As a foreigner, you must have a visa in order to enter into India. There are two ways for you to get your visa. Either you apply in the conventional visa application procedure or apply for an Indian visa online. The choice is yours. The online option is more convenient and hence, most Americans travelling to India opt for this option.
It is important to tell you that both the options have their pros and cons.
- The e-visa is much easier to apply for though it allows shorter period of stay.
- Securing your regular visa may prove to be a painful affair, is more expensive but allows you for longer stay.
In this age of eCommerce and eMail, an eVisa is obviously much popular. But what exactly is an e-visa?
e-visa or ETA
An eVisa or ETA is the same. ETA is the abbreviated form of Electronic Travel Authorization. As far as India is concerned, you fill up and submit their visa application form and pay the necessary fees through the Internet. When the electronic tourist visa gets granted, the Indian authorities will inform you online.
In other words, when you apply for an ETA or an eVisa to India, you don’t have to visit any Indian consulate or Embassy office and nor do you require to courier your passport. When you get notified that your visa has been granted, you can board your flight. The visa will be stamped on your passport on your arrival in India. Now you can easily imagine how less hassle it involves.
eVisa versus “visa on arrival”
The Indian e visa isn’t the same as the visa on arrival although they have many apparent similarities. In both cases you’ve to submit your visa application before arriving in India. But unlike that in visa on arrival, you don’t have to send your passport or queue up at the gates of an Indian consulate or Embassy to get your eVisa issued.
The Indian authorities sanctions eVisas only on the following conditions:
- Your visit to India is only for recreational purpose or sightseeing
- Visiting friends and family
- To get medical treatments for short period
- Conducting casual business
Apart from these four criteria, if you mention anything else then chances are high that your visa application will be rejected.
Passport
Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months from the date of your arrival in India. It should also have at least 2 blank pages for the Indian stamps. If you have a diplomatic passport by virtue of any of your parents or spouse, then you must apply directly for regular passports at your nearest Indian Mission. The same is applicable for International Travel Document Holders as well as for Pakistani citizens.
Documents to submit with your electronic tourist visa application
The following documents you need to submit along with your e-visa application.
- A scanned copy of only your passport’s information page
- Upload a soft copy of your passport size photo
- A confirmed round trip ticket to assure the Indian authorities that you don’t intend to sneak in and start a new life
Along with the documents mentioned above, you have to clear the e-visa processing fees. You need a debit or credit card for that. Else, you can also use PayPal.
Indian E-Tourist Visa is one of the best brands to help you get your Indian visa on time. These people have wide experience and lots of satisfied customers. Please feel free to contact them any time if you think you need help.
