If you hold a British passport, you can't fly to India and sort the paperwork when you land. There is no visa on arrival for UK citizens. You apply online first, and for most people that means an India e-Visa — done entirely over the web, with no trip to a consulate.
One thing trips people up before they even start. "India e-Visa" isn't a single visa. It's a set of categories tied to the reason you're travelling: tourism, business, medical treatment, accompanying a patient, or attending a conference. Apply under the wrong category and your application can be refused, delayed, or questioned at the border. Picking the right category is the first step, and it's the step most guides skip past.
This guide settles which category you need. Then it covers the parts every applicant has to deal with, whatever the type: applying safely, what it costs, how long it takes, the entry points, and the e-Arrival Card that India brought in during 2025.
On this page
Do UK citizens need a visa for India?
Yes. British citizens must hold a valid visa before they travel, and there is no visa on arrival. You'll be asked for it at the gate and again at immigration; the confirmation email by itself is not accepted. Most travellers use an e-Visa.
If you're not eligible for an e-Visa, check your route first — see our eligibility page. Some applicants have to use a regular paper visa instead, handled in the UK at the Indian visa centres in Birmingham, Edinburgh and London.
The main e-Visa types for UK travellers — which one do you need?
| Visa type | Who it's for | Key rules | Extra documents (beyond passport and photo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist e-Visa | Sightseeing, visiting friends or family, leisure | 30-day, 1-year or 5-year; the 1- and 5-year allow up to 180 days in India per calendar year | None |
| Business e-Visa | Meetings, negotiations, trade — not paid employment | Usually 1 year, multiple entry, with a cap on each stay | A business card and an invitation letter from the Indian company, both in English |
| Medical e-Visa | Coming to India for treatment | Around 60 days, triple entry | A letter from the Indian hospital on its letterhead, giving the proposed admission date and the patient's name, nationality and passport number |
| Medical Attendant e-Visa | Family travelling with a patient | Tied to the patient and must travel with them; two attendant visas at most per medical visa | The linked medical visa details |
| Conference e-Visa | Attending an official conference or seminar | Single event, valid around 30 days | An invitation from the organiser, plus political clearance from India's Ministry of External Affairs |
Already know which visa you need? Start your application →
Supporting documents should be in English. Documents in another language may not be accepted, so arrange a certified translation before you apply.
The tourist e-Visa is what the large majority of UK travellers need, and it's also where the rules catch people out: which of the three lengths to pick, the date logic, the photo and scan formats. We've covered all of that separately in the complete guide to the India tourist e-Visa for UK travellers. If your trip involves business, medical treatment or a conference, apply under that category rather than stretching a tourist visa to fit.
What every e-Visa application needs
Whichever type you apply for, the basics are the same. They're short, but the formats are strict, and format problems are the single most common reason applications stall or get refused.
- A passport valid for more than six months from your arrival date, with at least two blank pages.
- A clear, complete scan of the passport bio page, with no glare and all the details readable.
- A recent digital photo: front-facing, plain light or white background, square, JPEG.
- A working email address, and a credit or debit card (or PayPal).
- A return or onward ticket, and proof you can cover the trip.
- The document specific to your visa type, from the table above — all in English.
Getting the photo and the passport scan accepted is the usual sticking point. Phone photos are often too high-resolution to upload, and the details you enter must match your passport exactly — one mismatch can hold up the application.
Not sure whether your photo or passport scan will be accepted?
Our team can check the format before submission →Cost and processing time
How long it takes
We run three service tiers so you can match the cost to how soon you're travelling. These count business days only, Monday to Friday, and you need to factor in public holidays in both the UK and India.
| Tier | Turnaround |
|---|---|
| Standard | 10–15 business days |
| Premium | 5–8 business days |
| Express | 2–4 business days |
The Indian government's own rule is that any e-Visa type must be submitted at least four days before travel. Even so, leave more room than that. Document checks, weekends and bank holidays all eat into the calendar, so work back from the tiers above rather than applying the week you fly.
Prices
These are all-in prices. The Indian government fee is already included, the full total shows before you pay, and nothing is added at checkout.
| Visa | Validity | Standard | Premium | Express |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist e-Visa (short stay) | 30 days | £69 | £169 | £319 |
| Tourist e-Visa | 12 months (multiple) | £180 | £280 | £430 |
| Tourist e-Visa | 60 months / 5 years (multiple) | £580 | £680 | £780 |
| Business / Medical / Medical Attendant / Conference | Varies by type (see the table above) | £180 | £280 | £430 |
Optional add-ons: a Rejection Guarantee at £25, and Professional Archiving at £30.
