How long does it take, what do I need and where exactly can I find it?
The visa for India can be applied for online as an eVisa and costs just 40$ since April 2023.
You can find many services and providers for an India visa on Google. I don’t know exactly how they work and how much they cost. Many look deceptively official, but there is no reason not to make the official application directly to the Migration Office.
Because the process is uncomplicated and quick. It is even possible to save the application temporarily and finish it later. All data is saved. All you need are:
1) Passport
2) A recent photo of you with a white background, min. 350×350 pixel, max. 1MB in size and jpg format. (Can be done with the iPhone and then formatted on the Macbook with Preview).
3) Any address in India of a hotel/hostel
💡 Incidentally, it doesn’t matter which arrival and departure airport you choose, the date of entry doesn’t have to be correct either. You can always enter any of the cities listed as long as it is by air. ⚠️ An important note: A monthly visa starts from the day of entry, but in our case the annual visa did not start on the day of entry, but from the date of issue, which for us was 4 months earlier. It is best to apply for your visa 15-20 days before departure.
Duration
I received the visa confirmation within 5 days. However, there were further queries because I was already in India and had selected something incorrectly. My girlfriend received the notification in 3 days.
Here you will find a preview of all visa fields and can get an idea of the entire application in advance: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/images/SampleForm.pdf
This is the official website for migration: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
You can go directly to the visa application here: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/Registration
Once your visa has been confirmed by email, you will need to complete the following steps: Click on this link: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/StatusEnquiry and then select Check your Visa Status:
Without visa
…I really don’t recommend anyone to travel to India. I have experienced this myself and have just met someone to whom the same thing happened. You are inevitably put on the same plane, can watch how they clean it and then fly back. Or you end up in jail and then fly somewhere that is not India. There will be no exceptions. In principle, the airline is instructed to check your visa on boarding. Therefore, she is also responsible if you arrive in India without one and has to take you back with her. Even without a ticket 😉
Visa examples
Example of a confirmation email:
Example of the official visa:
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