India is seen as a fantasy land and one which you need visit at least once in your lifetime to experience the meaning of life. This was made easy when the Indian government introduced India E-Tourist visa for US Citizens which means you can get your visa approved online, no need to visit a consulate or get appointments!!.
After covid reopening the government also announced 500,000 free visas based on first come first serve basis. So if you plan on getting your India visa then this is the best time to apply.As of Nov 2021, US nationals can apply for India eTV by following the new guidelines and rules which will be detailed in this article.
If you would like to outsource your visa headache, then apply for your visa with us and get your India tourist visa approved in 2 working days.
Apply for India Visa Online
India government as waived off India visa fee for the first 500,000 applications. Apply now to get your India visa at just processing fee cost of $25 with us.
We also take care of procuring your mandatory self declaration form for all foreigners visiting India.
Note: The duration of stay will be limited to 30 till Feb 2022.
American citizens are in second place in the list of foreign nationals applying for India e-tourist visa consistently. We do believe these numbers since we process 1000s of visas for Americans every month.
It is now mandatory to get COVID related travel insurance for visa application. Get your travel insurance at just $1 per day with visitorscoverage.com
Types Of Indian E-Tourist Visa For American Citizens
Generally, there would be many types of India visa to suit every need and requirement. But since COVID has it the number of visas available to the tourists has been limited to just 1 type. Only 30 days single entry visa can be applied.
Note: As of Nov 2021, only 30 days single entry visa can be applied for all foreign tourists to India. This article will be updated once we have an official government circular for the availability of other visas.
Also note that you must have filled a self declaration form before you enter India and need to be submitted. Also vaccination certificate will be needed.
30 days India tourist visa, this is applicable for US citizen who is visiting India for a short duration of 30 days Single entry which means you can enter India only once. Once your visa is approved you will need to make use of this visa within 120 days. Check your visa approval copy to know the exact expiry date of your visa.
60 days India tourist visa, (Not available as of Nov 2021)this is applicable for US national who is visiting India for a short duration of 60 days. This visa allows double entry which means you can exit & enter India twice.
1 year India tourist e-visa (Not available as of Nov 2021), this is for anyone one who want to explore the whole country or in general stay for one full year but you can stay for continuous 180 days only after which you need to exit the country and re-enter. This visa is popular among American tourists who want to explore Nepal and Sri Lanka along with India. So you can take a short break to any of these countries and then reset the number of days you can stay in India.
5 years tourist e-visa (Not available as of Nov 2021), gives you 5 years of validity and it is multiple entry visa. With this visa you can stay for a maximum period of 90 days at a time as long as your visa is valid. The stay period is extended to 180 days for UK passport holders only.
Requirements for US citizens to apply for India Tourist Visa
The documentation for India visa is fairly simple but cumbersome to fill as the application form is fairly lengthy because of which you may make mistakes or a small typo can lead to rejection of your visa. Make sure you allocate 3 hours of your time, grab a cup of coffee before you work on your application. You also need to keep the passport and work related information of yourself, your spouse & parents in hand before you apply for India eTV visa.
So proceed with caution. And ensure you double check your visa application.
Documents needed for India e-Tourist visa are:
- Passport front and back scanned copy.
- A passport size photo soft copy in a white background
- Parents (both mom and dad) information
- Spouse’s information
- Port of entry in India
- Work related information
- A valid COVID Insurance. (You can apply below)
Image specifications are really strict so follow the below guideline for India visa photo specification.
It is now mandatory to get COVID related travel insurance for visa application. Get your travel insurance at just $1 per day with visitorscoverage.com
Beware of India visa scams
There have been a lot of sites which are designed just like India visa and have been charging exorbitant processing fees of $100 or more with false claims of express or emergency visas. These are not possible and are fake.
Government of India has not authorized any agent or intermediary to charge any fee for facilitation of emergency / express Visa/eVisa.
India government advisory
So if someone is charging you more or if someone is promising you fast or express India visas, do not fall for the trap. It is fine taking consultation for a reasonable fee.
Also once you get your visa make sure you are double checking your visa online with your applicationID to see if your visa is genuine. You can verify your visa authenticity on the government website.
What is the fee for India e-Tourist visa for US Nationals ?
The regular,India Visa fees for US Citizens are mentioned below. But as mentioned earlier, Indian government has announced free visa for the first 500,000 applicants, so you can apply for your India visa with us at get it just at processing fee cost of $25 !!.
Also note that as of Nov 2021, only e-Tourist visa of 30 days can be applied. Others are not available due to COVID
| India visa Type | Fee for US Citizens | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| e-Tourist Visa 30 Days | $25 (£20) | 30 Days – Double Entry |
| e-Tourist Visa 1 Year | $40 (£32) | 365 Days – Multiple Entry |
| e-Business Visa | $100 (£78) | 365 Days – Multiple Entry |
| e-Conference Visa | $100 (£78) | 30 Days – Single Entry |
| e-Medical Visa | $100 (£78) | 60 Days – Triple Entry |
| e-Medical Attendant Visa | $100 (£78) | 60 Days – Triple Entry |
India E-Tourist visa fee for US citizens is $25 (£20). Banks charge an additional 2.5% of the above amount as their service charge. If you sought the service of a travel agent, then expect to pay anywhere between £10 to £20 extra as a service fee.
Apply for India Visa Online
India government as waived off India visa fee for the first 500,000 applications. Apply now to get your India visa at just processing fee cost of $25 with us.
We also take care of procuring your mandatory self declaration form for all foreigners visiting India.
Note: The duration of stay will be limited to 30 till Feb 2022.
What is the processing time for India visa ?
Since this visa is online, the processing time visas is the same as other countries which is 72 working hours. You need to also apply for your visa at least 48 hours before your departure after which you will not be even able to submit the form.
You can submit a maximum of 120 days before your departure if you want the extra peace of mind and do not want to scramble at the last minute. But due to the current COVID-19 pandemic in India, we suggest to apply for your visa 1 week before departure and also book fully refundable flights for extra caution.
Is visa on Arrival available for US Citizens to visit India ?
No, visa on arrival has been stopped for all nationals since 2015 and replaced by India e-Tourist visa for US citizens. You need to get a pre-authorised visa before entering India . Also note that you will need to fill out a self declaration form before you enter the country in regards to COVID protocol.
Do US citizens need a visa for travel to India?
All U.S. citizens need a valid passport and valid Indian visa to enter and exit India for any purpose. If you want a short-stay tourist visa or India business visa, then you can get an online India visa from the government via a competent travel agent or you can try for it yourself.
US citizens whose sole purpose is tourism and who wish to stay in India up to a period of not longer than 60 days can apply for an electronic travel authorization at least 4 days prior to their arrival in India.
Apart from these documents, you may also need to keep details of your parents and your work-related information and passport details of your spouse handy.
It is now mandatory to get COVID related travel insurance for visa application. Get your travel insurance at just $1 per day with visitorscoverage.com
The India visa agent we apply through accept photographs of any format and size. They even accept photographs that are taken on your iPhone.They themselves edit it to the required specification and process the application. See if your agent provides this facility to get indian visa for us citizens.
If you are planning to apply by yourself, keep all the documents and photographs in the required format and specification before you start filling in the application.
How long will it take for approval of my Indian E-Tourist visa?
It can take anywhere from two to four days to get your Indian E-Tourist visa approved. Provided all the information and supporting documents you furnished are correct and the Indian Embassy does not ask you for any additional documents.