What documents do I need to enter India?
To enter India you need a passport valid for 6 months and a visa. Most tourists can apply online for an e-Tourist visa instead of visiting a consulate.
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Entering India - what you need
India is one of the few major destinations where nearly every visitor needs a visa arranged before departure. The good news is that most travellers can now do the whole thing online in about ten minutes. When you book your stay on trip1 you get a confirmation you can show at the visa stage and again at immigration.
Have these ready before you fly:
- A passport valid for at least six months from your date of arrival, with a minimum of two blank pages.
- An approved Indian visa - an e-Tourist visa printout or a visa sticker in your passport.
- A return or onward ticket that falls inside your permitted stay.
- Your hotel booking confirmation or the address of where you are staying on the first night.
- Evidence that you can support yourself during the trip, such as a recent bank statement or a card in your name.
How the India e-Tourist visa works
The e-Tourist visa is applied for on the official Indian government visa portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in. You upload a passport scan and a recent photo with a plain light background, answer questions about your trip, and pay the fee by card.
You can choose a 30-day, one-year, or five-year e-Tourist visa. The fee depends on your nationality and the length you pick, and it changes from time to time, so check the current price on the portal before you apply.
Approval usually lands in your inbox within 72 hours, but the government asks you to apply at least four days before travel. Print the approval and carry it with you, because airline staff often ask to see it at check-in.
Important: An e-visa only lets you arrive at designated airports and seaports. If you plan to cross into India over a land border, you must get a regular paper visa from an Indian embassy or consulate instead, or you will be refused entry.
Who cannot use the e-visa route
Nationals of countries outside the e-visa list, and anyone travelling on a diplomatic or official passport, need to apply through an Indian mission. The same applies if you are going to work, study, or stay longer than your e-visa allows.
People of Indian origin often hold an OCI card, which replaces the visa entirely. If you have one, carry the card and the passport you registered it against.
Areas that need an extra permit
A visa is not always enough. Parts of the northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram, sit inside protected or restricted zones that need a separate Inner Line Permit or Protected Area Permit.
Parts of Ladakh, Sikkim, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have their own rules too. Check the permit position for your specific route before booking internal travel, since permits are issued locally and can take a day or two.
Hotel check-in in India
Every hotel in India must report foreign guests to the Bureau of Immigration using a Form C. Reception will take your passport and visa details at check-in and file it for you, so bring the physical passport rather than a photo of it.
Bring your trip1 booking confirmation as well. It shows the reservation is in your name and speeds things up if the front desk cannot find your booking straight away.
Entering India - FAQ
Foreign nationals arriving in India must complete an e-Arrival Card online before reaching immigration, according to UK government advice. It is separate from your visa, so you need both. Have your passport, visa details and the address of your first stay ready, which your trip1 booking confirmation shows.
You can complete it online up to 72 hours before you arrive in India, and it must be done before you reach immigration. Fill it in before you fly rather than in the arrivals hall. Use only official Indian government channels, and keep the confirmation on your phone in case you are asked for it.
You need a passport valid for at least six months from arrival with at least two blank pages, an approved visa or e-visa (or an OCI card), a completed e-Arrival Card, a return or onward ticket and the address of your first night's stay. Officers can also ask for evidence that you can support yourself, such as a recent bank statement.
Citizens of around 165 countries can apply for an e-Tourist visa on the official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, choosing 30 days, one year or five years. Approval usually takes up to 72 hours, but apply at least four days before travel. An e-visa is only valid for arrival at designated airports and seaports, so land crossings need a regular paper visa.