How to Apply for an India Visa for US citizens

Are you planning to visit India? This special country has so much to offer: from the Taj Mahal, to ancient history and a delicious cuisine. 

If you visit India from the US, then you are going to need a visa. Which one? Discover everything about the India visa for US citizens here.

Do US citizens need a visa for India?

Yes, it's mandatory to get an India visa for US citizens before their trip, as there isn’t a possibility of acquiring one on arrival. 

You can apply for the e-visa to India from the USA completely online on visagov.com, where you will find a very simple application form in your own language. We will help you every step of the way! 

Some visas are not available online. If you need one of those, you will have to apply in person at the embassy or consulate closer to you. Luckily, this is not the case for the tourist visas. 

To learn more about every type of visa, read our article about how to get a visa for India.

Applying for an India visa from US

If you travel to India from the US, you can apply for these 4 kinds of India visa for US citizens online:

• 30-day tourist visa: it’s valid for 30 days and it allows for double entry to the country. However, it’s not extendable nor convertible.
• 1-year tourist visa: this visa is valid for 1 year counting from the day of its approval and it allows for multiple entries to the country. 
• 5-year tourist visa: similar to the previous visa, this one it’s valid for 5 years starting on the day of its approval and it also allows for multiple entries to India, but each one has to be for 90 days or less. However, US citizens can extend their stay to 180 days instead of just 90.
• Business visa: it’s valid for 1 year starting on the day of the approval of the visa and it also allows for multiple entries. However, each entry has to be for 180 days or less. If you hold this visa and wish to stay for a longer period of time, you have to contact the Regional Office for the Registration of Foreigners.
• Medical eVisa: it's a triple entry visa. It has a validity of 60 days.
• Medical Attendant eVisa: it's a triple entry visa with a 60-day validity.
• Conference eVisa: it's a single entry visa with a validity of 30 days.

Visa requirements for India for US citizens

These are the India travel requirements to apply for an e-Visa to India from USA:

• A passport with a validity of at least 6 months counting from the start of the trip. You will need to submit a color copy of the passport page that holds all your personal information.
• A personal photograph where the face of the applicant is clearly visible and on a white background. Don’t wear sunglasses, necklaces or any item of clothing that may hinder your correct identification. 
• A debit or credit card to pay for your visa. 
• A current email address to receive your eVisa for India.

When do you start the application process for the India visa for US citizens?

Most online visas are issued quickly. However, once approved, every kind of India visa has to be used within 30 days. 

The process takes about a week and you will not receive your approval until about 20 or 25 days before traveling, so you should send in your application 15 days before your trip or earlier. 

Since you can’t make any changes on your application for the India vis afor US citizens once the process has started, remember to double check everything and to send it in with a few days to spare. In case of any mistakes or changes, you will have to cancel your previous application and do it all again at your own expense.

What entry points are available with an Visa to India from USA?

Every kind of online visa for India allows you to enter the country through specific points, and only by air or by sea. However, when you leave, you can do it by every authorized point available, including by land. 

To enter India by air

US citizens can enter the country through any of these airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi and Visakhapatnam.

To enter India by sea

These are the available seaports for US citizens: Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Mangalore and Mumbai.

Indian consulates and embassies in the US

If you wish to apply for a long-term India visa, you are going to need to go in person to one of these:

• Embassy of India, Washington D.C.
• Consulate General of India, New York City
• Consulate General of India, Atlanta
• Consulate General of India, Chicago
• Consulate General of India, Houston
• Consulate General of India, San Francisco