India Visa for Canadians 2026: e-Visa, Regular Visa, Pakistani-Origin Applicants and OCI Options

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

Yes. India's Bureau of Immigration requires a valid passport plus an e-Visa, a regular paper visa or an OCI card. There is no visa on arrival for Canadians, as India offers it only to nationals of Japan, South Korea and, with conditions, the UAE.

Most Canadian tourists use the e-Tourist visa. It costs US$10 to US$200 and allows up to 180 days per visit. A paper visa is mainly for people who cannot use the e-Visa, such as Canadians of Pakistani origin or those with a military or police background.

Former Indian citizens naturalised on or after 1 June 2010 also need a surrender certificate for a visa or OCI. Fees and rules below are as of 27 October 2026.

India e-Visa for Canadians - Types, Fees and Validity

According to the Consulate General of India in Vancouver, the e-Visa was restored from 22 November 2023 for Canadians with regular or ordinary passports. Other Canadian passport types need a paper visa.

Who cannot use the e-Visa

• Anyone with a defence, military, security or police background, serving or retired
• Holders of official or diplomatic passports
• Canadians of Pakistani origin

The portal warns that hiding a military or police background can lead to refusal of entry and deportation.

e-Visa fees for Canadian passport holders

Canada's rows in the official fee tables, as of October 2026:

• e-Tourist, 30 days: US$10 (April to June column) or US$25 (July to March column), table dated 8 September 2026
• e-Tourist, 1 year: US$40
• e-Tourist, 5 years: US$200
• e-Business: US$120 (table dated 15 April 2026)
• e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant: US$80 each

A bank charge of 3% for cards or 4% for PayPal is added, and the fee is not refunded if the ETA is rejected. The table does not say whether the season means the application or travel date, so check the amount at payment.

Validity and length of stay

• 30-day e-Tourist: valid 30 days from your first arrival. Official sources disagree on double or multiple entries, so check the entries printed on your ETA.
• 1-year e-Tourist: 365 days from the date of grant, multiple entries
• 5-year e-Tourist: five years from the date of grant, multiple entries

Canadians get a longer stay than most: up to 180 days continuously per visit on a 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist visa without registration. Time on tourist visas is capped at 180 days per calendar year.

Applications open 120 days before the planned travel date and close 4 days before arrival. The portal sets no fixed processing time, so we recommend applying early. Visarun helps with the e-Visa application and checks documents before submission. The decision belongs to the Indian authorities.

Regular Visa Through the Outsourcing Centre in Canada

Paper visas go through BLS International, the outsourcing provider for the High Commission in Ottawa and the consulates in Toronto and Vancouver. Every application is handed in personally at a BLS centre for biometrics, and postal applications are not accepted.

Paper tourist visas are a grey area. The Toronto consulate's checklist says regular tourist visas are not being issued from the Consulate to Canadian passport holders at present, though BLS pages and the High Commission's fee table still list them. Ordinary passport holders are better off with the e-Tourist visa, and anyone who cannot use it should confirm paper tourist availability with BLS or their mission. Previously issued 10-year paper tourist visas are currently not valid, so a fresh visa is needed.

Paper visa fees (as of October 2026)

The High Commission's fee table in Canadian dollars, including the ICWF charge, before the BLS service charge:

• Tourist, up to 1 year: CAD 140
• Miscellaneous (formerly Entry): CAD 113 up to 6 months, CAD 167 for 6 to 12 months, CAD 275 for 1 to 5 years
• Medical, conference or student: from CAD 113

At BLS the tourist visa totals CAD 141.70 (CAD 135 visa fee, CAD 5 ICWF, CAD 1.70 service charge), non-refundable and paid by debit card or exact cash. Processing takes 30 days from the BLS receipt, sometimes longer, and the High Commission advises against buying tickets before the visa is issued. Validity runs from the date of issue.

