On this page · 12 sections
- How long does an India eVisa take, and what does each option cost?
- Can I buy faster government processing for an India eVisa?
- How early do I need to apply for an India eVisa?
- What does the India eVisa timing include, and what is separate?
- What can slow an India eVisa down?
- How do I check my India eVisa status, and what if it is pending?
- How long does an India eVisa take for a U.S. citizen who needs it urgently?
- What if I travel to India in under 4 days?
- Is a visa on arrival faster than an eVisa?
- If your passport is China, Nigeria, Turkey or another embassy-visa passport: how long does it take?
- If your passport is Nepal, Bhutan or Maldives: how long does it take?
- If your passport is Pakistan, Afghanistan or Kosovo: what applies?
Key Takeaways
- An India eVisa application must be made no later than 4 days before arrival, and the fee must be paid a few days before travel or the application is not processed.
- PassportsAndVisas.com prepares, checks and submits your India eVisa at three speeds, from 7 days down to 2 days door to door, from $104 with the government fee included.
- India has no express or emergency government service, so our speeds are about how quickly we prepare, check and submit your application, not about buying a faster decision.
- An unclear photo or passport scan is the most common cause of delay: India normally emails a re-upload request within 24 hours.
- An India eVisa approval is not the stamp: you fly once your status shows GRANTED, and the visa is stamped into your passport when you land.
How long does an India eVisa take, and what does each option cost?
An India eVisa takes 7, 5 or 2 days door to door with PassportsAndVisas.com, depending on the speed you choose. Each total below includes the government fee.
| Option | Total you pay (includes the government fee) | Door to door |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Day e-Tourist Visa, Standard | $104 | 7 days |
| 30-Day e-Tourist Visa, Rush | $124 | 5 days |
| 30-Day e-Tourist Visa, Emergency | $174 | 2 days |
| 1-Year e-Tourist Visa, Standard | $119 | 7 days |
| 1-Year e-Tourist Visa, Rush | $139 | 5 days |
| 1-Year e-Tourist Visa, Emergency | $189 | 2 days |
| 5-Year e-Tourist Visa, Standard | $279 | 7 days |
| 5-Year e-Tourist Visa, Rush | $299 | 5 days |
| 5-Year e-Tourist Visa, Emergency | $349 | 2 days |
Every total includes the government fee of $25 for the 30-Day visa, $40 for the 1-Year visa or $200 for the 5-Year visa; nothing is paid separately. The government's review of 3-4 days is included in door to door. The government fee differs by passport for some nationalities, and these are the standard fees.
The 30-Day visa allows a stay of 30 days. The 1-Year and 5-Year visas allow up to 180 days per stay, with multiple entries. Your choice of visa does not change the 4-day minimum.
Can I buy faster government processing for an India eVisa?
No, India has no express or emergency government service, so nobody can buy a faster decision. Our Rush and Emergency speeds shorten how long we take to prepare, check and submit your application.
The Emergency option is for travelers whose trip is close. We handle your application first, check your photo and passport scan before submission, and keep you updated while India reviews it. The decision itself is India's alone.
That is why a clean application matters more than any other step. A photo or scan that is unclear can trigger a re-upload request, and a request costs time that no speed can give back.
Reader wants to know which visa and speed fits the trip
Ask Sarah a question →How early do I need to apply for an India eVisa?
The latest you can apply for an India eVisa is 4 days before arrival, and the fee must be paid a few days before travel or the application is not processed. The same window applies to the 30-day, 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist Visas and to the business and medical visas.
Applying as soon as your trip is booked leaves room to replace a photo or document if India asks for one. A regular paper visa takes longer than an eVisa, so start sooner if your passport needs one.
The 5-Year and 1-Year validity runs from the day your approval is granted, not the day you land, so applying very early uses up part of the validity.
What does the India eVisa timing include, and what is separate?
Door to door covers our checks, the submission, India's review and your approval arriving by email. The e-Arrival Card and the Air Suvidha self-declaration are separate steps you complete before you land.
- Included in door to door: our document check, the submission to India, the government's review, and your approval (ETA) arriving by email.
- Separate: the e-Arrival Card. Every foreign visitor files it online within 72 hours before arrival. We can complete it for you as its own service.
- Separate: the Air Suvidha self-declaration. Every passenger completes it before reaching immigration.
- Not included: the stamp. Your approval is not the visa stamp. The visa is stamped into your passport when you land at an approved port of entry.
What can slow an India eVisa down?
An unclear photo or passport scan is the most common cause of delay, because India then emails a request to re-upload it, normally within 24 hours. Mismatched details and a late payment also cause problems.
| Cause | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Unclear photo | India can reject an application if the photo is not clear, so it asks for a re-upload. | Centre your head so the frame shows the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin, in even light with no shadows. We check your photo against the rules before submission. |
| Unreadable passport scan | The passport photo page has to be readable, with all four corners visible. | Upload a clear photo or scan of the photo page. We check it before we submit. |
| Details that do not match the passport | The applicant is responsible for every detail, and the name, passport number, date of birth and nationality must match the passport exactly. | We check every detail against your passport before your application goes in. |
| Short passport validity or too few blank pages | The passport needs 6 months of validity and 2 blank pages for the entry stamp. | Check your passport before you start. We recommend validity six months past your arrival. |
| Paying too close to travel | The fee must be paid at least 4 days before travel or the application is not processed. | Apply as soon as the trip is booked. |
Our pre-submission checks exist to catch these problems before India sees them. If you are unsure which visa type fits your trip, our guide on which India visa you need helps you pick.
