Indian authorities have just updated the design of their electronic visa (e-Visa). Discover the new ETA that you will receive if you are travelling to India soon and how to understand this travel document.
India today unveiled a brand new design for its electronic visa (e-Visa), modernizing the look and feel and strengthening the usage guidelines for international travelers.
Starting October 29, tourists and business travelers from the 172 countries eligible for an e-Visa to visit India will receive a more structured and comprehensible Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
It is worth noting that travelers with the old version of the ETA/e-Visa will have no problem presenting the previous format upon arrival in India. If desired, it is always possible to download an updated version of the ETA.
The new electronic visa for India
So here is what the new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for issuing a visa on arrival in India now looks like:
Understanding the new Indian electronic visa
To fully understand this new version of the electronic travel authorization (ETA) that will allow you to obtain a visa upon arrival in India, here is the information contained in this updated document.
First of all, you will find the type of ETA that you have requested and that the Indian authorities have decided to grant you. For example: “ETA for e-Tourist Visa 30 days”, meaning that you have an Electronic Travel Authorization for the issuance of a 30-day visa upon entry into India.
There are several types of e-Visas for India, for tourist, business or medical stays.
Next to your passport photo and the QR code, intended for Indian immigration officers, are:
- Application ID: a 12-character alphanumeric code corresponding to your ETA application;
- Application Status: the “GRANTED” status of your application;
- ETA Number: your ETA number;
- ETA Issue Date: the date of issue of your ETA application.
ETA personal information
The document lists the personal details you entered when you applied for your visa online:
- Passport Number: your passport number;
- Name: all your forenames and surname(s);
- Date of Birth: your date of birth;
- Gender: your gender;
- Nationality: your nationality;
- e-Visa Fee Paid: the ministerial fee paid online for processing the ETA application (USD 25, USD 40 or USD 80, depending on the type of visa chosen).
Information about the Indian e-Visa
Next comes the data that allows for the proper use of the ETA to obtain the Indian visa upon entry into the country:
- First Entry must be on or before (present on 30-day e-Tourist Visa, e-Medical Visa and e-Conference Visa): latest possible date of first entry into India;
- e-Visa Issue Date (present on 1-year e-Tourist Visa, 5-year e-Tourist Visa and e-Business Visa): date of ETA approval;
- e-Visa Expiry Date:
- 30-day e-Tourist Visa: expiry date of the visa issued on arrival in India “30 days from the date of first entry on this ETA. Exact expiry date of e-Visa would be stamped on your passport at the time of arrival in India”;
- 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist Visa: last possible exit date from India;
- e-Business Visa: last possible exit date from India;
- e-Medical Visa: expiry date of the visa issued on arrival in India “60 days from the date of first entry on this ETA. Exact expiry date of e-Visa would be stamped on your passport at the time of arrival in India”;
- e-Conference Visa: expiry date of visa issued on arrival in India “30 days from the date of first entry on this ETA. Exact expiry date of e-Visa would be stamped on your passport at the time of arrival in India”.
- Permitted Duration of Stay:
- 30-day e-Tourist Visa: 30 days;
- 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist Visa: 90 days per entry and 180 days per calendar year (January to December);
- e-Business Visa: 180 days per entry;
- e-Medical Visa: 60 days;
- e-Conference Visa: 30 days.
- Number of Entries:
- 30-day e-Tourist Visa: double entries;
- 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist visa: multiple entries;
- e-Business Visa: multiple entries;
- e-Medical Visa: triple entries;
- e-Conference Visa: single entry.
- Activities Permitted: details of activities permitted during the stay in India;
- Guidelines / Instructions: various instructions concerning the validity of the visa and possible accompanying persons.
Important information for ETA holders
- Holder of ETA, disembarking at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi, may use Automated Biometric Kiosk Machine installed in pre-immigration/walkways of Airport to enroll their biometric information before proceeding to the Immigration Counter for speedy clearance.
- Your Biometrics will be mandatorily captured at Immigration on arrival in India.
- ETA is required on first entry to get e-Visa stamp/sticker on your passport. Thereafter, e-Visa stamp/sticker on the passport is to be shown for subsequent entries (if applicable). Note : ETA is not a paper Visa.
- For Tele Enquiries call (+91) 82 7808 7808 or you may also use chatbot on e-visa website (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa).
- For any further assistance please contact e-Visa Support Centre at e-mail address indian-evisa@gov.in.
- The Government of India has not authorized any third party to act as intermediary for application and in issuance of e-Visa.
- This ETA does not entitle you for guaranteed entry into India. Your entry can still be refused at the time of arrival.
Important instructions for ETA holders
- This ETA is not valid for entry into India through Land Immigration Check Posts and other Airports or Seaports which are not included in the list of designated e-Visa Airports/Seaports.
- e-Visa is non-extendable, non-convertible & not valid for visiting Protected/Restricted and Cantonment Areas. If you intend to visit Protected/Restricted/Cantonment areas, you would require prior permission from the Civil Authority. Please visit (http://www.mdoner.gov.in/content/rappap-restrictedprotected-area- permit) for more information.
- Please confirm that your ETA status is shown as GRANTED on the official website(https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html) prior to commencement of your journey.
- Please check all the details including Nationality, Name, Passport number, Date of Birth etc. mentioned on the ETA. If there is any discrepancy, please contact e-Visa Support Centre at indian-evisa@gov.in for assistance.
- You MUST invariably carry the original passport against which the ETA has been granted. In case of renewal of passport after the grant of ETA, both (Old as well as New) passports must be presented at the immigration. Any Change in Original Name, nationality, passport number etc in ETA renders the e-visa holder INELIGIBLE for entry into India. In case of change of passport after the first entry or before the expiry of e- Visa, it is the responsibility of the individual concerned to get the e-Visa seal stamped in the new passport by showing the seal of the old passport.
- You can arrive at 31 e-Visa designated airports ( Ahmedabad , Amritsar , Bagdogra , Bengaluru , Bhubaneshwar , Calicut , Chandigarh , Chennai , Cochin , Coimbatore , Delhi , Gaya , Goa (Dabolim), Goa (Mopa), Guwahati , Hyderabad , Indore , Jaipur , Kannur , Kolkata , Lucknow , Madurai , Mangalore , Mumbai , Nagpur , Portblair , Pune , Tiruchirapalli , Trivandrum , Varanasi and Vishakhapatnam ) 6 designated seaports (Chennai , Cochin , Goa , Mangalore , Mumbai and Port Blair). However you can depart from any of the authorized Immigration Check Posts in India.
- In case of arrival at Port Blair airport, Restricted Area Permit/ Protected Area Permit is mandatory.
- e-Visa is not allowed for employment, NGO activities, journalism purposes and Missionary activities.
- Once you have entered India, you will be subject to Indian Laws.
- This ETA does not entitle you for guaranteed entry into India. Your entry can still be refused at the time of arrival.
- Applicant must carry YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CARD if arriving from yellow fever affected countries. Please visit the link given below (https://main.mohfw.gov.in/media/disease-alerts/yellow-fever).
- Once you have been granted entry into India, if required, please contact the nearest FRRO/FROs (https://indianfrro.gov.in/eservices/home.jsp) regarding any issues pertaining to your e-Visa or your stay in India.
