Tourist eVisa - Jim Corbett National Park (India)
The e-Visa is an official document permitting entry into and travel within India. Applicants will receive their visas via email, after filling the application form with the necessary information and once the online credit card payment is completed. All visitors need a visa for India, except citizens of neighboring Nepal and Bhutan. The Indian government has now introduced three, six months or up to one year multiple-entry electronic visas for citizens of most countries. Visitors staying in India for less than 72 hours can obtain a Transit visa (a confirmed airline booking for onward journey must be shown when applying), otherwise an Indian Tourist visa is necessary. The length of Tourist visa will depend on your nationality. Citizens of the United States, Canada and Japan are given tourist visas of up to 10 years validity. In addition, five-year Tourist visas are increasingly becoming available for people from most countries.
November 2014, the Government of India introduced an online tourist Visa (e-Visa) for 43 countries. This was done to promote international and inbound travel to India, as travelers no longer had to visit the embassy to get their visa. In 2015, India rolled out the e-Visa program to other major world countries. In April 2017, India retooled its e-Visa program, introducing visa subcategories for tourists, business travelers and medical visits.
At present, travelers from more than 160 countries can apply for Tourist e-Visa, Medical e-Visa or Business e-Visa, depending on purpose of their visit to India. In addition, no matter how long your Tourist visa is valid for, you're not permitted to remain in India for more than six months (180 days) at a time. Furthermore, some Tourist visas only allow stays of up to three months at a time. Also note that although a two month gap previously applied between visits to India on Tourist visas, this has been removed for citizens of most countries. Other types of visas that are available for visitors to India include Business visa, Employment visa, Intern visa, Research visa, Student visa, Journalist visa and Film visa. Travelers who use e-Visa program apply, pay a fee online and receive their electronic visa online before traveling to India. The process is very simple!
Cost for Indian Tourist Visa: Cost of an Indian Tourist visa varies between countries, as per arrangement between governments. The latest rates are effective from July 1, 2018. Fee for US citizens is $160 for five or 10 years. This is excellent value, considering that a one-year E-visa costs $100, other than processing fee $19.90 and Biometric Enrollment fee. Countries like Japan and Mongolia have special agreements with Indian Government that allow their citizens to pay significantly less visa fee. Citizens of Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Seychelles (up to three months), South Africa and Uruguay do not have to pay a visa fee.
Permits for Protected/Restricted Areas in India: Even if you have a valid Tourist visa, there are some remote areas in India that require foreigners to obtain a Protected Area Permit (PAP) to enter. These areas are usually near borders, or have other security concerns associated with them. Such areas includes Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some parts of northern Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. In most cases, individual tourists are not allowed to visit these area, and allowed with tour/trekking groups only. You can apply for your PAP at the same time as you apply for your Tourist visa. Alternatively, it's also possible to obtain on arrival in India before going to protected areas.
The government of India was one of first to implement a travel ban due to coronavirus (COVID-19). This travel ban still applies and affects travel plans and visas already granted for India. You can stay up to date on https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/ for impact on evisa due current coronavirus situation, and expectations for the coming months. Most recent update: 01-01-2022.