How do I check my India eVisa status, and what if it is pending?
A pending application needs your inbox: the confirmation, any re-upload request and the decision all arrive by email. Start your journey only once the status shows GRANTED.
- Check your inbox and spam folder for the confirmation, any re-upload request (normally within 24 hours) and the decision email.
- Payment status can take up to two hours to update. Do not pay a second time while you wait.
- If we submitted your application, we follow the status and keep you updated.
- Because India has no express service, a pending application cannot be sped up by anyone. If you are unsure what an email means, Ask Sarah and we will help.
Want us to follow your application for you?
Get your India eVisa now →How long does an India eVisa take for a U.S. citizen who needs it urgently?
A U.S. passport needs an India eVisa, and with PassportsAndVisas.com it takes 2 days door to door at our quickest speed, as long as your arrival is at least 4 days away.
United States passports are in the eVisa group, so the options and totals in the table above apply to you. Visa on arrival is not open to Americans, so wait until your approval shows GRANTED before you fly.
The 30-Day e-Tourist Visa at Emergency is $174 total, government fee included. If your trip is under 4 days away, an eVisa is not possible because the fee must be paid at least 4 days before travel.
What if I travel to India in under 4 days?
If you travel in under 4 days, an eVisa is not possible, because the fee must be paid at least 4 days before travel.
A same-day or last-minute trip is not possible on an eVisa. Visa on arrival exists only at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports, for a few nationalities, and it is not open to most passports. For your passport, the answer depends on the group it belongs to in the sections below.
If your trip is 4 or more days away, apply now: the Emergency speed is the quickest we offer at 2 days door to door.
Reader choosing between eVisa and visa on arrival
Ask Sarah a question →Is a visa on arrival faster than an eVisa?
No, a visa on arrival is not faster, and it is not open to most passports. It is issued only at six airports, and you fill in a form and pay at the visa counter.
An eVisa is approved before you leave home, so you know you are cleared to travel, and it works at all of India's designated e-Visa airports and seaports. Visa on arrival cannot be extended or converted. Read more in our guide on the difference between an eVisa and a visa on arrival.
If your passport is China, Nigeria, Turkey or another embassy-visa passport: how long does it take?
Passports from 27 countries, including China, Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, need a regular paper visa, which takes 16, 8 or 7 days door to door with us.
This group also includes Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey, among others. A regular visa allows a stay of 180 days, valid for 180 days, with multiple entries.
| Option | Total you pay (includes the government fee) | Door to door |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Paper Visa, Standard | $309 | 16 days |
| Regular Paper Visa, Rush | $409 | 8 days |
| Regular Paper Visa, Emergency | $509 | 7 days |
Every total includes the government fee of $160; nothing is paid separately. The government's review of 7-14 days is included in door to door.
Reader not ready to buy
Ask Sarah a question →If your passport is Nepal, Bhutan or Maldives: how long does it take?
Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives passports need no visa for India, but every foreign visitor still files the e-Arrival Card before landing. Our e-Arrival Card service takes 1 day at every speed.
Our e-Arrival Card service is $69 at Standard, $89 at Rush and $129 at Emergency. The card is not a visa.
Nepal and Bhutan citizens crossing directly from home need no passport; from elsewhere (not China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan) they need a valid passport. Maldivians can stay up to 90 days in any six months.
If your passport is Pakistan, Afghanistan or Kosovo: what applies?
Pakistan passports are not allowed on this route, so no timing applies. Afghanistan and Kosovo passports need an embassy visa, and we hold no timing or fee for them yet.
Pakistani passport holders face separate, much tighter rules, and we do not offer an India visa service for that passport. For Afghanistan and Kosovo passports, we do not yet have an embassy visa timing or fee to quote.
Why PassportsAndVisas.com for your India eVisa?
PassportsAndVisas.com completes your India eVisa application, checks your photo and documents before submission, and keeps you updated, at three speeds with one total that includes the government fee.
- We check first. We review your photo and passport scan against the rules before submission, so a fixable problem does not hold you up.
- We handle it. We complete and submit the application, then follow the status for you.
- Three speeds, one total. From $104 with the government fee included, and as fast as 2 days door to door.
- Nothing to ship. You upload everything online from a phone or computer.
- Experience. A registered passport expediter since 1992, with 500K+ travelers served and 11,766 customer reviews. We are a private company, not the U.S. government.
What you send us
- Passport-style photoA clear, recent photo of the face against a plain light background. A phone photo is fine, and we format it to the requirements.How to get it: Upload it online from your phone or computer.Watch out: Even light and no shadows prevent a re-upload request.Who needs it: Every traveler, children included
- Passport photo pageA clear photo or scan of the passport's photo page with all four corners visible.How to get it: Upload it online from your phone or computer.Watch out: Make sure the details match what you tell us exactly.Who needs it: Every traveler
“Had never heard of them, but after reading the reviews, I decided to give them a try for Myanmar and India passports for my wife and i. They were very helpful every step of the way via phone and email, and everything worked out as expected. Our passports arrived home today with the visas inside. I'm very pleased. And I would use them again.”
We handle your India eVisa for you
Get your India eVisa now →Ask Sarah about your India eVisa, or see our India visa page and our visa checker for any other passport. Verified 2026-10-21.