Do US Citizens Need a Visa for India, and How Does the India eVisa Work for US, UK and Canadian Citizens?

Do US, UK and Canadian citizens need a visa for India?

Yes. US, UK and Canadian passports all need an India eVisa, because each is in the group of 174 passports that must be approved online before travel.

India's eVisa group covers 174 passports, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. A visa on arrival is not open to Americans, so wait until your approval (the ETA) shows GRANTED before you fly.

The three passports share one answer. The one thing that can differ is the government fee, which India sets by nationality. The fees in this guide are the standard ones, for most passports, and every total we show includes the government fee.

A British passport holder uses the same e-Tourist Visa lengths as a US passport holder. Canada is also on India's eVisa list, so the whole process is online. Our India eVisa service covers all three.

Which India eVisa fits your trip?

Most holidaymakers need the India e-Tourist Visa: 30 days for one short trip, 1 year for several trips, or 5 years for frequent visits. Business, medical and conference trips each have their own eVisa.

Pick the eVisa that matches the main reason for your trip, because each category covers only its own purpose.

The yearly cap counts every day you spend in India in a calendar year, across all trips. The 1-year and 5-year visas run from the day your approval is granted, not the day you land. An eVisa cannot be extended or converted inside India.

Not sure which one fits? Our guide Which India Visa Do I Need? walks through each category.

What do US, UK and Canadian passport holders need to be eligible?

An India eVisa needs a passport valid for 6 months with 2 blank pages, a recent photo, a copy of your passport photo page, and a return or onward ticket with enough money for your stay.

What you need

1. A passport valid for 6 months with 2 blank pagesIndia counts the validity from the day you apply, and the blank pages are for the stamp the officer adds when you land.
   How to get it: Check the expiry date and your free pages now.
   Watch out: We recommend a passport still valid six months after you arrive, so a trip that slips does not cause a problem.
   Who needs it: Every traveler
2. Your own passport for every travelerIndia will not issue an eVisa to a child listed only on a parent's passport.
   How to get it: Get the child a separate passport first. Each child then has their own photo and passport scan.
   Watch out: Travel on the passport you applied with. If you renew after approval, carry the old one too.
   Who needs it: Children and adults alike
3. A passport-style photoA clear, recent photo of your face against a plain light background.
   How to get it: A phone photo is fine. We format it to the requirements.
   Watch out: Shadows on the face or background are the common reason a photo is sent back.
   Who needs it: Every traveler
4. A photo of your passport photo pageA clear photo or scan of the page with your photo, with all four corners visible.
   How to get it: Upload it online from a phone or computer. Nothing is shipped.
   Watch out: A cut-off corner or glare over the text can get it sent back.
   Who needs it: Every traveler
5. A return or onward ticket and enough money for your stayA ticket out to any other country counts, so you do not have to fly home from India.
   How to get it: Keep the booking on your phone or printed, and a bank card or recent statement to show funds.
   Watch out: Airlines and immigration officers may ask to see them.
   Who needs it: Every traveler

Apply no later than 4 days before you arrive. Applying earlier leaves time to replace a photo or document if India asks for one.

Who cannot use the eVisa, and what are the exceptions?

The India eVisa is not open to some travelers, who apply for a regular visa instead, and it carries limits on where and how long you can travel.

• Holders of diplomatic or official passports, or other travel documents.
• Anyone with a military, police or security background.
• People of Pakistani nationality or origin, including through parents or grandparents on either side of the family. They apply for a regular visa instead.
• An eVisa does not cover protected, restricted or cantonment areas, which need separate permission.
• An eVisa cannot be extended or converted to another visa type inside India.

What does an India eVisa cost, and what do other services charge?

Our India eVisa totals start at $104 for the 30-day visa and rise with the visa length and speed. Every total includes the government fee.

Every total includes the government fee of $25 for the 30-day visa, $40 for the 1-year visa and $200 for the 5-year visa, for most passports; nothing is paid separately.

What do other services charge?

