Since 2020, India has issued more than 9.6 million electronic visas (e-Visa) to travelers from around the world. This achievement reflects the ongoing reforms to its visa regime, which is now simplified, paperless, and accessible to 174 nationalities.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday reiterated the government’s commitment to making entry into the country more accessible to legal foreign nationals, while ensuring national security.
India has a regulated but constantly evolving visa system designed to facilitate the legal entry of different categories of travelers, such as tourists, professionals, businesspeople, students, and international patients.
In a written statement presented to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar, detailed recent developments in the visa regime.
e-Visa in India: a major reform to open up the country
Among the flagship measures adopted in recent years is the introduction of the electronic visa (e-Visa), initially launched in November 2014 for 43 nationalities and now available to nationals of the following 174 countries and territories:
- Albania, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon Union Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger Republic, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, USA, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
India e-Visa: 32 airports and 6 seaports open to travelers
Since 2020, and until July 20, 2025, India has issued a total of 9,644,567 electronic visas, illustrating the extent to which foreign travelers are using this system.
The e-Visa system allows entry into India via the following 32 international airports and 6 seaports, making the visa application process simpler and faster:
International airports:
- Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Bombay (or Mumbai), Calicut, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa (Dabolim), Goa (Mopa), Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kannur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Nagpur, Port Blair, Pune, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Trichy, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam.
Seaports:
- Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai, and Port Blair.
13 subcategories of e-Visas to cover all types of travelers to India
The electronic visa now includes 13 subcategories, covering tourist, business, study, and medical stays, including:
- the e-Tourist Visa,
- the e-Business Visa,
- the e-Medical Visa,
- the e-Conference Visa,
- the e-Student Visa,
- and other specific categories such as the e-Visa Ayush.
Visa applications for India are now 100% online
Completely paperless, the e-Visa application process can be completed from any country, without the need to physically visit an Indian embassy or consulate.
In 2019, a 30-day double-entry electronic tourist visa was launched at a cost of $25. During the low tourist season (April to June), this fee is reduced to $10, a measure designed to encourage off-season tourism.
Finally, the government has indicated that visa liberalization remains an ongoing process, taking into account security concerns, economic priorities, bilateral relations, and the principle of reciprocity.
Additional changes, such as partial or total exemption from visa fees for certain visitor profiles, are regularly under consideration.
