India has recently relaxed the requirements for travelling with an Indian e-visa. The normal tourist visa is now valid for a longer period, and gives travellers the possibility to arrive in the country during a four months period. In addition, the number of arrival locations where travellers are allowed to arrive has been extended.
Longer validity period for the Tourist visa
The Indian authorities distinguish between the validity period of the visa, which begins inmediately after the application is approved, and the maximum length of stay, which only starts upon arrival in India. Until recently, the visa allowing a stay of 30 days had also a validity period of 30 days. This meant that travellers had 30 days to arrive in India from the moment the visa was approved. Many travellers experienced problems because of this, since they could only apply for the visa a few weeks before departure. Travellers who were going on a long cruise, for example, were often in a difficult position.
The validity period of the normal tourist visa has now been extended to 120 days. Travellers have now 4 months to arrive in India, counting from the moment the visa is approved. This offers much more flexibility when planning the trip. The visa can now be applied for several months before departure. However, the stay in India is still limited to a maximum of 30 days.
More arrival locations
Besides extending the validity period of the visa, the immigration services have also increased the number of locations where holders of an e-visa can arrive in India. Until recently, travellers holding an e-visa could only enter the country via an airport or seaport. Since early 2026, travellers have also been permitted to enter India via two border crossing from Nepal. In addition, travellers with an e-visa can also enter the country via an extra number of sea and airports. This brings the total number of arrival locations to 51.
These developments offer tourists the opportunity to explore more remote regions of India, which are sometimes far away from the major international airports. It also makes it easier to travel to India overland from Nepal. Previously, this required a physical visa that had to be applied for through the Indian embassy or consulate.
New arrival locations for travellers holding an e-visa:
- Agatti airport
- Vijayawada airport
- Calicut port
- Kamarjar port
- Kandla port
- Kattupalli port
- Kolkata port
- Mundra port
- Nhava Sheva port
- Vallarpadam port
- Visakhapatnam port
- Raxaul border crossing
- Rupaidiha border crossing
A complete overview of locations where you may arrive with the e-visa can be found here.
New e-visa categories
By the end of 2025, the Indian immigration services had already implemented major changes to its visa programme. Several new types of e-visa were introduced in November. These included a transit visa for travellers transferring in India, a visa for mountaineers, a visa for applicants working on films or television series in India, a visa for applicants of Indian origin, and a visa for technical experts and engineers.
These new electronic visas should make the application process for people with a specific travel purpose easier. They no longer need to make an appointment at the consulate or embassy and they can benefit from the faster processing of e-visa applications. By optimising visa procedures, the Indian government hopes to make the country more attractive and accessible to foreign travellers.