Visa on arrival covers only Japan and South Korea. Everyone else applies for an e-Visa at least 4 days ahead, and since 1 April 2026 also files the mandatory e-Arrival Card no later than 72 hours before landing. The arrival card does not replace the visa: immigration wants both, separately.
- Visa on arrival exists only for Japan and South Korea, plus the UAE with a previous Indian visa, and only at six airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. It is valid up to 60 days, dual entry.
- Your passport needs at least 6 months of validity from the date you arrive and 2 blank pages.
- Everyone else from 166 countries, the EU included, applies for an e-Visa online no later than 4 days before departure. Tourist e-Visas come in 30-day, 1-year and 5-year versions.
- China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran and Qatar have had the e-Visa suspended since 1 August 2021 and need a classic visa.
- Pakistani citizens and anyone of Pakistani origin are excluded from both the e-Visa and VOA and must apply on paper at an Indian mission.
- The e-Arrival Card is mandatory for all foreigners since 1 April 2026 - paper cards are gone. File it free at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival no later than 72 hours before arrival.
- The e-Arrival Card does not replace the visa. Without an approved e-Visa the airline will not board you; without the arrival card you fill it in on airport wi-fi in the arrivals hall.
- You need the exact address of your accommodation in India to complete the form.
- Your hotel, guesthouse or Airbnb host must file Form C within 24 hours of check-in. On a tourist visa up to 180 days you do not register with the FRRO yourself.
- Budget hotels, particularly around Paharganj in Delhi, refuse foreigners rather than deal with Form C. Book through an international platform that will rehouse you.
- Duty-free: goods to INR 25,000, 2 litres of alcohol, 100 cigarettes. Declare foreign cash over USD 5,000 in notes, or USD 10,000 in total.
- Withdraw rupees at an arrivals-hall ATM before the SIM counter - the operators there often take cash only.
Decision flow
Your regime depends on nationality, purpose and prior visa history. Work down the steps.
- Visa on Arrival (VOA)? As of 29 April 2025 and through 2026 this is reserved for citizens of Japan and South Korea. UAE citizens qualify only if previously granted an Indian e-Visa or classic paper visa. Entry is permitted at six airports only: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The visa granted is valid up to 60 days and allows dual entry.
- e-Visa? Tourists from more than 166 countries - EU member states, the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia - apply online through the official portal, no later than 4 days before departure. Categories are e-Tourist (valid 30 days, 1 year or 5 years), e-Business and e-Medical. Citizens of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran and Qatar have had the e-Visa suspended since 1 August 2021 and need a classic visa.
- Pakistani citizenship or origin? Anyone holding a Pakistani passport, or whose parents or grandparents were born in Pakistan, is excluded from both the e-Visa and VOA. Apply for a classic paper visa at an Indian diplomatic mission in your country of residence; the process carries intensive security screening.
- Otherwise, a classic paper visa. Also required for stays over 180 days and for employment, study or journalism. Filed in person at a diplomatic mission or an authorized visa centre such as VFS Global.
The passport itself
At least 6 months of validity from the date you arrive, and at least 2 blank pages. Airlines enforce this at check-in.
Entry formalities applicable to everyone
Digital Arrival Card (e-Arrival Card)
Paper is gone. Introduced 1 October 2025, the transitional period ended 31 March 2026, and since 1 April 2026 the system is fully electronic.
- Who - all foreign nationals, and since 4 October 2025 also holders of OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cards.
- When - no later than 72 hours before the scheduled arrival time.
- Where - free, on the Bureau of Immigration portal (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival) or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app.
- What it asks - personal and passport details, flight number, purpose of travel, contact details and the exact address of your accommodation in India.
- What you get - a QR code to show the immigration officer, printed or on your phone.
Health declaration (Air Suvidha 2.0)
- Only for Ebola-risk arrivals - currently the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan per the World Health Organization.
- File 72 hours before arrival on the Air Suvidha 2.0 portal (https://airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in/) with a detailed travel history for the past 21 days.
- Everyone else needs no health declaration in 2026.
Customs limits and the Baggage Rules, 2026
- Gifts and new goods - up to 25,000 INR total for foreign tourists, 75,000 INR for persons of Indian origin or foreigners on a non-tourist visa. Allowances cannot be pooled between travelling companions.
- Alcohol - 2 litres per person.
- Tobacco - 100 cigarettes, 25 cigars, or 125 grams of loose tobacco.
- Gold and silver - importing any quantity in a form other than personal jewellery, such as bars or coins, is prohibited and subject to high duty. Used personal jewellery is duty-exempt, capped at 40 grams for women and 20 grams for men for residents returning after more than 1 year abroad.
- Electronics - over-18s may bring one new laptop or tablet duty-free.
- Cash - declare banknotes over 5,000 USD, or foreign currency including traveler's cheques totalling over 10,000 USD. Use the government ATITHI 2.0 app from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs to pre-file the declaration before boarding. Taking the Green Channel with undeclared goods or cash over the limit means immediate confiscation and criminal prosecution; on the Red Channel, customs officers' body-worn cameras are mandatory in 2026 to curb corrupt conduct.
Mandatory registration (Form C / Form III)
Your hotel files this, not you. Every commercial accommodation provider, private host including Airbnb ones, inpatient healthcare facility and educational institution is legally required to report a foreign national's stay under the Foreigners Act 1946 and the 1992 rules, updated by the Immigration and Foreigners Rules 2025.
- Filed online as Form C - Form III in the systems from 2025 onward - through the Ministry of Home Affairs portal (https://indianfrro.gov.in/frro/FormC).
- Within 24 hours of physical check-in, and since the 2025 amendment the provider must also report the exact time and details of your departure.
- No FRRO visit - a tourist visa with a planned stay up to 180 days needs no personal registration with the foreigners' police; Form C/III is sufficient.
What matters in practice
From r/india_tourism and r/delhi, the three things that bite in the first 24 hours:
- Budget hotels may refuse you at check-in. Under 3 stars, especially around Paharganj in Delhi, staff turn foreigners away claiming "the Form C system isn't working" or that foreigners are not allowed. The real reason is usually reluctance to fill the form, no FRRO registration, or unfamiliarity. A non-refundable booking from an Indian portal (MakeMyTrip, Goibibo) is practically impossible to refund on the spot - book through Booking.com instead, where support will compel the hotel to arrange replacement accommodation of the same category.
- The e-Arrival Card does not replace the visa. Immigration requires both, separately. Without an approved e-Visa you will not be allowed to board; without the e-Arrival Card you will be held in the arrivals hall filling the form on your phone over unstable airport Wi-Fi.
- Airport SIM counters want cash. They claim to take cards; in practice tourist SIMs are cash-only in INR. Withdraw from an arrivals-hall ATM before you join the operator's queue.
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