The tourist e-Visa is real, it's cheap, and it lands in days. But half of first-time applicants pay triple because they type "India visa" into Google and land on a fake site. This guide shows the real path: indianvisaonline.gov.in, the right photo, cost by category, ports of entry, and the mistakes that get you rejected.
The tourist e-Visa is real, it's cheap, and it lands in days. But half of first-time applicants pay triple because they type "India visa" into Google and land on a fake site. This guide shows the real path: indianvisaonline.gov.in, the right photo, cost by category, ports of entry, and the mistakes that get you rejected.
The **only official site** for the Indian e-Visa is **indianvisaonline.gov.in**. Any other address with "india-visa," "evisa-india," or "visa-online" in the domain is a middleman or a scam.
US citizens **are eligible** for the tourist e-Visa. You don't need to visit a consulate or mail your passport for the standard tourist category.
Three tourist categories: **30-day** (double entry), **1-year**, and **5-year** (both multiple entry). The price changes by category and by season.
Official 2026 cost: **USD 25** (30-day e-Visa in the low season, Apr–Jun) up to **USD 80** (5-year), plus a bank fee of around 2.5%. Middleman sites charge **3 to 6 times** that.
Standard processing: **3 to 5 business days**. Apply at least **4 days** and no more than **30 days** before departure — the validity clock starts sooner than you think.
The tourist e-Visa is real, it's cheap, and it lands in days. But half of first-time applicants pay triple because they type "India visa" into Google and land on a fake site. This guide shows the real path: indianvisaonline.gov.in, the right photo, cost by category, ports of entry, and the mistakes that get you rejected.
