site allowed this and I carried on, finished and paid £270 for two applications. From what I have read on this page, I fear that the 3 month visa I requested will start and finish before I even get to India next March! Shall I try to cancel, or will they just keep the money anyway?

Yes, the visa is valid from the date of issue so if they only give you a 3 month visa it may expire. I don’t think you can get your money back after you’ve submitted sadly. Maybe try contacting the embassy? Good luck!

I found your blog really useful, thank you! However, I have a few questions as below:

– if I apply for a regular visa, ie by post, do I still have to visit one of their offices for an interview? – is an interview not required for an e-visa? – is there an additional bank charge, as it states (2.5%) in the instructions for e-visa? – from your own experience, is one method better than the other?

Many thanks, Lynn

Hi Lynn. The e Visa is the easiest but only for 60 days. I normally just get my visa by post as I find that easiest and no you don’t need an interview for e visa or regular tourist visa.

Hi Anna. I am planning a trip to Bhutan via India in October. I visited India last year and managed to obtain an e-visa on that occasion. This time I am travelling via Mumbai and Delhi. I have a stop over of some 4hours in Mumbai and then an onward flight to Delhi. Both incoming and outgoing from the same terminal (2). When I land at Delhi I arrive at terminal 3 and the ongoing flight to Bhutan (with a different Airline) leaves from that same terminal. However, I need to transfer my luggage from one airline to another. Do I need an Indian Visa to do so? Presumably I need to go through immigration to claim my baggage and transfer it to another flight even though I am in transit. I would really appreciate your guidance on this. Thank you. Chris.

Hi Chris – It’s a difficult one. if you are staying in the same terminal then you don’t need to leave so you don’t need an Indian visa but if you need to clear immigration in order to collect your luggage then maybe you will need one. You should ask the airline what the procedure will be – maybe they can help you so you collect it before immigration. Sometimes in Mumbai you have to change airport – in which case you would need one a visa. Have a great time in Bhutan! I’ve also been fascinated by the country!

Thanks very much, Anna. All things considered, I think the best way of avoiding a whole load of grief is to get a visitor’s Visa. We are really looking forward to visiting Bhutan, which looks to be an amazing civilised Country. Thanks again and best wishes, Chris.

Hi Hopefully you can help we are cruising from dubai and visiting 4 ports in india (first port Mumbai) so we will arrive 4 times in india in 6 days by sea will an e visa suffice regards john

Hi John, I’m not an immigration professional so I can’t give you a definitive answer You will need a MULTIPLE ENTRY visa and you need to check which seaports you are entering. Unless they have changed it again I think you can only enter by e visa at 3 Indian seaports – Cochin, Goa and Mangalore – not Mumbai. So maybe you need to send your passport away and apply for the normal visa. You should check with your cruise line for the information or an immigration/ visa professional

Hi Anna this blog is amazing. I’m just a bit worried though as I am a British citizen living and working in Malaysia. Will I be eligible for an e visa? I read somewhere you can’t have one if you are British citizen working oveseas. im only going there for one week in November. Do you think I will be ok to apply?

Thanks, glad you like the blog! 🙂 I haven’t heard of not being able to apply for an Indian visa if your working overseas. I wouldn’t think you should have any problems applying for an e visa for India.

Good luck and hope you have a good time in India 🙂

Hi there Great blog! Thank you. I can’t remember or find a previous visa number from 2004. Do you think I can just put unknown and write a note to say I no longer have the passport? Many thanks

I’m not sure as I’ve never tried applying without a previous visa number.

I guess if you can’t find it you’ll just have to do that but I can’t give you a definitive answer of what they will do as I’m not an immigration professional.

