India e-Visa for US Citizens 2026: Types, Fees, e-Arrival Card and How to Apply

Do US Citizens Need a Visa for India? (2026 Quick Answer)

Yes. The Bureau of Immigration requires a valid passport plus a regular visa, e-Visa or OCI card (or e-OCI), and on 6 July 2026 the US Embassy in New Delhi reminded US citizens they still need the appropriate Indian visa before traveling.

The USA is on the e-Visa portal's eligible list, but Americans get no visa on arrival, which the portal limits to nationals of Japan, South Korea and, with conditions, the UAE. US travelers apply online and wait until the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is granted.

As of October 2026, an e-Visa covers most tourist, business and medical trips. The longer e-Tourist visas allow US citizens up to 180 days per visit, capped at 180 days per calendar year, and every foreign visitor files a free e-Arrival card before landing. Americans whose parent or grandparent was born or permanently lived in Pakistan cannot use the e-Visa and need a regular visa.

India e-Visa Types for Americans

As of September 2026, the portal accepts e-Tourist, e-Business, e-Medical, e-Medical Attendant, e-Student, e-Family, e-Transit and e-Miscellaneous applications. Every e-Visa is non-extendable, non-convertible and not valid for Protected or Restricted Areas or cantonments.

e-Tourist

It covers sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, short yoga programs and informal courses, and unpaid voluntary work of up to one month.

• 30 days: valid for 30 days from your first arrival, which has to fall between the ETA's issue and expiry dates. Official sources disagree on the number of entries, so check the entries shown on your ETA.
• One year: 365 days from the ETA grant date, multiple entries.
• Five years: five years from the ETA grant date, multiple entries.

On one-year and five-year e-Tourist visas, the Bureau of Immigration allows US nationals up to 180 days per visit (most other nationalities get 90) without registration. The catch is an annual cap of 180 days in total on tourist visas per calendar year, so two 100-day visits in one year would exceed it.

e-Business and conferences

The e-Business visa (e-B1 V) runs up to one year from the ETA grant, with multiple entries and up to 180 days per visit; longer stays require FRRO/FRO registration, with the deadline best confirmed at the FRRO. Applicants upload a business card and Indian company details, or the company's invitation letter.

Conferences fall under the e-Business visa (e-B5 V), valid for 30 days from arrival; it requires the organizer's invitation and political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs, and an MHA event clearance may also be needed.

e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant

Both need a letter from the Indian hospital on its letterhead with the admission date or a tentative one, and also cover Ayush treatment; at most two attendant visas are granted per patient. Official pages disagree on validity, so rely on the validity and entries printed on the ETA, which depend on the sub-type granted.

Fees for US Passport Holders

Official fees for US nationals, rechecked on 27 October 2026 against the portal's tables dated 8 September 2026 (e-Tourist) and 15 April 2026 (other e-Visas):

• e-Tourist, 30 days: US$10 (table column April to June) or US$25 (column July to March)
• e-Tourist, one year: US$40
• e-Tourist, five years: US$160
• e-Business: US$140
• e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant: US$100 each

The table does not say which date decides the 30-day column, and conference travel has no separate figure, so check the amount on the portal before paying.

A bank charge of 3% by card or 4% via PayPal, taxes included, comes on top. Payment runs through SBIePay (internationally issued Visa or MasterCard) or PayPal and has to be made at least 4 days before travel. The status can take up to 2 hours to update, so applicants should wait before paying again.

The fee is non-refundable, even if the ETA is rejected or the trip is cancelled, and there is no official express or emergency e-Visa fee or any charge at the airport.

How to Apply on the Official Portal Step by Step

The only official e-Visa website is indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa, and the government says the service is fully online, with no intermediary needed. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has published a list of fake look-alike sites and asks applicants not to apply anywhere else.

• Step 1: fill in the form (about 10 to 15 minutes with payment) and upload the photo and passport bio page.
• Step 2: pay the fee online.
• Step 3: receive the ETA by email.
• Step 4: print the ETA and show it at the immigration check post, where the e-Visa is stamped in your passport.

Documents need to be in English. An unsuitable photo or document triggers an emailed re-upload request, normally within 24 hours; errors in passport details are the applicant's responsibility.

