India e-Visa for US Green Card Holders: Eligibility and Fees

Can a green card holder apply for the India e-Visa?

Yes, if the passport is eligible. India's e-Visa is open to nationals of a long list of countries, and the check is made against the passport you enter on the form. Living in the US, holding a green card or having a US address does not add or remove eligibility. A Mexican, Brazilian or Vietnamese citizen living in Texas applies as a Mexican, Brazilian or Vietnamese passport holder.

You can apply from the US, and you do not need to go back to your home country to do it. See applying for the Indian e-Visa from outside your home country. To check your passport, see countries eligible for the Indian e-Visa.

What if my passport is not eligible?

Then the e-Visa is not an option, whatever your US status. You apply for a regular paper visa through the Indian embassy or consulate that covers your US state of residence. Your green card is useful here: missions usually ask non-US nationals for proof of legal status in the US. Pakistani passport holders, for example, need a regular visa. Read what to do if you are not eligible for the e-Visa and, for the East Coast, the Indian consulate in New York guide.

How much will I pay?

Your government fee follows your passport. Most passports pay the standard rates; US passports pay more for the long-stay and special visas. A 3% bank charge is added to both.

Some passports have their own rates. UK passports pay $484 for the 5-year visa; Japanese passports pay $25 for the 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist, e-Business and e-Medical visas; Argentine and Uruguayan passports pay nothing. Enter your passport in our India visa fee calculator to see your fee.

You can apply on the Indian Visa Online portal and pay only the government fee. Our all-inclusive prices, which add a document review, start at $97 standard for the 30-day e-Tourist visa and $279 for the 5-year visa.

Which address and country do I put on the form?

Use your real US home address as your present address. Nationality is the country that issued your passport, not the US. If you have held another nationality, list it as previous nationality. The form asks for both, and they are checked against your passport.

Upload the bio page of your passport, not your green card. The passport scan must be a PDF of 10 KB to 300 KB, and the photo a square JPEG with a plain white background, 10 KB to 1 MB and at least 350 × 350 pixels.

How long can I stay?

• 30-day e-Tourist: double entry, 30 days from first arrival.
• 1-year and 5-year e-Tourist: multiple entry, up to 90 days per visit for most passports. Some nationalities are allowed longer, so check the portal for yours.
• e-Business: 1 year, multiple entry, up to 180 days stay.
• e-Medical: 60 days from arrival, triple entry.

None of these can be extended in India. Think about your US side too: long absences from the US can raise questions about your permanent residence, so check US rules before a long stay abroad. Carry your green card with you, because you will need it to get back into the US.

Common mistakes

• Selecting "United States" as nationality because you live there.
• Expecting to pay the US fee, or worrying about it, when you hold a different passport.
• Uploading the green card instead of the passport bio page.
• Applying on a passport with less than 6 months of validity from arrival or fewer than 2 blank pages. Renewing a foreign passport from the US can take time, so check early.
• Leaving the green card at home and running into trouble on the way back to the US.
• Applying fewer than 4 days before arrival.

Next step

Check your passport against the eligible list, then look up your fee. If you are eligible, start your e-Visa application with us or apply directly on the Indian Visa Online portal. Most complete applications are decided within 24 to 72 hours, though that is not guaranteed. If you become a US citizen before you travel, apply on your new US passport instead; the guide for US citizens explains that case.