eVisa Eligibility
"Who can apply for an India eVisa from the UK"
Who can apply for an India eVisa?
1a Visa Consulting Limited
Not every British passport grants access to the eVisa. This page covers who is eligible, who is exempt, and who must apply through the High Commission instead.
In short: The India eVisa is available to British Citizens holding a standard British Citizen passport. Several other British passport categories, and certain individual circumstances, are excluded or follow a different route.
British Passport Types
Which British passports qualify?
The UK issues six types of passport. Only one is eligible for the India eVisa.
British Citizen
Eligible for the India eVisa. This is the standard burgundy passport held by the vast majority of British passport holders.
British Subject
Not eligible for eVisa. Must apply for a regular visa at the Indian High Commission, London.
British Protected Person
Not eligible for eVisa. Regular visa required.
British Overseas Citizen
Not eligible for eVisa. Regular visa required.
British National (Overseas) — BN(O)
Not eligible for eVisa. Regular visa required. Note: BN(O) holders often also hold a British Citizen passport — if so, apply on that passport.
British Overseas Territories Citizen
Not eligible for eVisa. Regular visa required.
Unsure which passport you hold?
Check the inside front cover of your passport. It will state your nationality and passport type. If it reads "British Citizen" you are eligible for the eVisa. If it reads anything else, contact us before applying.
Contact us →Indian Origin Status
OCI Cardholders
If you or your family have Indian heritage, you may not need a visa at all.
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
Visa ExemptA valid OCI card, used alongside your current British passport, grants visa-free entry to India with no limit on the length or number of visits. You do not need to apply for a separate eVisa.
Note that OCI is not dual citizenship — India does not permit that. It is a lifelong multi-entry status granted to foreign nationals of Indian origin.
Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card
No Longer ValidPIO cards ceased to be accepted as valid travel documents on 31 December 2025. If you still hold a PIO card and have not converted it, you can no longer use it to enter India.
You must now apply for OCI registration from scratch (the free conversion window has closed). Until you hold a valid OCI card, you will need to apply for a standard Indian visa.
Contact us for guidance →Pakistani Origin
British citizens of Pakistani background
This is one of the most important eligibility restrictions to understand before applying.
Pakistani-origin applicants
eVisa Not AvailableIndian government rules exclude the eVisa for anyone who meets any of the following criteria:
- You currently hold or have ever held a Pakistani passport
- You hold a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP)
- Either of your parents was born in, or was a permanent resident of, Pakistan
- Either of your grandparents (paternal or maternal) was born in, or was a permanent resident of, Pakistan
This applies regardless of whether you are now a British citizen and no longer hold Pakistani nationality. The restriction is based on ancestry, not current citizenship status.
Profession & Document Type
Other eligibility restrictions
Certain professions and document types are excluded from the eVisa regardless of nationality.
The following are not eligible for an India eVisa
Diplomatic and Official passport holders
You must apply for a regular visa through diplomatic channels or check whether a bilateral visa-free arrangement applies to your specific passport type.
Journalists and media professionals
Travel for journalism or media work is not a permitted eVisa activity. You must apply for a regular visa, and media visas carry additional requirements.
Military, defence, security and police
Serving and retired personnel are ineligible for eVisa. Attempting to enter on an eVisa while concealing a defence background may result in deportation.
Laissez-passer and INTERPOL travel document holders
UN passports and INTERPOL official documents are not accepted for eVisa.
Persons endorsed on a parent's or spouse's passport
Every traveller must hold their own individual passport. Children and spouses must each have a separate passport to apply.
Non-passport international travel documents
The eVisa is only available to holders of a national passport, not other international travel documents.
Working in a restricted profession?
If you have a defence, military, security or police background — even if retired — you should not apply for an eVisa. Suppressing this information on your application is grounds for deportation at the Indian border. Contact us and we will help you apply for the correct regular visa.
Contact us →Families & Children
Travelling with children
Every traveller needs their own passport and eVisa
Children — including newborn babies — must each hold their own British passport and their own India eVisa. A child cannot travel on a parent's passport or be included in a parent's visa application.
Apply for each child separately. All eligibility criteria above apply equally to children.
Not sure which route applies to you?
Our team reviews your situation before you apply, so you don't risk a rejection or delay at the border.
Speak to our teamRelated Pages