The Bureau of Immigration in New Delhi processes e-Visas; India's Embassy and consulates in the USA and VFS Global cannot see applications, so queries go to the e-Visa helpdesk (+91-82-7808-7808, [email protected]).

Visarun is a private service, not the Government of India: we help you check which visa fits your trip and prepare the application, and Indian authorities make the decision.

Photo and Passport Scan Requirements

Unclear or off-spec uploads can lead to rejection. The photo needs to be:

• JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB, square (height equal to width)
• full face, front view, eyes open, no glasses
• head centered, from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin
• on a plain white or light-colored background, with no shadows and no border

The passport scan is the bio page with your photo and details, as a PDF of 10 KB to 300 KB; business or medical documents use the same limit.

The passport needs at least two blank pages and six months of validity; the portal counts from application and the Embassy of India in Washington from arrival, so we recommend six months beyond arrival. Each traveler, children included, needs their own passport and e-Visa, a return or onward ticket and enough money for the stay.

Processing Time and When to Apply

As of October 2026, the portal publishes no standard e-Visa processing time. It sets a window instead: applications open 120 days before the planned travel date and close 4 days before arrival.

One-year and five-year e-Tourist visas run from the ETA grant date, so applying very early uses up validity before you land, while the 30-day visa runs from first arrival. We recommend applying a few weeks ahead rather than at the 4-day minimum, leaving time for any re-upload request. Americans of Pakistani origin need a regular visa and should start much earlier. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, US-born students joining school trips ask about this.

The decision arrives by email, and the portal's Check your Visa Status tab shows progress. Travelers should confirm that the ETA shows GRANTED before setting off and carry a copy.

The e-Arrival Card and Entry at Indian Airports

Since 1 October 2025, every foreign national, OCI cardholders included, is required to complete the e-Arrival card, the digital version of the old paper disembarkation card. It is filed in the 72 hours before arrival at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival or in the official Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app.

The card is free and is not a visa, and the Bureau of Immigration says no agent is authorized to charge for it. It asks for passport and trip details, including countries visited in the last 6 days; family members can be added to one submission, and false information can lead to denial of entry.

For repeat trips on a multiple-entry visa, we recommend filing a new card each time; official pages do not address this.

Air Suvidha 2.0 health declaration

As of November 2026, India still requires all international arrivals to submit the Air Suvidha 2.0 health self-declaration, an Ebola surveillance measure covering the last three weeks of travel, at airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in. The portal says the form is required under a June 2026 travel advisory from India's Directorate General of Health Services, and its FAQ tells OCI cardholders to file it too, choosing OCI Card Holder Visa as the visa type. The declaration is separate from the e-Arrival card. We recommend filing it in the 72 hours before arrival, ideally before departure, and keeping the acknowledgment email for immigration. The rule can change, so it is worth checking the site before flying.

Entry airports and immigration

The first entry has to be through a designated airport or seaport, not necessarily the one named in the application. Every official list includes Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad and Goa (Dabolim and Mopa), and the portal's newest list adds Navi Mumbai, Bhopal and Tirupati. Official totals differ, so we recommend checking the portal's list for other airports or a cruise or overland arrival.

The ETA becomes an e-Visa only when the immigration officer admits you and stamps the passport; biometrics are captured on arrival, and entry remains at the discretion of the immigration authorities.

e-Visa, Regular Visa or OCI - Which One You Need

Regular paper visas go through VFS Global, which the Embassy of India in Washington still uses in October 2026. Its fee table shows a tourist visa of up to 10 years at US$160 for US nationals, plus US$3 for the Indian Community Welfare Fund and the VFS fee, so check the total with VFS.

A regular visa is needed for employment, NGO activities, journalism, diplomatic or official passports and anyone with a defence, military, security or police background, serving or retired. In a genuine family emergency, US passport holders of Indian origin and their families can get an Emergency Visa of up to six months, with documentary evidence and an emergency fee.

