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Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler

San Jose, California
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50 posts
Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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I plan to enter India at the Mumbai airport, then take another flight several days later to Delhi. I plan to travel in November, but am not yet sure of the date.

Three questions before I fill out the online forms:

(*) I am entering the country only at Mumbai, but flying _within_ India from Mumbai to Delhi. Will the eTV permit this?

(*) Do I need an exact itinerary before I apply for the eTV, or is the eTV valid at any time during the one month visa period?

(*) It's unlikely, but I may want to enter the country at Delhi and leave from Mumbai. Would this be permissible?

Thanks in advance for your help.

India
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8 reviews
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1. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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Some parts of India (such as North East, Sikkim, Leh, etc) require a foreigner to have a permit in addition to the visa. Other than this, there is no restriction on domestic travel within India while travelling on an e-TV.

You do not need a specific itinerary when applying for an e-TV, but you will need to show a return ticket when entering India. The e-TV will be valid at all times during the 30 day validity until the validity is over.

You can enter and exit from any of the 16 designated airports on an e-TV.

Kolkata (Calcutta...
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for Kolkata (Calcutta), Darjeeling, India
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2. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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Once you enter India, there is no restriction of domestic travel on an eVisa as Mumbaiguy correctly said. You may enter and exit from any of the designated airports mentioned on the eVisa website.

San Jose, California
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50 posts
3. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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Thank you, MumbaiGuy101 and brave1, for your responses. I just filled out the form and paid my money, and will hope for the best.

Tennessee
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20 reviews
11 helpful votes
4. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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On purchasing the open-jaw ticket, its not a problem to leave from a different exit point. However, that onward ticket does need to be purchased before entering the country. You may be asked to show the onward ticket upon entry.

Jaipur, India
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4,458 posts
8 reviews
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5. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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Also there is a member name Igirl, you can contact her for all Visa related query

San Jose, California
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50 posts
6. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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A word of warning to anyone considering eTV: India permits applications no sooner than thirty-four days from the date of expected arrival, and the VISA window will END on this date.

Example: The forward-thinking traveler intends to visit India in late December, and wants to get the VISA taken care of early. If the traveler applies on November 1, the VISA period will _not_ begin thirty-four days later, on December 4, but will END on December 4. The VISA period granted will be from Nov. 2 to Dec. 4.

I just learned this the hard way, and have contacted the eTV support center to see if I can get matters straightened out.

If you'd like to see an excellent, smooth-as-silky e-VISA process for comparison, I suggest a look at Turkey's site, at https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

San Jose, California
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50 posts
7. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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I'll give eTV credit for a prompt response: they told me that the dates can't be changed, and that I'll need a new VISA. I presume my $60+ VISA fee won't be refunded.

Kolkata (Calcutta...
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for Kolkata (Calcutta), Darjeeling, India
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10,002 posts
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8. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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Did you put in your date of travel correctly ? I mean, did you type in your expected date of entry as December ?

Neyyattinkara, India
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241 posts
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9. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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The e-Visa will be processed and issued electronically and sent to the traveler via email. When the traveler arrives in India, they will need to have biometric information taken at the airport and their passport will be stamped.

An eTV is a visa for travel to India that is issued electronically. Because the India e-Tourist visa is issued on-line; it is not necessary to submit an original passport or other documents for processing, though the traveler must have an original, valid passport. A scanned copy is sufficient for the e-Visa to be processed. Simply complete and submit Travisa's online request form and the Indian visa can be processed online. Then once the traveler arrives in India, biometric information (scans of fingerprints) will be taken at the airport the original visa will be stamped inside the passport.

Because the visa stamp is placed inside the passport, this process was originally called ‘India Visa on Arrival’, however, this caused confusion since the application must be submitted and approved before traveling to India.

The Indian e-Tourist visa is generally issued for a single entry visit with a duration of stay up to 30 days. A maximum of two Indian e-Visas can be issued for the same traveler within one year.

Traditional Indian tourist visas can also still be issued, the e-Visa is simply one option. Traditional visas are stamped inside the traveler's passport by the Indian Consulate in the traveler’s country of residence, and these visas are valid for a longer period of time and allow multiple entries. Travisa can assist you to apply for a traditional Indian visa if this is better suited to your needs:

Kolkata (Calcutta...
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for Kolkata (Calcutta), Darjeeling, India
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10. Re: Questions about India e-Tourist Visa for USA traveler
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Chris,

Did you put the expected date of arrival correctly ? Or did you just put in the date you applied on ?

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