Every visa for India has a specific validity period and maximum permitted duration of stay. The validity period is the period in which you may enter India. The duration of stay refers to the number of days you are allowed to stay in India. The length of both periods depends on the chosen visa type.

The validity depends on the visa type

There are different types of visa for India. You can choose which of the below-mentioned visas you want to apply for in the online application form of the India e-visa.

e-Tourist visa for a stay of up to 30 days

Both the validity period and the maximum duration of stay of this tourist visa are 30 days. This visa allows you to enter India twice. The first arrival must take place within the validity period of 30 days, which starts the moment your visa application is approved. The second arrival must happen within the 30 days following your first arrival.

The maximum duration of stay is always 30 days from the moment of your first arrival in the country, even if you only arrive in India at the end of your visa’s validity period. If you travel to India twice with the same visa, you must also leave the country within 30 days of the day of your first arrival.

You can apply for this visa as long in advance as you please. However, it will not be granted more than 21 days prior to the expected date of arrival you indicated in the application form. That is to make sure the validity of the visa does not expire before your departure. If you want to receive the visa sooner, for example because you are going on a cruise, or you would like to travel with the certainty that your visa gets approved, you should apply for a different visa.
Directly apply for this tourist visa for India

e-Tourist visa for multiple stays of up to 90 days

This tourist visa permits an infinite number of travels to India. The validity period lasts for 1 year and each trip may take up to 90 days. With this visa you are not allowed to stay in India more than 180 days per calendar year.

Each arrival must occur within the validity period of 1 year, which starts the moment this tourist visa is approved. You must also leave India before the end of the 1-year validity period. This also applies when you have not yet completed the maximum duration of stay of 90 days.

This variant of the visa can also be applied for as long in advance as you would like. However, this visa will not be granted more than 120 days before the expected date of arrival you indicated in the application form.
Directly apply for this tourist visa for India

e-Business visa for multiple stays of up to 180 days

This business visa will let you travel to India an unlimited number of times. The visa is valid for 1 year and permits each stay to last up to 180 days.

Every arrival must take place within the 1-year validity period, which begins the moment this business visa is granted. You must also leave India before the validity period comes to an end, even if at that moment you have not yet completed the maximum duration of stay of 180 days.

This visa does not have a limit on the total length of stay for all travel combined. However, if you wish to stay for more than 180 days in total, either during the period of validity or the calendar year, you must register with a Foreigners Registration Office (FRO), or a Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). You can do this while you are already in India.

This visa can also be applied for as far in advance of departure as you wish. However, it will never be granted more than 120 days before the expected date of arrival that you indicated on the application form.
Directly apply for this business visa

Changing your date of arrival and/or departure

In the application form, you fill in an estimated date of arrival, meaning the day on which you expect to arrive in the country. If you plan to use the visa for multiple trips to India, then you only need to fill this in for the first upcoming trip.

You do not have to arrive in India on the exact arrival date that you entered in the form. You may arrive at a different date and you do not need to notify this change. However, it is important that the first arrival date always falls within the validity period of the visa. In the case of visas valid for 1 year, the last departure date must also fall within the validity period of the visa. Always take into account the maximum length of stay as described above for each visa type.

Apply for the visa with the correct validity

Does one of the three visas correspond to your travel plans in terms of validity period and maximum length of stay? Then you can apply for the appropriate visa using the digital application form available on this website. In this form, you can select the visa variant you want to apply for.

Before submitting an application, you should always check whether you meet all the visa requirements. The same requirements apply to all e-visas for India. In addition, it is advisable to learn about the delivery times and costs of your chosen visa.

Do the visas mentioned on this page not have sufficient validity for your travel plans? Then you will need to apply for a physical visa. To obtain a physical visa, you need to schedule an appointment at the embassy or at VFS Global. Physical visas have to be stamped in your passport. You have to consider longer delivery times and higher costs compared to e-visas for India.