Other India eVisa services list totals such as total $90.99 (service None, government None) as fast as 2 days for the 1-year visa and total $245.8 (service None, government None) Approval expected by October 27 for the 5-year visa, and the 30-day visa at total $57.35 (service $47, government $10) 3 days. Prices vary by service, so compare the full total, not just the headline. Ours is the full price, with your photo and passport page checked and the application completed for you. For more on pricing, see How Much Does an Indian Visa Cost?

How long does an India eVisa take, and can I rush it?

Our India eVisa options run from 2 days door to door at the quickest speed to 7 days at Standard. India has no express or emergency government fee, so speed comes from a clean application.

India asks for the fee to be paid at least 4 days before you travel, or the application is not processed, so a same-day trip is not possible on an eVisa. If a photo or document is unclear, India normally emails within 24 hours asking for a new upload, so check your inbox and spam folder.

We check your documents before submitting, so a fixable problem does not hold you up. The decision itself is India's alone.

How does the India eVisa process work with us?

With PassportsAndVisas.com, you upload a photo and passport page, we check and submit your application, India reviews it, and your approval arrives by email for you to print.

1. You upload two itemsUpload a phone photo and a photo of your passport photo page. Everything is uploaded online from a phone or computer. Nothing is shipped.
2. We check and formatWe check your photo and passport page against the requirements and format them, so a fixable problem is caught before it reaches India.
3. We complete and submit your applicationWe complete the application with your details, check every entry against your passport, and submit it.
4. India reviews itIndia reviews the application and emails if a photo or document needs replacing, normally within 24 hours.
5. Your approval arrives by emailYour approval is an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Check that it shows GRANTED, then print it and carry it.
6. The visa is stamped in when you landAt an approved airport or seaport, the officer stamps the eVisa into your passport and takes your fingerprints and photo.

Approved entry points include every major international airport, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Cochin, Jaipur and both Goa airports, plus approved seaports for cruise passengers. Want us to take it from here? PassportsAndVisas.com completes the application for you.

What else do you need before you land in India?

Before landing in India, every foreign visitor completes the online e-Arrival Card and the Air Suvidha self-declaration, and carries a printed copy of the eVisa approval showing GRANTED.

• e-Arrival Card: the paper card ended on 1 April 2026, so it is online only, completed within 72 hours before arrival. It is not a visa. We can complete it for you from $69.
• Air Suvidha self-declaration: every passenger completes it before reaching the immigration counters. It is separate from the e-Arrival Card.
• Printed approval: carry a copy of your ETA with the status GRANTED.
• Return or onward ticket and funds: keep them ready to show on request.
• Yellow fever card: if you are a citizen of a country India lists as affected, or fly in from one, carry your vaccination card. Without it you may be quarantined for six days.
• Polio certificate: resident nationals of the polio-affected countries named by India's Ministry of Health carry one, with one dose at least four weeks before the trip.

India also takes fingerprints and a photo at immigration when you arrive.

What if your passport is not from the US, UK or Canada?

A passport from any of the 174 eVisa countries, including Australia, Germany, France, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, gets the same eVisa answer. Other passports need a regular visa, or no visa.

If your passport is on the eVisa list

Citizens of 174 countries and territories, including Australia, Germany, France, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, use the same India eVisa and the same prices as in this guide.

If your passport needs a regular embassy visa

Passports from 27 countries, including China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, need a regular paper visa through an Indian embassy, consulate or visa centre. The visa allows up to 180 days with multiple entry. It takes longer, so start sooner.

Every total includes the government fee of $160; nothing is paid separately.

If you need no visa, or a different route

Passports from Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal need no visa. Afghanistan and Kosovo passports go through an embassy route, and Pakistan passports are not allowed an eVisa. Anyone of Pakistani origin applies for a regular visa, not the eVisa.

Why PassportsAndVisas.com for your India eVisa?

PassportsAndVisas.com checks your photo and passport page, completes and submits your India eVisa application, and gives you one total that includes the government fee, at three speeds.

• We check your photo and passport page before anything is submitted.
• We complete and submit the application, and follow it for you.
• One total includes the government fee, from $104.
• Three speeds, with options as fast as 2 days door to door.
• A registered passport expediter since 1992, with 500K+ travelers served and 11,766 reviews. We are a private company, not the U.S. government.

Ask Sarah about your India eVisa, or call us at (800) 860-8610.