Good luck and hope you get your visa ok and have a good time in India 🙂

Thanks for all of this useful info! Going to be a great help when we head over to Anjuna next year. Our worry is, we want to do a full 9/12 month stint over there, so the worry of leaving after 180 days has me concerned, as we won’t be planning on going back to the UK. Any ideas? Can we go airside at the airport and sit there for 24 hours? or do we have to leave the country entirely and then come back? Also, do we have to go to London? or can we do it all by post? As we live in the ever cold Newcastle and it will be a pain in the butt to have to travel to the big smoke (I HATE IT)

TBH Your gonna get a lot of messages from us over the next 9 months before we go, as you’ve done exactly what we want to do, and your blog has been our main source of inspiration and information thus far. Thanks so much in advance.

Ted & Sarah x

Hi Ted and Sarah.

Exciting that you are moving to Anjuna and glad that my blog has helped.

You can apply for your visa by post – info is in this article. Everyone has to leave every 180 days but you can just go to Sri Lanka or Nepal and Dubai for 1 day and come straight back as long as your visa is still valid – you don’t need to go to UK. You can’t just sit in the airport – they won’t even let you into the airport without a flight ticket.

A lot of questions you get. Thanks a lot for giving feedback and support. I did wrote to you before regarding a visa.

Normally I do only book a one way ticket to visit a country.

India wants a return – or onwards ticket to issue the visa.

Now I am looking for a short flight ticket to get out of India. From where to where is not important. Just a good price is needed. And with this ticket I can apply the visa. I am not going to use this ticket anyway.

I will leave India before my Visa will expire anyway. But I do not know yet where I will go too. So I do have more time to think about my ongoing travel plans.

Any recommendations or ideas ?

Muchas gracias Silvio Hostal Capurgana, Capurgana, Kolumbien

Hello Anna.

I’m planning on visiting India around October 2019. I’ve been reading through all the useful information and links about applying for a 6 month tourist visa.

What confuses me is the point you make about validity. I quote, “Also, the validity of the visa begins from the date of issue by the High Commission of India and not from the date of travel on your application form.”

I take this to mean that on receipt of my visa it will display the “date of issue”. If I travel 3 months after the “date of issue” does it mean that I’m only able to visit India for 3 months?

I would be most grateful if you could clarify this point for me.

Thank you very much.

Hi Daniel, yes the visa starts on the day it’s issued. So if you get a 6 month visa but don’t enter India until 3 months after you got it then it will only have 3 months left on it. You can’t extend visas while in India either and overstaying results in a fine and ban on visiting India again so don’t risk it.

very helpful…

I am going to Mumbai for 8 days, then goa for 4 days, then back to mumbai for 3…then returning back to the UK.

Do i need to get a multiple entry or a single?

If you are only entering India once (in Mumbai I guess) and not leaving India then you only need a single entry visa

I’ve just been through the whole arduous process of applying for an Indian visa. For your purposes simple apply for an e-visa. It will suffice. It last for 60 days. Good luck with the visa and I hope you have a great time. Daniel

Yes, its quite an undertaking isn’t it just getting the visa. Glad you got your ok and hope you have a good trip to India! 🙂

Hi Anna, My partner (Uk resident), will be travelling to Australia and then wanted to join me in India for 10 days. Should he get an E-visa for india? He was told by the quantas air that he would have to come back to Uk and travel to india from Uk to go to india. Is that correct? A bit silly I feel

Hi Kay, Yes you can now get an e visa for India from anywhere in the world – no need to go back to your home country to apply. He should be fine applying for an e visa for India from Australia. Hope you have a good trip together 🙂

Thank you so much for this! I have been scouting the internet for so long for this information

Great! Hope it helps! I know how confusing applying for an Indian visa can be!

Hi Anna, Thank you for this blog post – I think this should be linked directly from the Indian Govt website! My girlfriend and I are coming to India for a 2 week adventure and I think I understand everything on the eVisa application form – except the bit where it asks for my National ID number. Do you know if that would be my National Insurance number? Or is that an “NA” answer? If you have any advice on that, I’d be really grateful. And thanks again for your great blog!

Hi Tom – thanks, glad it’s useful. No its your national identification number for example your passport number not national insurance. 🙂

[…] for a 6 or 12 month Indian Tourist Visa (here’s my step by step guide to help you) , make that decision, take the leap of faith and book a flight to India – and that’s the […]