India e-Visa application timeframe
India relaxes its tourist e-Visa rules: applications can now be submitted up to 120 days before arrival, with new entry points and expanded visa categories.
🕒 Measure in effect since December 18, 2025, according to Indian authorities.
Good news for international travelers: India is continuing to modernize its entry procedures by easing the rules of its electronic visa system. Since mid-December 2025, the validity window for the 30-day tourist e-Visa has been extended to four months, allowing travelers to plan their administrative steps much earlier. This change comes with the opening of a first authorized land entry point and the rapid expansion of visa categories available online. Tourism, studies, transit or professional projects: India is now adapting its system to the evolving uses of international travel.
⭐ Key points – What changes for India’s electronic visa
- 🕒 Tourist e-Visa applications can now be submitted up to 120 days before arrival
- 🛂 The 30-day tourist e-Visa remains unchanged in terms of length of stay
- 🌍 First land entry authorized at Raxaul (Nepal border)
- 🧳 Several new visa types are now available online
- 📲 Launch of a digital arrival card (e-Arrival Card)
Until now, India’s 30-day tourist e-Visa imposed a well-known constraint on travelers: the application had to be submitted within the 30 days prior to arrival in India. A rule that was not very compatible with long-haul trips planned well in advance.
Since December 18, 2025, Indian authorities have revised this timeline. It is now possible to submit a tourist e-Visa application up to 120 days before the planned arrival date, i.e. around four months.
👉 This change applies only to electronic travel authorizations (eTA) issued as part of the e-Visa, and approved from that date onward.
🎯 In practical terms, this allows you to:
While the application window has been extended, the key features of the visa remain the same:
It is therefore important not to confuse the application date with the length of stay: the visa does not allow you to stay longer, but to apply earlier.
Travelers wishing to spend more time in India can still opt for the one-year tourist electronic visa.
🟢 Its advantages:
👉 It is the preferred option for:
Another major change: the opening of a land entry point for e-Visa holders.
Until now, initial entry into India with an electronic visa had to be made:
🆕 Now, the Raxaul border post, on the India–Nepal border, is officially recognized.
🔎 Why is this important?
📌 Note: once the first entry has been completed, subsequent entries can be made via all Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) in the country.
International airports (selection):
Seaports:
Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Chennai, Port Blair
Land border:
🛣️ Raxaul (India – Nepal)
India is clearly accelerating the digitalization of its immigration system. Initially focused on tourism and business, the e-Visa now covers a much broader range.
🔹 Existing categories:
🔹 New categories added recently:
👉 This diversification allows India to meet very specific needs while maintaining a 100% online procedure.
Since October 1, 2025, India has also introduced a digital arrival card, called the e-Arrival Card.
📝 What you need to know:
🎯 Objective: streamline border checks and reduce the use of paper.
⚠️ Important: 👉 The e-Arrival Card does not replace the visa. The two procedures are separate and complementary.
With these developments, India is sending a clear signal:
➡️ more anticipation, more flexibility, more eligible profiles.
For travelers, this means:
✅ In summary
The extension of the tourist e-Visa validity window to 120 days, combined with the opening of a land entry point and the diversification of electronic visas, marks a new step in India’s migration policy.
A particularly positive change for international travelers, provided they clearly distinguish between visa, length of stay and arrival formalities.
Find out if your question has been answered in the list below
Yes. Since December 2025, the 30-day tourist e-Visa application can be submitted up to 120 days before the planned arrival date in India. This extension applies to the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), a mandatory preliminary step before the electronic visa is issued upon entry into the country.
No. The length of stay allowed with the short-term tourist e-Visa remains limited to 30 days, with two possible entries. The change only affects the application submission period, not the conditions of stay once in the country.
Yes, under certain conditions. The Indian authorities now allow a first land entry at Raxaul, on the border between India and Nepal. After this initial entry validated with the eTA, subsequent entries can be made via any of the country's integrated checkpoints.