What You Need to Know About Indian Tourist Visa Processing Times
If you are thinking of a place to spend your vacations, certainly India is one worthy place on your bucket list. You will have everything in this country; from fantastic attractions to thousand-year-old culture and even delicious cuisines. But to travel the most important thing you need is your eVisa. Understanding the tourist visa India processing time is necessary for a smooth journey.
We have covered the entire processing times of the Indian tourist visa.
Eligibility Criteria for Tourist Visas
A foreign national must have plans to visit India solely for recreation or sightseeing to be eligible for the Indian Tourist eVisa.
Or may want to visit their friends and relatives with no other purpose. Here are the details of the eligibility:
Purpose of Visit
Tourism should be the primary reason for visiting India. You can do activities like:
- Sightseeing
- Meeting friends/relatives
- Attending short-term yoga programs
- Brief medical treatments.
Passport Validity
Your passport should hold validity for a minimum of the next 6 months. This needs to be beyond your intended stay in India.
Return Ticket
The Indian tourist eVisa will be granted to you only if you show proof of your intent to return to your homeland (submitting return ticket works as the most reliable proof).
Financial Proof
You need to have enough means to sustain your stay. Submit required financial proof (bank details, employment documents, etc.) to ensure that authorities that there will arise no financial problem during your stay in the country.
No Other Activities Allowed
If you apply for a tourist eVisa, then you won’t be allowed to engage in any business activities or employment while you are in India.
Importance of Understanding Visa Processing Times
Understanding visa processing times is important. Getting an idea of this enables you to plan your trip accordingly.
You will know beforehand how long it will take to receive your eVisa, preventing possible delays and ensuring you apply in advance of your possible travel date.
Accurate travel planning
If you know the general processing time then you will be able to book your flights and accommodation at the correct times. You will need to consider the eVisa application process.
Avoid Any Delays
If you are aware of the possible processing times, you can proactively address any problems that may slow down your application.
Be mindful of taking necessary steps to eliminate the possibility of delays.
Handling Expectations
You can also set realistic expectations about when you can receive your eVisa, once you understand the timeframe for eVisa processing time.
Accurate Documentation Preparation
If you know each detail like the required documents that will prevent the delay then you can gather all those.
Precisely collect all the required documents along with your eVisa application to minimize any chance of delays in the missing information.
Reducing Stress
You can have peace of mind by reducing your anxiety and stress related to the eVisa application process.
Factors That Speed Up Visa Approval
Speeding up the approval of an eVisa application can be challenging. Considering that the procedure is governed by country-specific laws and regulations, it takes some time to check and verify every detail. Here are the steps you can take:
Choosing the Right eVisa Category
The first step is to check and apply for the right visa category that goes hand in hand with your intent of traveling.
Submit a Complete Application Process
The submission needs to be done only after you have filled in every detail given on the application form; there cannot be any blank spaces left. Your application even gets rejected due to any missing documents or information.
Provide Every Necessary Documentation
You should include every document that will support your purpose of travel. This can be:
- Copy of flight ticket
- Hotel bookings.
- Confirmed return tickets
Intent to Return
There should be enough proof of your honest intent to return to your home country. Show proof of having a property or family back in your homeland, reassuring the authorities that you will return as soon as the purpose of your travel gets done with.
Be Truthful and Precise
When providing any information about yourself or your journey, provide all the accurate information.
What Is the Time Taken to Process an Indian Tourist Visa?
The tourist visa India processing time varies. To avoid any delay in your trip you will need to apply in advance.
Standard Processing Time for eVisa
The general processing time for an eVisa in India is 72 hours or 3 days from the day you submit your application.
The decision and review time of an application will be entirely decided by the Government officials.
Expedited Processing Options
There is no official option for expedited visa processing as of now. But you may have some options for expedited processing of an Indian visa including:
Emergency Visa
If the applicant is a US passport holder of Indian origin and their family needs to visit India for any genuine reason, they can request for an expedited tourist visa processing time. However, it is up to the authorities to decide for approval.
Private Service Providers
Some private service providers offer urgent visa services for India. You can use these visas for any unexpected travel like medical emergencies or any last-minute travel plan.
Processing Time For Different Countries
Your nationality will play an important factor in processing your application for an Indian eVisa.
- For people from the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Australia, the standard tourist eVisa takes 2 to 4 days.
- Medical visas are the same as tourist visas.
Factors That Impact Processing Duration
Factors that can impact the processing duration of Indian tourist eVisa include the following key points:
Application Accuracy
If your application lacks any information accuracy then it will impact the duration of the processing time.
Peak Travel Season
In a year, there are certain times when the travel season is at its peak. During this time, it may take longer to get the visa processed because of the surge in the number of applications.
Nationality
Depending on your nationality, there must be some security checks needed. This is directly proportional to how long your eVisa processing takes.
Things to Do to Expedite Your Tourist Visa Processing
To speed up your tourist Visa processing time there are some steps you can take which include:
Apply early
To avoid any last-minute rush at least a month before your travel date you should start your application process.
Passport Validity
Prior to the form submission, check if the passport has validity for at least the next six months.
Emergency Situations
You may have any genuine emergency that requires immediate travel. In such situations, you can visit the Embassy to let them know about the urgency. But you need to show proof in the form of relevant documents in order to request for the expedited processing.
Doing Away with Common Mistakes That May Cause Delays
Being in a rush can cause some common mistakes that delay an Indian tourist eVisa:
Incomplete application
If you fail to fill out all the required fields in the application form with the correct details can lead to a delay.
Insufficient Financial Proof
Not having the means to show evidence of your ability to sustain yourself during your stay in India is a matter of concern.
Insignificant Travel Plan
If you are not able to submit your detailed travel plan with planned destinations and activities, that can raise doubts about your travel purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions on Indian Tourist Visa Processing
Can I Track My Visa Status?
Absolutely. It is possible for the applicant to track the progress of the eVisa application. You will just need to use the reference number provided on your application receipt.
How to Track Visa Status Online?
The status can be tracked by visiting the online portal. Keep your unique ID application number handy for the tracking to be done smoothly.
Get our eVisa to India Today!
Visiting India has become easier with the introduction of India Tourist eVisa. You can apply for the Indian Tourist eVisa through the website today!
Planning a trip to the country can be done considerably easier after knowing about the tourist visa for India processing time.Understanding this, you can plan your entire trip.
Ensure you have checked your eligibility for Indian e-Visa. Citizens of most countries including Angolan citizens, Bulgarian citizens, Cambodian citizens, Jamaican citizens and Azerbaijani citizens are eligible for Indian e-Visa.