FAQ on India Visa

ETA (electronic travel authority) is an electronic travel authorization that the Indian authorities offer as an additional service to the regular tourist visa for tourist travel intentions. ETA entitles you to stays of up to 60 days. You are required to apply for an ETA before departure and print out the confirmation. You will receive your entry permit at the border crossing. However, ETA is only available for air travelers and limited to designated airports. Further information on the advantages and disadvantages of electronic and regular visas for holiday travelers can be found on our page about the Tourist visa for India.

The electronic travel authorization is only available for tourists traveling to India by plane. For all other visa categories and the regular tourist visa for stays of more than 30 days, you must apply for a visa at an Indian mission abroad (Indian embassy or consulate). You will receive the visa before departure in your passport.

For volunteer work at a non-governmental organization (NGO), the work visa (B-Visa) is the right choice. This is valid for up to one year. During your stay, you are allowed to receive maintenance support of up to 10,000 rupees. An extension of the visa is possible under certain conditions locally. If you work as a volunteer in India with a tourist visa, you risk deportation.

For volunteers, the entry visa is usually the most suitable. You can find more information on the detail page for entry visas.

For training and further education in these areas, you can usually apply for the student visa. The condition is that you attend a state-recognized training institution.

A regular tourist visa generally entitles you to a stay of up to 6 months. With an electronic travel authorization (ETA), you are allowed to travel through India for a maximum of 60 days. In other cases, the permitted duration of stay depends on the type of visa, the travel intention, and the details in the invitation issued to you, for example, by a company or a private host in India. Stays of up to one year or longer are quite possible in justified cases.

No, as a rule, a tourist visa cannot be extended. Exceptions are made by the Indian authorities only in justified exceptional cases such as severe illness at the vacation spot. The conversion of a tourist visa for India into another visa category is not possible, neither in Germany nor in India. Learn more about the tourist visa for India.

This regulation does not apply to EU citizens, but exclusively to stateless persons and nationals of the following countries: Afghanistan, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan. However, an electronic travel authorization (ETA) for India can be applied for a maximum of twice a year.

The processing time for your visa depends, among other things, on your personal wishes and the visa category. We usually provide visas for India within 5, 7, or 10 business days. When you choose your visa in the order form, you will receive information about the possible processing times. Please note that the prices for your India visa vary depending on the processing time. To meet the processing time, we assume that we receive complete and correct documents from you. In individual cases, the consulate may request additional documents or invite the applicant for an interview. A longer processing time is to be expected.

There is no "ideal" time, however, it is advisable to book the visa 1-2 months before your departure with us. If longer-term planning is not possible and you need a visa at short notice, we try to find a quick solution. However, please note that we are bound by the regulations of the Indian foreign missions.

No, you are required to complete the application completely online, handwritten entries or corrections are not allowed. The Indian authorities accept only the printed online form. We are happy to take care of the entire procedure for you.

If your travel intention is not touristic and you are traveling to India to study or work, for example, you generally need an invitation from your Indian host. The letter serves to explain the travel intention. It must be presented with the visa application. Without the invitation, you will not receive a visa.

You are not required to provide proof of health insurance when applying for a visa. However, valid international health insurance and repatriation insurance for India are strongly recommended or necessary.

Yes, each child needs their own identity document for the visa application and entry into India. This can be a regular passport, like adults receive, or a child's passport with a photo. Entries in the parents' passport are no longer valid.