Visa to India: how much does it cost, required documents

Indie It is a country that is hard to remain indifferent to. The world's most populous democracy, the seventh largest country in the world in terms of area, has a rich history, to which we owe impressive fortresses (such as the two Red Forts, inscribed on the UNESCO list: in Delhi and Agra or the fort in Gwalior), temples, a multitude of temples (two great religions were founded here: Hinduism and Buddhism!) and tombs (the famous Taj Mahal or Humayun's Tomb). Although India is not commonly associated with a beach destination, contrary to appearances, you can find beautiful beaches here (in Kerala - Kovalam and Varkala; on Goa, not to mention the heavenly beaches of the Andamans and Lakshadweeps). What's more, during one trip to India you can relax on the beach and go skiing in the Himalayas. The cultural richness of India also translates into, among other things, delicious food and colorful festivals, of which at least a few take place every month - for example: the Ratha Jatra festival in Puri (a procession with colorful chariots) or the August Vallam Kali in Kerala (rowing boat races).

There is much to write about India, and for a long time. Today – just before the start of the travel season to this country (you can read about when to go to India here: WEATHER) – we would like to give you some tips on how to easily obtain a visa to this country. So if you are planning a trip to India, be sure to read this article!

Goa Beaches and Majestic Rajasthan

INDIA - Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Goa
An orgy of different landscapes, colors, sounds, smells and tastes in Rajasthan, and relaxation on the heavenly beaches of Goa. Experience the most beautiful time with us!

For citizens of many countries, including Poland, who want to travel travel to India for tourist, business, medical and conference purposes, the Indian government has launched a special website where, without visiting the embassy or even leaving your home, you can obtain permission to enter this country via the Internet - the so-called e-visa. This is actually a visa promise, thanks to which officials will stamp the actual visa in your passport, with which you can cross the border.

In the following article we will focus on the conditions for obtaining e-tourist visa to India.

Such a visa can be obtained for a period of thirty days, one year or five years. A one-month visa entitles you to two entries, with a one-year and five-year visa you can cross the border multiple times, but a single stay cannot exceed 90 days. In addition to the e-visa, you also need a passport valid for at least another six months from the date of entry, two blank, adjacent pages for visa stamps, a return ticket and - to quote the local Ministry of Internal Affairs - "sufficient money for the stay". The visa application must be submitted no later than 4 days before arrival, and no earlier than 117 days in advance.

However, it is important to remember, that the e-visa has certain limitations. First, it is not valid in the territory of eight north-eastern states bordering China, Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal, namely: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Second, its holders can enter India only through certain border points. Fortunately, there are many such places: 28 airports (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Goa, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Gaya, Jaipur, Lucknow, Tiruchirapalli, Varanasi, Calicut, Mangaluru, Pune, Coimbatore, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Madurai, Bhubaneswar, Port Blair) and 5 ports: Mumbai, Kochi, Marmagao, Chennai, New Mangalore. There are more departure points, as many as 89.

Idyllic Kerala

INDIA - Kerala - Cochin, Thekkady, Allepey, Kovalam
A land bathed in lush green jungles, surrounded by velvety sand beaches and crisscrossed by picturesque canals. Discover a completely new face of India – the idyllic state of Kerala.

Step 1: prepare documents

Before filling out the visa form, it is a good idea to buy tickets to India – in the visa questionnaire, we will be asked to enter the place of arrival and the expected place of departure (you don’t have to worry about this if you are planning your holiday in India with Planet Escape – we will buy the tickets for you), prepare a scan of the photo and the most important page of the passport, containing personal data, document number, photo. The scan should be in PDF format, the minimum permissible file size is 10 KB, and the maximum - 300 KB. Also, a separately attached photo must meet several requirements:

• The photograph must show the face straight on, from the top of the head to the chin, against a light background. The eyes should be open. Glasses may not be worn for the photograph.
• The width of the photo should be the same as the length. There should be no frames or shadows on the photo.
• The file should be in JPEG format, 10 KB – 1 MB in size.

Step 2: Submitting your application

The e-visa application is submitted on the website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html. After preparing the files mentioned above (and buying plane tickets), we can start filling out the form. Click the 'Apply here for e-visa' button located in the lower left corner of the page. Both the page and the form are in English. The questionnaire consists of nine subpages; on page six, you must attach previously prepared scans of the passport page and photos. You can stop filling out the application at any time: the system then sends an individual number to your e-mail address, with which you can log in again at a time convenient for you and finish filling out the form.

After filling out the form correctly and approved by the system, you can immediately proceed to payment. Each visa application has its own individual number, thanks to which after filling out and paying, we can check the status of our application via the 'Check your Visa Status' button.

Step 3: Payment

Poles, like citizens of other European countries, must pay for an Indian e-visa when applying. It is worth remembering that the payment must be made at least 4 days before the planned arrival in India. Visa prices have decreased since September 2019 – previously, regardless of the length of stay, you had to pay USD 80. Currently, the rate varies depending on how long you want to get the e-visa for and – in the case of monthly visas – in which part of the year you want to travel. The prices are as follows:

• 30-day e-visa from April to June: 10 USD
• 30-day e-visa from July to March: USD 25
• Annual e-Visa: 40 USD
• 80-year e-Visa: USD XNUMX.

Transaction fees (described below) must also be added to this price. After making a transfer, you must wait two hours for the payment status to change.

There are two payment options for your e-Visa:

1. By SBIePay – online payment system of State Bank of India – National Bank of India, the largest bank in this country. It allows payment with Visa and Master Card credit cards and via PayPal. When paying by card, an additional 2,5% commission is charged, using PayPal – 3,5% (commissions include tax).
2. Via Axis Bank Payment Gateway – online payment system of the Indian bank Axis. You can pay here with Visa, Mastercard and Maestro credit cards and Visa and Mastercard debit cards. A fee of maximum 2,5% plus tax is added to the visa costs (unfortunately the amount is not specified).

You can also outsource the e-visa to India to someone else – there are intermediaries online who will do it for you. Prices start at PLN 89 (plus visa costs). But be careful! Intermediaries often overstate the fee for the Indian government, so their commission is actually higher.

Even if you don't know English, the questions in the questionnaire can be translated using a translator. Beware of sites that pretend to be an official government site https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html to submit e-visa applications.

Step 4: Print e-visa

After making sure in the 'Verify Payment' tab that our payment has been recorded, all you need to do is wait for the e-visa confirmation email. It usually takes less than 24 hours. Then, after logging in to the website, you can print our e-visa, which you need to take with you on your trip.

Successful holidays in India!