Canadians of Pakistani Origin

The e-Visa is closed to people of Pakistani origin, including foreigners whose parents or grandparents, on either side, were born in or permanently resident in Pakistan. OCI is closed if the applicant or any parent, grandparent or great-grandparent is or was a Pakistani or Bangladeshi citizen. So most Canadians of Pakistani origin travel on a regular visa, even if born in India.

If the applicant, a parent or a grandparent ever held Pakistani citizenship, the Vancouver consulate's page, last updated in September 2026, sets a separate procedure:

• A short-term visa, with processing of at least 6 weeks
• No sponsorship certificate for applicants holding only Canadian citizenship
• A certified copy of the certificate renouncing Pakistani citizenship and a notarised affidavit that the applicant holds no Pakistani citizenship or passport

The filing channel is not settled. The Vancouver page says completed applications go to the Consulate General, while the High Commission and BLS say every visa application is filed in person at BLS. We recommend confirming with your mission or BLS and expecting biometrics either way. Foreigners of Pakistani origin also need a gap of at least two months between tourist-visa visits.

For dual Canadian-Pakistani citizens, the law firm Fragomen reported in April 2025 that India suspended visas for Pakistani nationals until further notice. We could not confirm its 2026 status on an Indian government page.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, one Canadian who had renounced Pakistani citizenship said police phoned her Indian reference and asked for a letter guaranteeing her good behaviour. That is one account, not a published requirement.

Former Indian Citizens - Surrender Certificate, Visa or OCI

India does not allow dual citizenship. Holding, renewing or travelling on an Indian passport after becoming Canadian is a punishable offence under the Passports Act, 1967.

• Canadian on or after 1 June 2010: a surrender certificate is needed for a visa, OCI and other consular services.
• Canadian before June 2010: no certificate for a visa, just a copy of the cancelled Indian passport. BLS links an affidavit form for those who have neither.

After an online form on the Passport Seva portal for missions, the printout goes to BLS with a photo, your last Indian passport and a copy, your citizenship certificate, a Canadian passport copy and the fee. As of October 2026, that fee is CAD 59 plus CAD 1.70 at BLS, or CAD 60.70, in the Toronto and Vancouver jurisdictions. Processing times differ:

• Toronto: around 8 weeks at minimum, according to BLS
• Vancouver: 4 to 6 weeks for complete applications, according to the consulate
• Ottawa: 2 to 4 weeks, according to the High Commission's FAQ

Visa or OCI?

A visa can run alongside the surrender: file the surrender at BLS and enclose its payment receipt with the regular visa application. OCI cannot, because the surrender certificate is mandatory first.

People of Indian origin and spouses or children of Indian citizens can use the Miscellaneous visa, formerly the Entry visa, which needs a surrender certificate copy. Its electronic counterpart, the e-Entry visa, asks for proof of an Indian link, such as a parent's Indian passport or your own cancelled passport with the surrender certificate.

OCI is the long-term option. A new OCI costs CAD 376 including ICWF, plus BLS charges, and usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. For a trip in the next few weeks, an e-Tourist or e-Entry visa is the practical choice. Our guide to the OCI card from North America covers OCI in detail.

Documents, Photos and Processing Times

Passport

The Government of Canada asks for 6 months of validity from entry and two blank pages, the e-Visa portal six months at application, and for paper visas the High Commission more than 180 days and the Vancouver consulate more than 190. We recommend at least 190 days beyond arrival and two blank pages.

e-Visa

• Photo: square JPEG, 10 KB to 1 MB, full face, eyes open, no glasses, plain light or white background
• Passport bio page: PDF, 10 KB to 300 KB
• A return or onward ticket and enough money for the stay

Paper visa

• Original Canadian passport, sent back once the visa is issued
• Printed online form and proof of address
• One 2 x 2 inch (51 x 51 mm) colour photo on a plain white background, uploaded online and pasted on the form
• Surrender certificate for applicants of Indian origin
• For children: a minor consent form, birth certificate and copies of both parents' passports

Processing times

The e-Visa portal gives no fixed processing time. The decision arrives by email, and before flying the ETA status should show "GRANTED". Paper visas take 30 days or more from the BLS receipt.

