Indian Visa Official Website: How to Find and Recognise the Real One
The official Government of India e-Visa website is indianvisaonline.gov.in. How to recognise it, what it charges, the red flags of copycat sites, and how private services compare.
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Short answer: The official Government of India e-Visa website is https://indianvisaonline.gov.in, in its e-Visa section. The address ends in .gov.in, and you pay only the government fee plus a 3% bank charge: for most passports, $25 for a 30-day e-Tourist visa for arrivals July to March.
Applyevisaindia.com is not that website. We are a private service that checks your documents and submits your application on the government site for an all-inclusive price. Below is how to tell the two kinds of site apart, and how to decide which one suits you.
What is the official India e-Visa website?
The Indian Visa Online portal, www.indianvisaonline.gov.in, is run by the Government of India. Its e-Visa section is where e-Tourist, e-Business, e-Medical and the other e-Visa types are applied for, paid for and decided. People search for it as "india visa online gov in" or "government of India e-Visa", and they all mean the same site. The same portal also hosts the online visa form used for regular visas and the e-Arrival Card that foreign visitors file before landing.
How do I know I'm on the real government site?
- The domain. Read the address bar, not the page. The site is indianvisaonline.gov.in, ending in .gov.in. A .com, .org or .net ending, extra words or hyphens, or "gov" placed in the middle of the address means it is a different website.
- The price. The official site charges the government fee and a 3% bank charge. Nothing else.
- How you got there. Paid search ads at the top of results are often private sites. Type the address yourself or use a bookmark.
How much does the official site charge?
These are the government fees for most passports, in US dollars, before the 3% bank charge:
| e-Visa type | Government fee | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day e-Tourist | $10 (arrivals April–June), $25 (July–March) | Double entry, 30 days from first arrival |
| 1-year e-Tourist | $40 | Multiple entry, up to 90 days per visit for most passports |
| 5-year e-Tourist | $200 | Multiple entry, up to 90 days per visit for most passports |
| e-Business | $120 | 1 year, multiple entry, up to 180 days stay |
| e-Medical | $80 | 60 days from arrival, triple entry |
Some passports pay different amounts. US citizens pay $160 for the 5-year e-Tourist visa, UK citizens $484, and Japanese citizens $25. Argentina and Uruguay pay no fee. Use the India visa fee calculator for your passport, or read our breakdown of how much the Indian e-Visa costs.
What is a private e-Visa service?
A private service, like ours, is a company that helps you apply. We check your photo and passport scan, fill in the form with you and submit it on the government portal. The government fee is included in our price. The Government of India still makes the decision; no private service can approve a visa, speed up the government's review or guarantee the outcome.
A trustworthy private service says plainly that it is private and shows its own fees separately from the government fee, so you can see what you are paying for. If a site hides that, walk away.
What are the red flags of a copycat site?
- Look-alike domains that borrow words like "india", "visa", "online" or "gov" but don't end in .gov.in.
- "Official" claims on a site that is not the government's, or government emblems used to suggest it is.
- Hidden fees: a low price on the first page and a much higher total at checkout, with no breakdown.
- A second payment request after submission, such as an "activation" or "release" fee. On the official site you pay the government fee once.
- Charging for the e-Arrival Card, which is free on official channels.
- Promises of guaranteed approval or a visa within a fixed number of hours.
Can the Indian embassy issue an e-Visa?
No. The e-Visa is applied for online only. Indian embassies and consulates, and the outsourced VFS and BLS centres, handle regular paper visas, which go into your passport. If your passport is not eligible for the e-Visa, or your trip doesn't fit an e-Visa category, you would apply for a regular visa through them instead. See the difference between an e-Visa and a regular visa.
Should I apply myself or use a private service?
| Apply yourself on the official site | Use a private service (our prices) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost, 30-day e-Tourist | Government fee only, e.g. $25 + 3% (July–March) | $97 / $127 / $149 (standard / priority / urgent), all-inclusive |
| Cost, 1-year and 5-year | $40 and $200 + 3% for most passports | $129 / $169 / $189 and $279 / $319 / $349 |
| Cost, e-Business | $120 + 3% for most passports | $497 |
| Form and files | You fill in the form and resize your photo and PDF yourself | We check the form, photo and passport scan before submission |
| Decision | Government of India, usually 24–72 hours for complete applications | Same government decision and timing; we cannot speed it up |
| Refunds | Fee not refunded once submitted | Cancel before we submit: refund minus $25. After submission, no refund |
| Best for | Confident applicants who want the lowest cost | Applicants who want their documents reviewed first |
If you are comfortable with online forms and file sizes, applying yourself is the cheapest option and works well. Our free visa photo tool helps either way. For a fuller look at the trade-off, read is a visa agency worth it for the Indian e-Visa.
Next step
Whichever route you choose, apply at least 4 days before you arrive. To apply directly, go to the official Indian Visa Online portal and pay only the government fee. If you would rather have your documents checked first, you can apply through us.
Don't Risk a Rejection or a Ruined Trip
One small mistake — a name that doesn't match your passport, the wrong occupation, a non-compliant photo, or the wrong visa category — can get your India e-Visa rejected or frozen in review for weeks. Government fees are non-refundable, a rejection can flag your passport for future applications, and most travelers only find out after they've paid and their flight is days away.
Our visa experts check every detail before submission, catch the errors that cause rejections, and back it with 24/7 human support — so you board your flight with total peace of mind.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is applyevisaindia.com the official India visa website?
No. We are a private assistance service. The official Government of India e-Visa website is indianvisaonline.gov.in, where you can apply yourself and pay only the government fee.
Is "india visa online gov in" the same as indianvisaonline.gov.in?
Yes. Typed with spaces, it is a search for www.indianvisaonline.gov.in, the government's Indian Visa Online portal.
I applied through a private service. Can I still check my status on the government site?
Yes. You can check your status on the official portal with your Application ID and passport number, whoever submitted the application.
I paid a website and now think it wasn't official. What should I do?
Look for an Application ID in your emails and check it on the official portal. If no application exists, contact the site and your card issuer, and apply again on a site you have verified.
How long does the official site take to decide?
Most complete applications are decided within 24 to 72 hours, though this is not guaranteed. Apply at least 4 days before you arrive.
Official Sources
- Government of India e-Visa portal: indianvisaonline.gov.in
- Bureau of Immigration, India: boi.gov.in
