For the past week, India’s 30-day tourist e-Visa has once again been available at its reduced off-season rate.
For many nationalities eligible for the electronic visa, the 30-day e-Tourist Visa is currently priced at $10 from April 1 through June 30, before returning to $25 from July 1 through March 31. This seasonal price variation is nothing new. India has applied it since 2019, the year it liberalized its e-Visa system and introduced this double-entry 30-day tourist option.
At the time, the goal was to make the country a bit more attractive during the slower months for international tourism by lowering the cost of entry at a time when demand is typically weaker.
Year after year, this springtime pricing window has become part of India’s entry formalities landscape, to the point that it is now a discreet but well-known adjustment for travelers who keep a close eye on the calendar.
In 2026, India’s seasonal e-Visa discount takes on a new dimension
At its core, the price cut is not new. What has changed is its practical value for travelers.
Until the end of 2025, India’s 30-day tourist e-Visa could only be requested within the 30 days prior to arrival in the country. In other words, an application submitted at the very end of the promotional period, on June 30, could only apply to travel to India by the end of July at the latest.
Since December 18, 2025, that window has expanded significantly. The official portal now allows travelers to select an arrival date up to 120 days in advance, which in practice extends the benefit of the reduced rate through the end of October, or more precisely through October 28 for an application submitted on June 30.
For travelers, the issue is not just about saving $15. This new setup also gives more flexibility to those booking their tour, beach stay, or fall trip to India well in advance. At a time when the overall cost of travel remains under pressure from inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and rising expenses in several areas, that extra room to plan ahead is certainly welcome.
In concrete terms, the off-season rate no longer benefits only travelers departing soon. It can now also apply to trips planned several months later, while keeping the same features of the 30-day visa: double entry and validity starting from the traveler’s first arrival in India.
This added flexibility also comes as India has fully switched to digital arrival procedures, with an e-Arrival Card now mandatory before departure since April 1, 2026, replacing the former paper form.