Arrival in India - e-Arrival Card and Checks

Since 1 October 2025, every foreigner, including OCI holders, files a mandatory digital e-Arrival card instead of a paper one.

• When: within 72 hours before arrival
• Where: the official e-Visa portal or the official Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app
• Cost: free on official channels
• What it is: arrival information, not a visa

The Bureau of Immigration currently also asks all passengers to fill in the Air Suvidha self-declaration form before reaching immigration. This changes often, so recheck it before you fly.

The ETA becomes an e-Visa only when the immigration officer admits you. Biometrics are taken on arrival, and entry stays at the discretion of the immigration authorities.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

According to Global News on 25 October 2023, India stopped issuing visas in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver on 21 September 2023 and partly resumed them from 26 October 2023, while tourist visas stayed restricted. The e-Visa returned on 22 November 2023.

• September 2025: India and Canada completed the return of their High Commissioners.
• 1 October 2025: the digital e-Arrival card replaced the paper disembarkation card.
• 5 April 2026: OCI applications in Canada moved to in-person filing at BLS.
• 26-27 May 2026: the 3rd India-Canada Consular Dialogue in Ottawa covered visa and immigration procedures (Ministry of External Affairs brief, July 2026). We found no announcement on restoring paper tourist visas.
• October 2026: the High Commission tendered a three-year contract for consular, passport and visa services in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, with bids due 2 November 2026. BLS remains the provider until a new contract starts.
• 26 October 2026: BLS announced that the Government of India's visa portal is unavailable until further notice because of a technical issue, and that affected regular-visa appointments will be rescheduled.

As of 27 October 2026, the BLS notice does not say whether the e-Visa portal is affected, and the e-Visa pages and fee tables loaded normally when we checked that day. If your BLS appointment is coming up, we recommend checking the BLS notices first.

Tender figures show how small the paper route has become: about 30,157 visa services in 2023, 5,078 in 2024 and 2,980 in 2025, against 73,319 OCI services in 2025.

FAQ

Can Canadians get a visa on arrival in India?

No. India's visa on arrival is limited to nationals of Japan, South Korea and some UAE nationals.

How much is the India e-Visa for Canadians?

As of October 2026, US$10 or US$25 for 30 days depending on the season, US$40 for 1 year and US$200 for 5 years, plus a 3% card or 4% PayPal charge.

How long can a Canadian stay in India on a tourist visa?

Up to 180 days per visit on a 1-year or 5-year e-Tourist visa, with a cap of 180 days per calendar year.

Can I still get a paper tourist visa as a Canadian?

For ordinary Canadian passports the practical route is the e-Tourist visa. The Toronto consulate says it is not issuing regular tourist visas to Canadian passport holders at present, so confirm availability with BLS or your mission.

I am about to become Canadian. Do I need to surrender my Indian passport before visiting India?

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, one soon-to-be citizen planned to fly about 10 days after the oath ceremony and asked this. Travelling on an Indian passport after naturalisation is an offence, and anyone naturalised on or after 1 June 2010 needs a surrender certificate for a visa. It can be filed at BLS alongside a regular visa application. The e-Visa portal does not say whether e-Tourist applicants need it.

Should I choose OCI or an e-Visa for a long family stay?

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, a Toronto-area parent weighed OCI because the e-Visa expects a return or onward ticket. OCI is the alternative, but it costs CAD 376, usually takes 6 to 8 weeks and, for former Indian citizens, needs the surrender certificate first.

Is there an emergency visa if a close relative in India dies?

The Vancouver consulate can issue Canadian passport holders of Indian origin a single-entry emergency Entry visa valid three months, with proof of the emergency and relationship and a surrender certificate copy. Its page lists CAD 113 on working days and CAD 168 on Saturdays or after hours.

Which website is official, and can an agency help?

The government e-Visa portal is the only official site, and the Bureau of Immigration warns that no agent or intermediary is authorised to charge fees for e-Visas or the e-Arrival card. Visarun is an independent agency, not a government channel: it helps prepare and check applications, and the Indian authorities decide.