Planning Guides6 min readPublished August 4, 2026
Every US citizen needs a visa to enter India — there is no visa-free or visa-on-arrival provision for Americans. The overwhelming majority of leisure travelers use the e-Tourist Visa: an entirely online process that, done correctly, takes twenty minutes of form-filling and is typically approved within a few business days.
The single most important sentence on this page: apply only through the official government portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in. The internet is thick with convincing lookalike sites that charge multiples of the official fee for the same (or no) service. Bookmark the official address and type it yourself.
How the e-visa works
The e-Tourist Visa comes in three validities — 30 days, one year, and five years — with the multi-year versions allowing multiple entries and stays of up to 90 days at a time for US passport holders. You upload a passport photo and the biographical page of your passport, answer a questionnaire, and pay the fee online. Approval arrives by email as an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization); print it and carry it — airlines check it at check-in, and the immigration officer converts it to a stamp on arrival.
Two technical requirements trip people up: your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date with two blank pages, and the photo upload has fussy specifications. Apply at least a week before flying — official guidance says at least four days — but we tell clients to file a month out for peace of mind. Do not book non-refundable flights before the passport that will travel is the passport in the application.
The fine print worth knowing
The e-visa admits you through all major international airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad and the rest of the designated list — but not through every land crossing, which matters only if your journey enters India overland from Nepal. If you plan to combine India and Nepal, as many of our travelers do, a multiple-entry e-visa (the one-year or five-year) lets you loop back into India after Kathmandu.
A handful of sensitive border regions — parts of the Northeast, Ladakh's restricted valleys — layer special permits on top of the visa; if your journey goes there, we arrange them. And for the meticulous: the rules genuinely do change periodically, so verify current requirements on the official portal or with the Indian embassy before you rely on any page — including this one.
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Begin Your Private EnquiryQuestions, Answered
Do US citizens need a visa for India?
Yes — all US passport holders need a visa before travel. Most tourists use the e-Tourist Visa, applied for online at the official portal indianvisaonline.gov.in and delivered by email as an Electronic Travel Authorization.
How long does the India e-visa take to be approved?
Usually two to four business days. Official guidance is to apply at least four days before travel; applying two to four weeks ahead removes all stress. Rush situations sometimes clear in 24 hours, but never count on it.
How much does the India e-visa cost for Americans?
Fees vary by validity — the 30-day, one-year and five-year e-Tourist Visas are priced in ascending tiers (the one-year commonly around $40, plus a small bank fee). The official portal shows the current fee before payment; third-party sites charge heavy markups for nothing.
What are the passport requirements for an India visa?
At least six months' validity remaining from your date of arrival in India, and at least two blank pages. The passport you apply with must be the passport you travel on.
Can I visit Nepal and return to India on one visa?
On a multiple-entry e-visa (one-year or five-year), yes — a common structure for Golden Triangle + Kathmandu journeys. The 30-day e-visa allows two entries, which can also cover a single India–Nepal–India loop; check current rules when applying.
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