10 Mistakes First-Time India eVisa Applicants Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Every week, thousands of travelers have their India eVisa applications rejected for completely avoidable reasons. Most mistakes happen because applicants rush through the form without reading requirements carefully. Here are the 10 most common mistakes and how to avoid each one.

Mistake 1: Uploading a Non-Compliant Photo

The photo is the #1 rejection cause. The Indian government system checks each photo automatically against strict rules. The most common photo mistakes:

• Background is not pure white (even light gray or cream can fail)
• Glasses on (prescription glasses are also prohibited)
• Shadows on the face or background
• Face too small (should fill 70–80% of frame)
• Selfie taken with front camera (creates distortion)
• File format is PNG or HEIC instead of JPEG

Fix: Take a new photo against a plain white wall, remove glasses, ensure even lighting, use your rear camera. See our complete photo requirements guide.

Mistake 2: Name Doesn't Match Passport Exactly

This is the second most common cause of problems — both during processing and at the immigration counter. Common name mistakes:

• Using a nickname ("Mike") instead of legal name ("Michael")
• Leaving out middle names that appear in the passport
• Reversing first and last name
• Using a married name when passport still shows maiden name

Fix: Open your passport to the bio page. Look at the machine-readable zone (the two lines of text at the bottom). Copy your name exactly from there, character by character.

Mistake 3: Applying for the Wrong Visa Type

Using a tourist eVisa for business activities (or vice versa) is a common error with serious consequences:

• If you're attending meetings, trade shows, or business negotiations → e-Business Visa
• If you're receiving medical treatment → e-Medical Visa
• If you're attending a government-sponsored conference → e-Conference Visa
• If you're sightseeing, visiting family, or doing yoga retreats → e-Tourist Visa

Fix: Choose based on your primary purpose of visit. Working on a tourist visa can result in deportation and future visa bans.

Mistake 4: Not Checking Passport Validity

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date in India. Many travelers only check if their passport hasn't expired, not whether it meets the 6-month rule.

Fix: Calculate 6 months from your India arrival date. If your passport expires before that date, renew it before applying for your eVisa.

Mistake 5: Applying Too Late

Standard processing is 72 hours, but peak season, application volume, and manual reviews can push this to 5–7 days. Applying 2–3 days before your flight leaves zero room for error.

Fix: Apply at least 2 weeks before your travel date. During peak season (October–March), apply 3–4 weeks in advance.

Mistake 6: Using the Wrong Passport Scan Format

The passport scan must be a PDF file, not JPEG or PNG. Many applicants take a photo of their passport (which produces a JPEG) and upload it directly, causing rejection.

Fix: Use a scanner app (Adobe Scan, CamScanner, or iPhone Notes) to save as PDF. Check that the file is 10KB–300KB and that all four corners of the bio page are visible.

Mistake 7: Entering Wrong Travel Dates

The travel dates you enter on the form affect which visa type is appropriate and may affect processing. Common errors:

• Mixing up date formats (DD/MM/YYYY vs MM/DD/YYYY)
• Entering departure date instead of arrival date
• Planning a 95-day stay and applying for a 30-day visa

Fix: The form uses DD/MM/YYYY format. Double-check the intended entry date matches when your flight lands, not when it departs from your home country.

Mistake 8: Not Checking Your Spam Folder

The approval email from the Indian government frequently ends up in spam. Applicants who don't check their spam folder assume the email never arrived and panic — sometimes reapplying unnecessarily.

Fix: Add the Indian eVisa sender address to your contacts before applying. Check your spam folder daily after submitting. Also check status on the official portal using your Application ID.

Mistake 9: Forgetting to Print the eVisa

The eVisa PDF you receive by email is your visa document. Indian immigration requires a printed copy — digital copies on phones may not be accepted. Many travelers forget this step and scramble at the airport.

Fix: Print 2 copies before you leave for the airport. Keep one with your travel documents and one backup in your bag. Save a digital copy in cloud storage as a last resort backup.

Mistake 10: Choosing the Wrong Entry Port

eVisas can only be used at 28 designated airports and 5 seaports. You cannot use an eVisa to enter through a land border. Travelers who plan to enter India by train or bus from Nepal or Bangladesh need a regular embassy visa.

Fix: Check that your arrival airport is on the designated eVisa entry list before booking flights. All major international airports are covered, but smaller regional airports and all land borders are not.