Business, medical, medical attendant and conference visas are charged at the same service price; their validity and entry rules differ by type. The Indian government's own fee varies by nationality and has been revised recently, but with us it's already inside the price, so there's no separate sum to work out.
The official portal is cheaper if you are comfortable applying alone. Our fee covers the government charge plus document checks, category review, submission handling and support if the application or payment status gets stuck.
For the three tourist lengths — how the 30-day, 1-year and 5-year visas actually work and which one suits your trip — see the full breakdown.
Where to apply: official portal, big platform, or a specialist
There's no single right answer. It depends on your timing and how much help you want if something goes wrong.
Start with the one address that matters. The only official Indian government e-Visa portal is indianvisaonline.gov.in, run by the Bureau of Immigration. Knowing the exact address protects you, because look-alike sites are a real problem.
Spotting a fake India visa website
Some UK travellers have paid on sites with no connection to the Indian government, received nothing usable, and had to apply and pay again. The warning signs:
- A domain that mimics the official one. The real portal ends in
.gov.in; addresses like india-evisa-online.com, or anything ending in.gov.uk, are not official. - Pricing that only appears partway through, or a total that shifts between pages.
- No verifiable company — no registered name, no address, no clear terms.
- A claim to be "official" or "government-authorised".
- Pressure tactics: countdown timers, "the price is about to rise", "limited availability".
A legitimate service won't pretend to be the portal, and it'll show the full cost, government fee included, before you pay.
The three routes compared
| Official portal | Large global platform | Our specialist service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated total (30-day tourist) | ~£20 (government fee only) | From €113 | From £69 (government fee included) |
| Government fee included | Yes | Added at checkout | Yes, included |
| Full price shown upfront | Yes | Varies | Full total before payment |
| Manual document review | No | Varies | Yes, before submission |
| Human case support | None | Automated / chatbot / standard email | Named contact, direct |
| Help if payment or status stalls | Self-managed | Varies | Yes |
| Rejection protection | No | No | Optional (£25) |
Going direct on the portal is the cheapest way — you pay only the government fee — but you handle everything yourself, including any snag that comes up. The official FAQ notes, for instance, that a payment status can take up to two hours to update, which matters if you're applying close to departure. Large platforms feel more guided, though their processing fees often run to several times the government fee and don't always show until the payment page. Our service sits between the two on effort and cost: a person reviews your documents before submission, the price is transparent from the start, and you have someone to call if a payment or status problem comes up.
The full side-by-side, with real checkout screenshots, is in our guide to choosing where to apply for an India e-Visa.
The India e-Arrival Card
This one is recent enough that older guides miss it, and it applies to every foreign traveller regardless of visa type.
India introduced the digital e-Arrival Card on 1 October 2025. The paper version ended on 31 March 2026, and from 1 April 2026 it's online only. Nearly all foreign nationals have to file it; the only people exempt are Indian citizens travelling on an Indian passport, and even OCI cardholders have to complete it. You submit it within 72 hours of arrival, either through the Su-Swagatam app or at indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival. It's free, takes five to ten minutes, and asks for no uploads or biometrics. Keep the QR-code confirmation to show on arrival. If you skip it, you may face delays or additional checks on arrival.
We can file the e-Arrival Card for you and keep it timed correctly alongside your visa.
Entry points and what happens after you land
An e-Visa only lets you enter through designated airports and seaports. Land borders don't currently accept it. India expanded the list in 2026 and revises it from time to time, so check the current ports on the official portal before you book. Cruise arrivals are tighter still: only Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore. You can leave through any authorised exit point.
A few things worth knowing for after you arrive. Protected and restricted areas need a permit arranged in advance. The FCDO advises against travel within 10km of the India–Pakistan border, and against parts of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Manipur, so check gov.uk's India travel advice before you go. And the e-Visa can't be extended or converted; overstaying is a serious offence and can mean fines, deportation or a ban on returning.
For permits to restricted areas, current entry-point lists, or anything tied to your specific itinerary, see our help page.
Frequently asked questions
Related India visa guides
Going deeper on a specific part of the process? These guides pick up where this hub leaves off:
- India tourist e-Visa: 30-day, 1-year or 5-year for UK travellers — the complete guide to choosing the right visa, photo formats, eligibility and the application process.
- Where to apply for an India e-Visa: portal, platforms and specialists compared — real checkout costs and the safe way to apply.
Apply
Not sure which India e-Visa fits your trip, or worried about document formats and timing? We check the right category, review your passport scan and photo, submit the application, and track the timing around your travel dates. Prices start from £69 for a 30-day tourist e-Visa, with Standard, Premium and Express options.
Start your application →