How to Apply for India eVisa Online — Step-by-Step Guide 2026

Before beginning the online application, prepare three essential items: your passport, a digital photograph, and your travel details. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your intended arrival date in India and must have at least two blank pages. The digital photograph must be a recent square JPEG image (minimum 350 x 350 pixels) between 10 KB and 1 MB with a plain white background, front-facing, with both ears visible and no glasses. You will also need to know your intended arrival date, the port of entry (airport), and your accommodation address in India.

The application form collects personal details, passport information, and travel plans. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your passport — even small differences like middle name formatting can cause rejection. Select the correct visa type (Tourist, Business, Medical, or Conference) and duration. The nationality field determines your fee. Provide your Indian hotel address or host family address as the reference. Double-check every field before proceeding, as corrections after submission are difficult and may require a fresh application.

The photo upload is where most applicants encounter problems. The system requires a square JPEG with a white background, and the face should occupy 50 to 70 percent of the frame. Shadows, red-eye, and head tilts will be rejected. The passport scan must show the entire bio-data page including the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) at the bottom. Save the scan as a PDF or JPEG under 300 KB. If the system rejects your upload, resize the image and ensure the lighting is even before re-uploading.

After submitting your form and documents, you will be directed to the payment gateway. The India eVisa accepts Visa, Mastercard, and some international debit cards. PayPal and American Express are not accepted on the government portal. A bank processing surcharge of approximately 2.5% is added to the base fee. Payment failures are the single most common issue — ensure your card is authorized for international transactions and has sufficient funds. If payment fails, you can retry using the same application ID within 4 hours.

After successful payment, you will receive a confirmation email with your Application ID. Use this ID to check your status on the portal. Standard processing takes 72 to 96 hours. When approved, the status changes to 'Granted' and you can download the ETA as a PDF. Print this document and carry it with you to the airport. The ETA contains your photo, passport details, visa validity, and a barcode that Indian immigration officers will scan. Keep a digital copy on your phone as a backup.

The top five reasons India eVisa applications are rejected in 2026 are: (1) name mismatch between the form and passport, (2) blurry or non-compliant photograph, (3) passport with less than 6 months validity, (4) incorrect visa type selection, and (5) incomplete travel details. Our professional review service checks your application and documents before submission, catching these errors before they reach the government system. Rejected applications are non-refundable, so accuracy at the submission stage saves both time and money.