India e-Visa for German Citizens: Fees, Documents and Name Rules

Use the spelling from the machine-readable zone (MRZ), the two lines of characters at the bottom of the photo page, where spaces show as <. A passport for Jürgen Müßig shows MUESSIG and JUERGEN there, so that is what you enter. The surname and given names must match the MRZ letter for letter, including double names joined with a hyphen or a space as printed.

• Holiday of up to 30 days: the 30-day e-Tourist visa ($10 April–June, $25 the rest of the year).
• Two or more trips in a year, or one trip longer than 30 days: the 1-year e-Tourist visa ($40), up to 90 days per visit.
• Regular visits over several years: the 5-year e-Tourist visa ($200).
• Meetings, trade fairs, client visits or technical work for a German employer: the e-Business visa ($120), valid one year with multiple entries.

Yes. Every traveller, including babies, needs their own passport and their own e-Visa application with their own photo. A child's photo must still be on a plain white background with the face clearly visible.

Only travellers who cannot use the e-Visa, for example for employment, long study or journalism, need a regular visa through the Embassy of India in Berlin or the Consulates General in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. Tourism, business trips and medical treatment are covered by the e-Visa.

You need an ordinary German passport (Reisepass) valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date, with at least 2 blank pages. Diplomatic and official passports cannot use the e-Visa. A German national ID card (Personalausweis) is not accepted for travel to India. Eligibility follows the passport: a German citizen living in Austria, Switzerland or the UK applies exactly the same way.

Apply at least 4 days before arrival. Most complete applications are decided within 24–72 hours. In the October–March peak season, apply a week or more ahead.

Government of India e-Visa fees for Germany passport holders: 30-day e-Tourist US$10 for arrivals April–June and US$25 for arrivals July–March; 1-year e-Tourist US$40; 5-year e-Tourist US$200; e-Business US$120; e-Medical US$80. A 3% bank charge is added to each fee. Standard EU fee tiers apply for German citizens. The 1-year and 5-year multiple entry options provide the best value for frequent travelers.

German applicants are most often held up by:

• Typing umlauts or ß. The form accepts only A–Z, so copy the name from the two lines of letters at the bottom of the passport photo page (the machine-readable zone): Ä becomes AE, Ö becomes OE, Ü becomes UE and ß becomes SS, exactly as printed there.
• Adding a doctoral title. "Dr." is printed with the name on some German passports but is not part of the name; leave it out.
• Entering "Germany" or "Bundesrepublik Deutschland" as place of issue. Use the issuing authority or city shown in the passport.
• Mixing up the passport number with the ID card number when both documents are at hand.
• Applying fewer than 4 days before the flight. Most complete applications are decided within 24–72 hours, but that is not guaranteed.
• Choosing the 30-day e-Tourist visa for a trip that includes business meetings. Any business activity needs the e-Business visa.

The Embassy of India in Berlin and Consulates in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich handle traditional paper visas and consular services. The e-Visa is a separate digital stream managed centrally. Our service provides German applicants with expert manual review to ensure technical compliance.