India Business Visa & e-Visa: The Complete 2026 Guide (Requirements, Fees, Process)

If you are travelling to India for meetings, trade, recruitment, or to set up a venture, the India Business e-Visa is almost certainly the fastest, simplest route in. This complete 2026 guide explains exactly what the e-Business Visa is, who is eligible, what documents you need, current fees by nationality, validity and stay limits, the full online application process, and the activities you are — and are not — allowed to perform. It is written from the perspective of a former Indian consular officer so you can avoid the small mistakes that cause most rejections.

What Is the India Business e-Visa?

The India Business e-Visa (officially called the e-Business Visa, a sub-category of the broader Indian e-Visa scheme) is an electronic travel authorization issued by the Government of India's Bureau of Immigration. It allows eligible foreign nationals to enter India for legitimate business purposes without visiting an Indian embassy or consulate. The visa is digitally linked to your passport — there is no physical sticker or stamp required before travel, although immigration officers stamp your passport on arrival.

It was introduced to streamline business travel and now sits alongside the e-Tourist, e-Medical, e-Conference, and other e-Visa categories. For short, repeated business trips it has effectively replaced the traditional paper-based Business Visa for most travellers.

Who Needs an India Business e-Visa?

You should apply for a Business e-Visa (not a Tourist e-Visa) if the primary purpose of your trip involves any of the following permitted business activities:

• Attending business meetings, negotiations, or technical discussions
• Setting up an industrial or business venture in India
• Selling or purchasing products, or arranging trade and supply
• Recruiting manpower or conducting interviews
• Participating in exhibitions, trade fairs, or business expos
• Acting as an expert or specialist on an ongoing project
• Attending board meetings or providing business consultancy
• Conducting tours as a guest lecturer under specific programs

If your trip is purely for leisure or sightseeing, you need a Tourist e-Visa instead — see our breakdown of the Tourist vs Business e-Visa for India. If you are unsure which category fits, our India Business Visa service page explains eligibility in more detail.

Business e-Visa vs Regular (Sticker) Business Visa

There are two ways to obtain an Indian business visa. The e-Visa is faster and online; the regular visa is obtained from an Indian mission and suits longer or more complex engagements.

Eligibility & Eligible Countries

Citizens of 160+ countries — including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, most of the European Union, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, and many more — are eligible for the India Business e-Visa. To qualify you must:

• Hold a passport valid for at least 6 months from your date of arrival in India, with at least two blank pages.
• Hold an ordinary passport (diplomatic and official passport holders are not eligible for the e-Visa).
• Have a return or onward ticket and sufficient funds to support your stay.
• Travel for one of the permitted business purposes listed above.

Validity, Duration & Entries

The India Business e-Visa is generally issued for 365 days (1 year) from the date of grant, with multiple entries permitted. The maximum continuous stay per visit is typically 180 days for nationals of countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, and Japan, while some nationalities are limited to 90 days per visit. The exact stay limit is printed on your approved e-Visa (ETA), so always check it before you travel.

Curious how validity differs across categories? Compare with the Indian e-Tourist Visa validity and fees guide.

India Business e-Visa Fees (2026)

The government fee depends on your nationality. The 1-year multiple-entry e-Business Visa most commonly costs around USD 80, with a bank transaction charge of approximately 2.5% added on top. Representative figures:

Fees are set by the Government of India and change periodically. The exact amount for your nationality is shown before payment when you begin your application.

Documents Required for the India Business e-Visa

Having clean, correctly formatted documents is the single biggest factor in fast approval. You will need:

• Passport bio page scan — clear, full-colour PDF (typically 10 KB–300 KB), valid 6+ months.
• Recent passport-style photograph — square, white background, face centred (JPEG, ~10 KB–1 MB).
• Business card or company details of the applicant.
• Business invitation letter from the Indian company/organization you are visiting, on official letterhead, stating the purpose, nature, and duration of your visit.
• Indian company details — name, address, and sometimes proof of registration of the inviting entity.
• A valid email address and a credit/debit card for the fee.

How to Apply: Step-by-Step

1. Start the online form. Begin your India Business e-Visa application and select "Business" as the visa purpose.
2. Enter passport and personal details. Type your name exactly as it appears in the machine-readable zone of your passport.
3. Provide business details. Enter the name, address, and website of the Indian company you are visiting, plus the purpose of your trip.
4. Upload documents. Add your passport scan, photo, business card, and invitation letter in the accepted formats.
5. Pay the fee. Pay securely by card; the exact fee for your nationality is displayed before payment.
6. Receive your ETA. Once approved (usually within 72 hours), you receive your Electronic Travel Authorization by email. Print it and carry it with you.

For a general walkthrough that applies to all categories, see our step-by-step Indian visa application guide.

Processing Time & Urgent Applications

Most Business e-Visa applications are approved within 72 hours, and a flawless application is often cleared in 24–48 hours. The Government recommends applying at least 4 days before travel, and you can apply up to 30 days in advance. If you are short on time, read how urgent India e-Visa processing works and what affects processing time.

What You Can — and Cannot — Do on a Business e-Visa

The Business e-Visa is purpose-restricted. Staying within its scope keeps you compliant and avoids problems at immigration or on re-entry.

Permitted:

• Meetings, negotiations, trade, sales, and recruitment
• Setting up a business or industrial venture
• Attending exhibitions, expos, and business fairs
• Short-term technical or expert engagement on a project

Not permitted:

• Paid employment with an Indian company (requires an Employment Visa)
• Journalism, filming, or missionary work
• Money-making, full-time consultancy for an Indian payroll, or running operations as staff
• Tourism as the primary purpose (use a Tourist e-Visa)

Common Reasons for Rejection (and How to Avoid Them)

• Name or passport-number mismatch between the form and your passport — always copy from the MRZ.
• Poor-quality passport scan or photo — glare, dark edges, or a coloured background cause queries.
• Weak or missing invitation letter — it must be on letterhead and clearly state the business purpose.
• Wrong category — applying for a Tourist e-Visa when the trip is business (or vice versa).
• Passport validity under 6 months or fewer than two blank pages.

Entry Ports & On-Arrival Process

The e-Business Visa is valid for entry through 30+ designated international airports (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and more) and 5 seaports. On arrival, present your printed ETA and passport at the e-Visa counter; immigration will capture your biometrics and stamp your passport. You may exit India from any authorized Immigration Check Post.

Business e-Visa vs Tourist e-Visa: Which Should You Choose?

Choose the category that matches the primary purpose of your trip. If you are attending meetings, doing trade, or recruiting, the Business e-Visa is correct even if you also do some sightseeing. If leisure is the main reason and any "business" is incidental, the Tourist e-Visa is appropriate. Selecting the right category up front is the easiest way to prevent delays — our tourist vs business e-Visa comparison goes deeper, and our India business visa requirements guide covers documents in full.

Conclusion

The India Business e-Visa makes business travel to India faster and far simpler than the old embassy process. Get your passport validity, photo, and invitation letter right, choose the correct category, and apply at least a few days before you fly. Most applicants are approved within 72 hours and can enter through any of India's major airports.