You require a passport and a visa to visit India, even as a tourist, if you are from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or many other nations. But, obtaining an India visa is now a lot simpler than ever, and there is also the option to submit an online application for an India visa (the e-Visa).

NOTE:With a few exceptions, like Canadians and Britons, the majority of nations can use the e-visa programme. Go here to see if your country is one that is eligible for an e-Visa: Online Indian Visa

Step 1: Choose the kind of Indian visa you desire.

Standard Visa: You must apply at an Indian mission to obtain a standard visa, such as the 10-year tourist visa. Prior to visiting your local consulate or the outsourcing firm, you must first apply online, print the form, and carry it with you. The application for an Indian visa involves three steps. The comprehensive directions are available here.

There will be a lot of extremely specific guidelines, such as the precise size of the images you must bring. They won't accept your application if you don't adhere strictly to the instructions. Likewise if there are any errors, such a misspelt name.

e-Visa: Visit this website, Indian Visa Online, to submit an online application for an e-Visa. For more information, see below. Read this page for comprehensive information about the e-Visa.

Be sure your passport is valid for at least six months past the date you intend to go.

Step 2: Requesting a normal Visa from your Indian mission

To start the process of obtaining a regular Indian visa and completing the visa application form, you must get in touch with the Indian mission in your nation. You will frequently be routed to a business they contract out to process visas, like BLS Services in Canada. Hence, be ready to apply for an India visa by having all of your information, documents, and passport available.

• Visit the websites of the High Commission of India in Ottawa or the Consulate General of India in Toronto if you are a Canadian.
• You can go to the BLS Services website in Canada. This business processes visas on behalf of the Indian Consulate General in Canada.
• Start with the Indian Embassy if you are a citizen of the USA.
• Start at the website of the Indian High Commission if you are a British citizen.
• Start at the website for the Indian Consulate General in Sydney if you are an Australian.

Tip 3: The Indian eVisa: Everything you need to know

You can submit an online application for the e-Visa at Indian Visa Online. Read this page for comprehensive information about the e-Visa. Click here to learn more about each category of Indian visa.

Be advised that you must still print out a copy of your email-issued Indian visa and bring it with you on your trip to India. You'll have to stand in line at the airport when you get to India to get the visa stamped.

With the new e-Visa, you can now leave India and come back with just one Visa, allowing double entry.

You must submit your application no more than 30 days, 60 days, or 120 days before your intended arrival date. [NOTE: The Indian government website's most recent information now states 120 days. Please confirm at the time of your travel since this information is subject to change.]

For the e-Visa, you can apply twice a year.

The terms "e-Visa" refer to the e-Business, e-Conference, e-Medical, and e-Medical Attendant visas.

The validity period for 30-day e-Tourist Visas is 30 days beginning with the date of your initial entry into India. Within the validity term of the e-Visa that is stamped on your passport, double entries will be permitted. Your first arrival must occur between the ETA's issue date and its expiration.

According to the Indian government website, the e-Tourist Visa is intended for "international travellers whose primary goal of visiting India is recreation, sight-seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment, or casual business visit."

NOTE: Travelers with a tourist visa to India are only permitted to stay for a total of 180 days in a single year.

24 airports in India, including Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, Amritsar, Gaya, Lucknow, Trichy, Varanasi, and Ahmedabad, offer access to the e-Visa programme. 

Also, e-Visa can be used in a few ports. But, if the list has changed, please double check to make sure your arrival airport is included.

Tip 4: Information about obtaining visas for yoga studies, employment, humanitarian work, journalism, and other activities in India

Yoga: You can obtain a tourist visa if you're enrolling in a short-term programme (less than six months) to study yoga in India.

Education: If you are enrolled in an accredited school in India, you require an education visa.

Writing professional travel articles about India or taking pictures for publication while employed full-time by a professional publisher or media outlet requires a journalist visa.

Bloggers: Since many travel bloggers write for their personal blogs, a tourist visa should be sufficient. Just be careful to note that you are visiting India for leisure and not business. And unless working for a media organisation full-time and professionally, you should never identify yourself as a journalist.

A WRITER is not a smart way to introduce yourself because it suggests that you are a journalist. It's generally preferable to mention that you work in marketing or in the industry for which you handle corporate communications as many authors are truly employed in these fields (I did this for years).

Volunteers: You need a volunteer visa if you plan to volunteer in India.

Business Visa: You require a business visa if you intend to conduct business while visiting India.

Conference, medical, transit, and research visas are among the additional categories. Below is a list of all the different types of Indian visas.