Americans of Pakistani origin

The e-Visa is closed to foreigners of Pakistani origin, including US-born Americans whose parent or grandparent was born or permanently lived in Pakistan. They need a regular visa, and the US missions we checked list no processing time for them, so apply early. The San Francisco consulate accepts them only in person at VFS Global or by post, not through agents, Visarun included. Tourist visits must be at least two months apart.

Americans of Indian origin without OCI

If you ever held an Indian passport, or you or a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was born and permanently resident in India (some country exclusions apply), the Bureau of Immigration names the Entry (X-1) visa as the best fit. Its e-Visa form, e-X1 V, gives 3 months from first entry with multiple entries. Proof can be a parent's or spouse's Indian passport or OCI card, or your own surrendered Indian passport with surrender certificate (if surrendered in or after 2010), plus a birth or marriage certificate. Former Indian citizens get the surrender certificate through VFS Global.

US-born children of OCI parents

A US-born minor child of a parent who qualifies for OCI by Indian citizenship or descent can register too, and children under 12 skip the interview and biometrics. Until the card is issued, the child needs their own visa, and an e-Visa can be requested as late as 4 days before arrival. File the OCI from the USA, as foreigners cannot apply for OCI in India on a tourist visa.

OCI cardholders

OCI holders need no visa but still file the e-Arrival card. OCI is open to foreign citizens who were Indian citizens on or after 26 January 1950, their descendants up to great-grandchildren, and foreign spouses of Indians or OCI holders after two years of registered marriage. Anyone whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent is or was a Pakistani or Bangladeshi citizen is excluded.

In India, OCI is filed with the FRRO, which asks for the originals of uploaded documents. Our guide to the OCI card from the USA and Canada covers fees and the e-OCI.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 3 September 2025: OCI cards issued from this date to foreign spouses carry an initial 5-year validity, extendable to lifelong after scrutiny.
• 1 October 2025: the e-Arrival card became mandatory for all foreign nationals, OCI cardholders included. According to immigration law firm Fragomen, paper cards ended on 1 April 2026.
• 31 December 2025: PIO to OCI conversion ended, so unconverted PIO holders need a visa or a fresh OCI application.
• 6 July 2026: the US Embassy in New Delhi flagged the mandatory Air Suvidha 2.0 health self-declaration, still required in October 2026.
• 15 April and 8 September 2026: current e-Visa fee tables, unchanged for US nationals when rechecked on 27 October 2026.
• By October 2026: the e-Visa portal had added a service to move a valid ETA to a new passport.
• Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025: now governs the entry, stay and exit of foreigners, replacing four older laws.
• e-OCI: OCI cards are now also issued electronically, without changing an existing card's validity or status.

FAQ

Can US citizens get a visa on arrival in India?

No. The portal limits it to nationals of Japan, South Korea and, with conditions, the UAE.

Can I extend an e-Visa in India?

No. Every e-Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible, so the category and length need to cover the whole trip.

Can I use a new passport with an ETA issued on the old one?

Yes, according to the portal, if you also carry the old passport. The portal now also offers an ETA transfer to the new passport.

Do I need a visa to change planes in India?

The Bureau of Immigration may allow up to 24 hours in the designated transit area, and a longer wait needs a transit visa.

Can I go sightseeing on an e-Business or e-Medical visa?

Yes. The Bureau of Immigration allows foreign nationals other than Pakistani nationals to do tourist-visa activities on any visa type.

Can I arrive by cruise ship or overland on an e-Visa?

Official pages contradict each other, so we recommend flying into a major designated airport or checking the portal's list first.

What happens if I overstay?

The Bureau of Immigration says overstayers need an exit permit to leave, requested on the e-FRRO portal, and can face fines or imprisonment under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. For most foreigners, the e-FRRO overstay table runs from Rs 10,000 for up to 30 days to Rs 2,00,000 plus Rs 50,000 for each year or part of a year when the overstay exceeds a year.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, Americans living in India on a long-expired visa ask how to get an exit permit and come back legally. The first step is an e-FRRO application, and the FRRO decides.

Can an agent or visa service get my e-Visa faster?

No. There is no official express or emergency e-Visa fee, and the Bureau of Immigration says no agent is authorized to charge for one. Visarun helps you choose the visa and prepare the application, and Indian authorities decide.