Question 1

Do US citizens need a visa for India, and what do they need to travel?

Accepted Answer

Your full checklist as a US passport holder is an eVisa. The e-Tourist Visa comes in 30-day, 1-year and 5-year versions, and the government fee for the 30-day one is $25. Apply no later than 4 days before arrival. Visa on arrival isn't open to Americans, so wait until your ETA shows GRANTED. Your passport needs six months' validity and two blank pages. Carry a return or onward ticket and enough money for your stay. PassportsAndVisas.com can complete your e-Visa and e-Arrival Card for you.

Question 2

Do British citizens need a visa to travel to India?

Accepted Answer

Most UK visitors use the e-Tourist Visa, which comes in three lengths, and there are separate e-Visas for business, medical and conference trips, so pick the one that matches your main reason for travel. PassportsAndVisas.com can complete the application for you. Before you land, every foreign visitor, OCI holders included, must also file India's e-Arrival Card; the government service is free, or we can complete it for you. Bring a passport with at least six months' validity and two blank pages, plus a return or onward ticket.

Question 3

Who is eligible for an Indian e-Visa?

Accepted Answer

The e-Visa is open to citizens of 174 countries and territories. It covers sightseeing, visiting friends and family, short yoga, language or craft courses of under six months, unpaid volunteering of up to a month, medical treatment, business and conferences. Your passport must be valid for six months when you apply and have two blank pages, and every traveler, children included, needs their own passport. Carry a return or onward ticket and enough money for your stay. It isn't open to diplomatic or official passport holders, holders of other travel documents, anyone with a military, police or security background, or people of Pakistani nationality or origin, who apply for a regular visa instead. For your passport, India requires an eVisa for most passports.

Question 4

What are the OCI card rules for entering India in 2026?

Accepted Answer

India launched the electronic e-OCI in June 2026, so e-OCI holders don't need to carry a physical card. Show it with the foreign passport you travel on. OCI applications and updates are handled online through the government's Online OCI Services portal (ociservices.gov.in), which also explains when you need special permission for activities such as research, missionary work or journalism. The government service is free, or PassportsAndVisas.com can complete it for you. Every passenger also completes the Air Suvidha self-declaration before immigration. OCI holders don't need to register with the FRRO for long stays, unlike other foreigners.

Question 5

Can I get an Indian e-Visa if my parents or grandparents are from Pakistan?

Accepted Answer

The rule covers both sides of the family, paternal and maternal, even if you've never held Pakistani nationality yourself, and it also applies to anyone of Pakistani origin. Instead, apply for a regular visa through the Indian embassy or consulate that covers where you live; PassportsAndVisas.com can help prepare that application. Pakistani passport holders face much tighter rules: India revoked almost all existing visas held by Pakistani nationals in April 2025, keeping only categories such as long-term, diplomatic and official visas. Check the current position with your nearest Indian mission before making plans.

Question 6

Which countries can visit India without a visa?

Accepted Answer

The '58 countries' lists that turn up in searches are about trips abroad on an Indian passport, not visits to India. India's visa-free entry comes from bilateral arrangements, and each comes with conditions. Maldivians can stay for a limited period before they need a regular visa. Nepalis and Bhutanese don't need a visa when coming from home, but they do need a passport and visa when arriving from certain other countries. OCI and e-OCI cardholders also enter without a visa, using their foreign passport. Everyone else needs a visa before travel. Visa-free visitors still complete the e-Arrival Card. For your passport, India requires an eVisa for most passports.

Question 7

Which countries are visa-free for India in 2026?

Accepted Answer

These visa-free arrangements come from bilateral agreements, which India's entry rules recognise as an exception to the usual visa requirement. Holders of a valid OCI or e-OCI card also enter without a visa, using their foreign passport. Japan, South Korea and some UAE citizens can get a visa on arrival, but that still counts as a visa. Everyone else needs a visa before travel. For your passport, India requires an eVisa for most passports. Foreign visitors still need the e-Arrival Card, which PassportsAndVisas.com can complete for you. The government service is free.

Question 8

Do I need a visa to go to India?

Accepted Answer

India's e-Visa covers most nationalities and is applied for fully online before you fly; you carry the approval and the visa is stamped into your passport at immigration. If your passport isn't eligible for the e-Visa, or you hold a diplomatic or official passport, you apply for a regular visa through an Indian embassy or consulate instead. A few nationalities can also get a visa on arrival at selected major airports. The visa-free exemption comes with conditions, such as short visits only, or needing a passport and visa when arriving via certain countries. Every foreign visitor, visa or not, also completes India's free e-Arrival Card online shortly before landing.

Question 9

Is India visa-free for Canadians?

Accepted Answer

Canada is on India's e-Visa list, so the whole process is online. You fill in the form, upload a photo and your passport page, pay, and get the decision by email. You can choose the 30-day, 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist Visa. For a Canadian passport, the government fee for the 30-day visa is $25. Fly only once your ETA shows GRANTED. Your passport needs at least six months' validity and two blank pages. PassportsAndVisas.com can complete both for you.

Question 10

What happens if I travel to India without a visa?

Accepted Answer

Visa on arrival covers only a few nationalities at six major airports, so most travelers can't sort out a missing visa after landing. Arriving on the wrong type of visa carries the same risk, and India can also bar you from future visits. An e-Visa must be applied for no later than 4 days before you arrive, so leave time and fly only once your ETA shows GRANTED. India also warns that hiding details such as a military or police background on an e-Visa application can lead to deportation. Overstaying is illegal too, so leave before your visa ends. For your passport, India requires an eVisa for most passports.

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